[Congressional Record Volume 148, Number 125 (Monday, September 30, 2002)]
[Senate]
[Pages S9563-S9564]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                           THE SENATE AGENDA

  Mr. THOMAS. Mr. President, I rise to talk a little bit about what I 
think is the future of some of the things that are being talked about 
in terms of this Senate session which probably will expire in 2 weeks, 
and the many things that we have to do prior to that time.
  Some of the things that are being talked about seem to me to be a 
little contradictory from time to time. I guess my hope is that we can 
together, of course, based on the leadership in the Senate, set some 
priorities, make some decisions, and accomplish some of the things that 
are necessary for us to accomplish prior to the recess.
  Clearly, we have to do something about homeland defense. I can't 
imagine anything that is more important to us than to complete this 
discussion and allow the President to establish what is necessary for 
homeland defense. It is interesting. It reminds us. This morning, for 
example, over in the Hart Senate Office Building, we were told we 
couldn't leave our offices and no one could come in because there was a 
suspicious package over there on the floor. It reminds us that there is 
indeed a continuing threat of terrorism which we need to do something 
about.
  Clearly, we have to make some decisions with regard to our position 
on Iraq. Whatever that decision is, it seems to me it is terribly 
important that Congress join with the President, and that we make some 
decisions which cause something to happen there. Hopefully, it will be 
some kind of a peaceful settlement. But that isn't going to happen--and 
it hasn't happened for years--until we do something that is very 
definitive. We can do that.
  We clearly have to do something about defense appropriations. I 
suspect that we will end up--and I have no problem with that--with a 
continuing resolution for the rest of the appropriations, none of which 
we have passed at this time, so they can continue at last year's level 
until whenever--November or February. Defense appropriations and 
military construction have to be changed because the demands are higher 
for more money, and we can't go on last year's numbers.
  These certainly are some of the things we must do. Then we have to 
have this continuing resolution.
  I hope we will get back to this matter of homeland defense. The 
President made a recommendation, and the House passed a bill. It is 
something that is unusual, it is something that is different, and it is 
something patterned after the threats up to now. I think it has to have 
management flexibility.
  That has been one of the controversial points--organizational 
flexibility, putting together a Department made up of a number of 
different departments that have had these specific responsibilities and 
bring it together so it will be coordinated.
  Some of the things we are finding that might have been done better 
prior to September 11 will be done better in the future. We can do 
that. We have to assign personnel responsibilities, do budget 
transfers, and do many of these things that pretty clearly need to be 
done.
  I think one of the interesting things that has happened in recent 
times because of Iraq and terrorism discussions and home defense 
discussions is that on homeland defense we see an effort being made 
increasingly to shift the division from the economy to these issues. I 
think both of these issues are very important. But when you have 
threats and you have terrorism, you aren't able to choose the time. 
When it is there, you have to do something about it.

  Some of the talk, particularly in the media, I suppose comes 
basically from here. It has been interesting. One of the columnists in 
my home State of Wyoming--one of the few liberal columnists--has 
written one that I think is interesting. The first point he makes is 
that President Bush, in his campaign, was for bringing troops home. At 
that time, that was a reasonable thing to do. We were deployed over the 
world and beyond where we needed to be.
  Now he said the contradiction is that he is willing to commit 
thousands of young people overseas. Times have changed. September 11 
changed things. September 11 indicated to us that there is a different 
kind of threat from terrorism, and indeed a different kind of war in 
this world than there was before. Should our position change? It seems 
to me that it should.
  Then he goes on to talk a little bit about the fact that the 
administration hasn't even shown the need to do this. It seems to me, 
if you go back and examine what happened in the last 10 years in Iraq, 
it is pretty clear that the agreements that were made after the 1991 
war have not been lived up to. And that is the basis for the kind of 
threat we have now. It is pretty clear.
  It is very interesting. He goes on to say we should never attack 
anyone unless we have been attacked. I wonder if he has forgotten the 
3,000 people who died in New York City. It shows the different changes 
that have taken place. Years ago, an attack was by 17 divisions with 
tanks and landing barges. That is what you defended yourself against. 
That is not the case now. The case is you can bring some kind of a 
secret thing into a building in New York City and kill 3,000 people.
  We are having some strange conversations--all of them valid. We need 
to go through it. We also hear from some of our friends on the other 
side of the aisle that we are no longer paying any attention to the 
economy.
  I simply say that I believe we ought to review where we have been and 
where we could have been--and the number of things talked about here 
that have an impact on the economy that the leadership has not brought 
up, and has not been willing to go forward on. One of them is the 
budget. It is the first year in 20-some years that we haven't had a 
budget; that has something to do with an economy, of course.
  Policy for energy: We have been moving along, but we still haven't 
gotten an energy policy. It is one of the things that most impacts both 
our economy and our safety against terrorism. We are hoping to get 
that. There is still no movement there.
  Terrorism insurance on buildings, for example: We have reduced the 
ability of people to invest their money to help

[[Page S9564]]

the economy. We haven't done anything with that.
  Tax permanency and doing something about the estate tax so people 
will be more willing to invest their money--they don't want to do that, 
and they haven't brought it up. We need to be sure to take those items 
out of the committees.

  Limits on liability, tort reform--that has something to do with the 
economy--we could do that. The leadership has chosen not to bring that 
up. So there are many things where there seems to be a contradiction.
  All of us want to pass homeland security legislation. No one in this 
Chamber does not want to accomplish that. And we want to make it work. 
To do that, we need to move forward. There is no one in this body who 
does not want to see our economy strengthened, making life better for 
everyone in this country.
  We have to make some decisions. We have to have some movement instead 
of being 4 weeks on the same thing and having not accomplished it.
  Mr. President, I certainly hope we can move forward. I think all of 
us want to do that. We have a couple weeks in which to do it. Now is 
the time.
  I yield the floor.
  The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. Who yields time?
  The Senator from Utah.
  Mr. BENNETT. Mr. President, may I inquire as to the parliamentary 
situation? Are we in morning business?
  The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. We are in morning business for 20 
more minutes, according to the order.
  Mr. BENNETT. For another 20 minutes?
  The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. The Senator is correct.
  Mr. BENNETT. I thank the Chair and ask unanimous consent that I be 
recognized for the next 20 minutes.
  The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. Without objection, it is so 
ordered.

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