[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 98 (Thursday, July 15, 2004)]
[House]
[Page H5897]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




     STATEMENT ON SMART SECURITY AND LETTER TO SECRETARY TOM RIDGE

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentlewoman from California (Ms. Woolsey) is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Ms. WOOLSEY. Mr. Speaker, earlier this week Deforest Soaries, 
chairman of the U.S. Election Assistance Commission, asked Homeland 
Security Secretary Tom Ridge to consider seeking the authority to 
postpone a Federal election.
  In response, I have composed a letter to Secretary Ridge expressing 
dismay at the very possibility of postponing an election. The letter 
has been signed by 90 other Members of Congress. Ninety percent of the 
Democrats have signed this letter and one Republican.
  Mr. Speaker, the leader reads, ``Dear Secretary Ridge, we are deeply 
troubled by reports that the Department of Homeland Security has asked 
the Justice Department's Office of Legal Counsel to analyze what steps 
would need to be taken to postpone the Presidential election in 
November of this year.
  ``We are also concerned that this important issue was not raised last 
week when Homeland Security Under Secretary Asa Hutchison, FBI Director 
Robert Mueller and Terrorist Threat and Interrogation Center Director 
John Brennan briefed Members of the Congress on the possibility of 
terrorist attacks affecting the upcoming elections.
  ``Any action taken by the Department of Homeland Security to postpone 
a Federal election, including requesting an informal review by the 
Justice Department, would present the greatest threat to date of our 
democratic process and would invite terrorists to disrupt the selection 
of our highest leader.
  ``The mere consideration of postponing an election, the very basis 
upon which our American democracy is founded, is a capitulation to 
terrorism. Wars, droughts, floods and hurricanes have not stopped 
elections, and the possibility of a terrorist attack must not stop one 
either.
  ``This move would be unprecedented for a Presidential election. Not 
even the Civil War stopped the 1864 Presidential election. In 1864, 
President Lincoln stated,'' and I quote President Lincoln in my letter, 
```We cannot have free government without elections, and if the 
rebellion could force us to forego or postpone a national election, it 
might already fairly claim to have conquered or ruined us.'''
  The letter continues, ``Moreover, such a proposal suggests that State 
officials responsible for elections in their region are incapable of 
deciding for themselves what steps to take in the event of a 
catastrophe. The legislative branch of the government has always held 
the authority to regulate elections. Now is not the time to transfer 
this authority to the executive branch. In the event of a terrorist 
attack, we trust that the respective legislatures across the Nation 
will make the right decisions to ensure that our democratic process 
remains intact.
  ``Fighting terrorism and preventing terrorists from changing our 
democratic process is the greatest fight we face in America today, but 
postponing an election due to the possibility of a terrorist attack, or 
even in the event of an actual terrorist attack, would represent the 
greatest possible loss for democracy and victory for terrorism.
  ``Let us make sure that in the fight against terrorism we do not 
sacrifice the very values we are fighting for in the first place. We 
urge you to take no further steps to postpone this year's Presidential 
election.''
  Mr. Speaker, this letter is signed by 190 other Members of Congress. 
Each of these Members realizes there must be a way to both fight 
terrorism and hold onto the democratic ideals that make our country 
great. And there is.
  I have introduced H. Con. Res. 392, the SMART Security Resolution, 
which provides a better way to address the threat of terrorism. SMART 
stands for Sensible, Multilateral, American Response to Terrorism.
  SMART would prevent future acts of terrorism. It is more vigilant 
than the President on fighting terror. Instead of emphasizing military 
force, SMART focuses on multilateral partnerships and stronger 
intelligence capabilities to track and detain terrorists.
  Mr. Speaker, after hearing about our letter in the House, DeForest 
Soaries revised his previous remarks. He claimed he could not conceive 
of any circumstances under which a Presidential election could be 
postponed or cancelled. Apparently, our message has gotten through. We 
must be smart about how we react to terrorist threats, and that means 
never sacrificing the democratic principles that make this country 
great.




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