[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 80 (Thursday, June 16, 2005)]
[Senate]
[Pages S6670-S6671]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         JOHN BOLTON NOMINATION

  Mr. REID. Mr. President, I rise to respond to a statement that was 
made yesterday. I want to provide an update on the status of the Bolton 
nomination. As I said yesterday, and I say now, we on this side of the 
aisle have been clear and consistent on our position on this matter. If 
the administration works in good faith to give the Senate the 
information it requires, Senate Democrats are ready immediately to give 
this nomination a vote.
  We are not going on a fishing expedition in this instance. Democrats 
are seeking clearly defined and specific information about two very 
important issues that bear directly on John Bolton's fitness to 
represent this great country in the United Nations. I know what a 
fishing expedition is. A fishing expedition is, for example, in the law 
when one does a deposition or sends interrogatories and they have no 
idea what the answers are going to be, they have no idea what 
information they are really seeking to obtain, they hope something will 
turn up. That is not the case here because we have given two important 
areas where we want information: Did Mr. Bolton attempt to exaggerate 
what Congress and the American people would be told about Syria's 
alleged weapons of mass destruction capabilities? Secondly, did Mr. 
Bolton use or maybe perhaps misuse highly classified intelligence 
intercepts to spy on bureaucratic rivals who disagreed with his views 
or for other inappropriate purposes?
  At the time I made those remarks, sadly, the administration and 
Senate Republicans had taken the position for the past month or more 
that nothing needed to be provided to the Senate on either of these 
issues, nothing. Last evening, the chairman of the Intelligence 
Committee, my friend, Senator Roberts, came to the floor to announce 
that he had attempted, ``one last good-faith effort to alleviate Senate 
Democrats' concerns.''

  These questions were not directed to a member of the Intelligence 
Committee or to a member of the Armed Services Committee. These 
questions that we have asked were directed to the White House, to this 
administration.
  Let us take a look, though, at Senator Roberts' efforts. First, it 
completely ignored one of the two issues on which we are seeking 
further clarification; namely, whether Bolton attempted to exaggerate 
what Congress and the American people would be told about Syria's 
alleged weapons of mass destruction capabilities.
  I remind my colleagues, this is no small matter. All over the news 
the last 2 days has been concerns about weapons of mass destruction by 
virtue of the memo that was discovered in England. Concerns about this 
administration hyping intelligence and Great Britain hyping 
intelligence cannot be dismissed lightly.
  U.S. troops are fighting in Iraq today largely because this 
administration told the Congress and the American people that Iraq not 
only possessed stockpiles of weapons of mass destruction but was also 
capable of using them against us and our allies.
  U.S. troops are fighting in Iraq today. In the last 48 hours, 11 
American soldiers have been killed. During that same period of time, I 
do not know the exact count, but well over 100 Iraqis have been killed. 
During that same 48-hour period, I do not know how many American 
soldiers have been grievously injured. I have no idea how many Iraqis 
have been paralyzed, blinded, or lost limbs. It is serious.
  But we have learned since the war that the administration's own 
investigator concluded Iraq did not possess either the stockpiles or 
the means of delivery. Just as importantly, there are a series of 
unanswered questions about whether senior officials in this 
administration dramatically and intentionally hyped this threat to 
justify their desire to invade Iraq. So one can see why we believe it 
is no small matter for us to learn whether Mr. Bolton was a party to 
other efforts to hype intelligence.
  Let's be clear about what is happening in Washington and the Senate. 
We have a White House that continues to drive an agenda--some say it is 
a radical agenda--determined to consolidate power and abuse it when 
necessary to push its unpopular policies. This disagreement over the 
Bolton nomination is not about partisan politics, ideology, or even 
reform at the United Nations. It is about whether we permit this 
administration yet again to walk roughshod over the Constitution.
  Our duty as Senators is to ensure that our country is represented by 
qualified and, yes, ethical individuals. Instead of joining the Senate 
to protect and respect the Constitution, the administration has decided 
to pick a fight with large rhetoric and negative attacks as it 
consecrates its power and continues its secretive approach to 
governing.
  Instead of joining us in a bipartisan conversation to reform Social 
Security, the administration pursues a risky privatization scheme that 
will slash benefits and threaten our economy with massive new debt. 
Public support for this privatization scheme is around the 20-percent 
mark.
  This administration has also acquiesced to its radical rightwing base 
and supported the intrusion of the Federal Government into the private 
lives of families.
  Just as troubling as all of this might be, when the administration 
fails to get what they want, they rev up the negative attack machine 
and set up the slash and burn, and I can say that is certainly true.
  This pattern could not be clearer, and the American people are 
joining us to say enough is enough. For months now we have been talking 
about reforming Washington and focusing on the issues that affect the 
lives of the American people. We have been trying to do that as 
Democrats. Our work on the Energy bill this week is an example of what 
can be done with bipartisan work. We have a bipartisan bill that we 
hope to continue to improve.
  Senator Domenici and Senator Bingaman have been exemplary in the work 
that they have done. We want to improve the bill. That is what 
legislation is all about. Americans are tired of getting caught in the 
crossfire of partisan sniping. So let us continue to join in a 
commonsense center and do the work the American people sent us to do.

[[Page S6671]]

  I end as I began. If this administration, like previous 
administrations, respects requests of the Senate, we will immediately 
move to grant Bolton an up-or-down vote. I stand by that pledge today 
as I did more than a month ago.
  Mr. DOMENICI. Mr. President, I ask that I be permitted to speak 1 
minute as in morning business.
  The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. Without objection, it is so 
ordered.

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