[Congressional Record Volume 152, Number 78 (Friday, June 16, 2006)]
[Senate]
[Page S5988]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
IRAQ
Mr. REID. Mr. President, our valiant troops are now serving in their
fourth year in Iraq. Day after day, they have demonstrated courage,
skill, and bravery. They do not ask for much. But all of us owe them a
lot.
At the top of the list of things we owe them is an honest debate
about what is going on in Iraq.
Yesterday, Democrats offered an amendment to express the sense of the
Senate that Iraq not grant amnesty to terrorists who kill our troops as
part of their reconciliation plan. The amendment came in response to
reports that the Iraqi Prime Minister was in favor of such a proposal.
But instead of joining us in a debate about this amendment, the
majority, the Republicans, decided to play a political game and quickly
claimed the Iraqi Prime Minister had been ``misquoted'' and offered
some procedural gimmicks to stop a vote from taking place on this
amendment.
But, just this morning, there is more news that the Prime Minister
has talked about and does favor amnesty to those Iraqis who kill
American troops. It is all over the country in the news. For example,
it is on page 22 of the Washington Post. The aide who first leaked the
story has now resigned, but he stands by what he said. Today, he is
quoted as saying:
The prime minister himself has said that he is ready to
give amnesty to the so-called resistance, provided they have
not been involved in killing Iraqis.
What that says is just what we said yesterday: Amnesty will be
granted to those who kill Americans, but not to those who hurt Iraqis.
I think this sounds like it deserves the Senate's attention. Doesn't
it seem like we should weigh in on this, and tell the Iraqis there will
be no ``get out of jail free'' cards for those who kill our troops?
We should have had that debate yesterday. But instead of having the
debate, the Republicans cut and run from the debate. In effect, they
are filibustering their own Defense authorization bill, not allowing
the matter to move forward--stopped in midday. It does not make sense.
Until we know exactly where the Iraqis stand, President Bush must come
forward and tell the Iraqis to stand down.
Terrorists who kill our troops should not be set free. Our soldiers
have given too much in the name of Iraqi freedom.
Mr. President, there is something else we owe our troops: an
acknowledgment of their tremendous sacrifice.
Yesterday, as we know, we had a moment of silence in this Chamber
because we lost our 2,500th troop in Iraq.
Mr. President, 2,500 of our finest have been killed in Iraq. The
reason we had a moment of silence is because it was a solemn milestone,
which we should acknowledge.
But over at the White House, I guess they have a different feeling.
They apparently view this sad occasion differently. With all the news
around the country today, there is a quote from Tony Snow, the
President's Press Secretary, who said, in response to the news: ``It's
a number.'' ``It's a number.'' ``It's a number.''
I say to Tony Snow, and others at the White House, it is more than a
number. It is somebody's son or daughter. It is someone's father or
mother, a neighbor, an uncle, or an aunt.
Nevada has lost 39 soldiers in Iraq--39. Every one of them is more
than a number. I wonder how--and they are now my friends--two Nevadans,
who came to visit me before Memorial Day--and they came to the Memorial
Day ceremonies we had at the Boulder City Veterans Home, where last
year we buried more than 2,000 veterans--I wonder how John Lukac's and
William Salazar's parents feel about their sons being just numbers.
They are not numbers. They are no more numbers than the people who
have been wounded. They are not numbers. They are people, in many
instances, who have lost arms or legs or eyes or are paralyzed. They
are not just numbers.
I think maybe we should discuss briefly what a Republican Congressman
said yesterday. I know this man. I know him well. I have been going to
the House gym for a lot of years. He is a man by the name of Wayne
Gilchrest. He is my friend. He is a Republican Congressman from
Maryland.
We were standing in the House gym. I have known him for many, many
years. And because of our knowing one another--he was shaving actually,
with his shirt off. And on his back he had--I noticed it for years--a
real scar.
I said: Wayne, what is that scar?
He said: I was shot.
I said: Tell me about it.
He was in Vietnam. He was a sergeant. He raised his arm to fire, and
as he did that, somebody shot him through the chest. The bullet came
out of the back. He has a big scar in the back. The words he remembers
are: ``Sarge's been shot. I hope he's not dead.''
He survived, but after many months in hospitals. He was a school
teacher. He came back from Vietnam and taught kids. Now he is a Member
of Congress, and has been for some time.
Here is what he said in yesterday's Washington Post:
I can't help but feel through eyes of a combat-wounded
Marine in Vietnam, if someone was shot, you tried to save his
life . . . While you were in combat, you had a sense of
urgency to end the slaughter, and around here we don't have
that sense of urgency.
That is a direct quote. He went on to say:
To me, the administration does not act like there's a war
going on. The Congress certainly doesn't act like there's a
war going on. If you're raising money to keep the majority,
if you're thinking about gay marriage, if you're doing all
this other peripheral stuff, what does that say to the guy
who's about ready to drive over a land mine?
Republican Congressman Wayne Gilchrest.
John Lukac is just a number? William Salazar is just a number?
I suggest the absence of a quorum.
The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. Isakson). The clerk will call the roll.
The legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
Mr. SPECTER. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order
for the quorum call be rescinded.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
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