[Congressional Record Volume 152, Number 113 (Wednesday, September 13, 2006)]
[Senate]
[Pages S9452-S9454]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                       UNITY IN THE WAR ON TERROR

  Mr. ISAKSON. Mr. President, I am really delighted, after some of the 
things I have read and heard this morning. I decided last night to make 
the speech I am about to make. This morning, I want to go back to the 
speech the President made on Monday evening and go back to the 
President's clarion call for us to unite as a nation behind our effort 
to win the war on terror.
  During the past 3 days--first Monday, September 11, where we all 
honored and mourned the tragic loss of 3,000 citizens, through today--I 
have read constant editorials and listened to numerous speeches that 
imply to me that that sense of unity doesn't really exist. I think the 
President was right to call for unity.
  This morning I rise in an effort to have us focus on what we are 
really all about, not to point fingers or castigate anybody but to talk 
about what I believe is the ultimate war between good and evil. What 
happened on September 11 in 2001 was one of the most tragic events in 
the history of mankind. What the United States did, and what this 
President declared, by changing our policy from one of reaction to one 
of preemption was precisely the right thing to do. There is no doubt 
that in the last 5 years mistakes have been made. But there is no doubt 
that the greatest mistake would have been not to respond. It is now 
time for us to resolve to support this country, our men and women in 
harm's way, our intelligence agencies, with a resolve to see

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it through to its conclusion, understanding that it is going to be a 
long and difficult battle.
  We should not forget that the Cold War lasted half a century. As a 
youngster at R.L. Hope Elementary School in Atlanta, GA, I remember 
every week we practiced climbing under our desks as we did drills 
because we feared a nuclear attack from the Soviet Union. It was only 
when the Berlin Wall came down in the 1990s and communism was finally 
defeated that the Cold War ended.
  This war could be as long and as difficult. But it is different. We 
fight an enemy with no uniforms, no diplomats, and no capital. It 
doesn't want what we have. They don't want us to have what we have. 
They don't want us to have the freedom of speech--for me to do what I 
am doing here--or for the press to criticize it. They don't want you to 
be able to bear arms if you are a law-abiding citizen or to go to 
church on Saturday or Sunday and worship or to not worship at all or 
the way you want. They don't want you to have the freedom to assemble 
and gather.
  They are using those very inalienable rights of ours against us today 
and, in some cases, some of us are unwitting accomplices in that 
criticism. By way of example, we argue and parse about issues of 
interrogation and some issues of intelligence and surveillance, when 
every day that we fail to act the other side uses that against us to 
try to find a way to break us and kill American citizens. How else in 
the 21st century, in a world of computers and digital technology and 
cellular technology, can we track terrorists if we cannot listen to 
them? How in the world can we learn about those who would kill innocent 
Americans if we cannot interrogate them?
  There was an editorial in the Monday paper, September 11, 2006, 5 
years after 9/11, in my hometown paper, the Atlanta Constitution. It 
said, ``Power is found in our ideals not in our weapons.'' That is a 
great headline. They are right. One of the great ideals that the 
American people have is that we don't quit. We didn't quit in our 
revolution or in our Civil War or in World War I and World War II, and 
we cannot quit now. In this editorial, criticizing us in terms of 
Guantanamo Bay and Abu Ghraib, who is the moral authority quoted? None 
other than Osama bin Laden. The man that is quoted as questioning 
America's values is the man that relishes cutting off the heads of 
innocent American citizens, the man who takes pride in calling out and 
charging terrorists with attacking American citizens on 9/11, and the 
man who to this very day plots to kill innocent Americans.
  We must listen to what they are saying, track what they are doing. 
When we capture them, we must get the intelligence necessary to save 
innocent lives. We must unite as a country, a media, political parties, 
and as a people to stand steadfastly behind this effort and see it 
through to conclusion.
  I personally submit that we are getting pretty close. I think the 
fact that they are concentrating in Baghdad, the fact that we have seen 
what we have seen in terms of them trying to portray a civil war is 
because we have had them on the run and it is their last stand. You 
see, terrorism doesn't have to beat us on the battlefield. They only 
have to make us quit and come home. Then they can declare victory. We 
cannot let that happen.
  I conclude my remarks by admonishing all of us, myself included, to 
join together to find solutions to move forward and support this effort 
to its conclusion and to its success. We should not tie the hands of 
our Armed Forces or our intelligence networks behind their backs. We 
should instead put our arms around them and embrace them, let them 
charge ahead and continue to track our enemies wherever they are and 
find out the information that is necessary. Then, and only then, will 
we be equalized in the war on terror and ultimately prevail.
  I yield the floor.
  The PRESIDENT pro tempore. The Senator has 10\1/2\ minutes remaining.
  The Senator from South Carolina is recognized for 10 minutes.
  Mr. DeMINT. Mr. President, I join my colleague, Senator Isakson from 
Georgia, in calling for the ceasing of this politicizing of a very 
important effort and the need to unify as a nation. As we commemorate 
the fifth anniversary of 9/11, I was reminded of how far we have come 
since that terrible day in securing America's homeland against future 
attacks, and how much further we have left to go.
  I am thankful to be part of a Republican majority that is taking real 
action to make America safer, to secure our borders first, to 
strengthen port security with background checks for workers and scan 
every cargo container at our busiest ports for weapons of mass 
destruction.
  President Bush and a Republican-led Congress have also shown 
relentless determination in the war against radical Islamic terrorists 
all around the world.
  We prevented further attacks by uncovering and stopping 15 major 
terrorist plots against America and likely many others which are not 
public knowledge. We have frozen $1.5 billion in terrorists' assets in 
the United States through economic sanctions. We have implemented 37 of 
39 recommendations of the 9/11 Commission. And we have liberated more 
than 50 million Afghans and Iraqis from despotism, permitting the first 
free elections in either country.
  Just this week, the Senate took another important step to keep 
America's families safe by voting unanimously to pass the WARN Act, an 
important piece of legislation that will modernize our severely 
outdated emergency alert system using everyday technology such as cell 
phones and Blackberrys.
  Meanwhile, and unfortunately, Democrats are trying to kill the port 
security bill by tying it up with political amendments--once again 
proving that they are willing to put their hope of winning an election 
ahead of the security of our country.
  Unfortunately, during this election year, many of my Democratic 
colleagues seem more interested in posturing and pointing fingers than 
in putting forward serious proposals about how to deal with the ongoing 
terrorist threat. They accuse President Bush and Republicans of being 
satisfied with the status quo. Nothing could be further from the truth.
  The Republican-led Congress has actively fought to secure America's 
homeland by funding critical ongoing needs of our troops and by 
increasing funds for border security, while Democrats have blocked 
commonsense efforts such as stopping the catch-and-release program for 
illegal immigrants which encourages more and more illegal immigration 
in this country.
  The Democrats have blocked, or tried to block, the renewing of the 
PATRIOT Act, but we have been able to pass it despite the Democratic 
leader's claims to have killed it.
  The Republican Congress is defending the use of military intelligence 
and law enforcement resources that have led to the capture of many of 
al-Qaida's top leaders and have helped to degrade al-Qaida's 
capabilities around the world. But these very techniques were 
criticized by my distinguished Democratic colleague this morning on the 
floor. We have to use the technology available to us to track 
communications, to stop financing of terrorism around the world, and if 
we don't we put our country at risk.
  The Republicans have supported strong nominees for critical national 
security and foreign policy positions, such as U.N. Ambassador John 
Bolton, despite Democratic obstruction.
  Again, despite continued Democratic obstruction, Republicans will 
continue to push a comprehensive agenda to secure America's homeland 
that will strengthen our borders with additional border agents, enforce 
immigration laws with worker verification, secure our ports with worker 
background checks, and support surveillance to find and stop terrorists 
before they strike.
  What is the Democratic plan? The latest Democratic plan to secure our 
country is to complain about Donald Rumsfeld, to send a letter to the 
President telling him to do things in Iraq that have already been 
implemented and, as we heard this morning, to complain about the 
listening or tracking of phone calls from known terrorists.
  I can't put it any better than my good friend, the Senator from 
Kentucky, Mr. Mitch McConnell, who recently said while talking about 
Democrats' cut-and-run strategy:

       The Democratic leadership finally agrees on something--
     unfortunately, it's retreat.

  Whether they call it redeployment or phased withdrawal, the effect is 
the

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same: they would leave Americans more vulnerable and Iraqis at the 
mercy of al-Qaida, a terrorist group whose aim toward Iraqis and 
Americans is clear.
  If Democrats spent half as much time fighting terrorists as they do 
this administration, America would win this war a lot faster.
  Democrats claim to be the only ones who care about what Americans 
think, but Americans can see through their posturing. Compassionate 
rhetoric without a real plan for action is nothing more than an empty 
promise.
  Republicans are committed to securing our homeland and have backed up 
that talk with action. Like my colleague, Senator Isakson, I invite my 
Democratic colleagues to join us in honoring the sacrifice of those who 
have already given their lives for freedom by providing real hope and 
security for all Americans instead of just partisan rhetoric.
  Mr. President, I yield the floor, and I suggest the absence of a 
quorum.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. Vitter). The clerk will call the roll.
  The legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  Mrs. MURRAY. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order 
for the quorum call be rescinded.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  Mrs. MURRAY. Mr. President, what is the pending business?

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