[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 7 (Tuesday, January 13, 2009)]
[House]
[Page H187]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                  IT'S TIME TO GIVE DIPLOMACY A CHANCE

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentlewoman from California (Ms. Woolsey) is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Ms. WOOLSEY. A breath of fresh air filled the Capitol this morning. 
It happened during the confirmation hearings for Hillary Clinton. The 
Secretary of State-designate in her testimony said that ``diplomacy 
will be the vanguard of foreign policy'' in the Obama administration.

                              {time}  1945

  This is exactly what the American people have been waiting 8 long 
years to hear. The current administration never used diplomacy, and the 
results have been devastating for us and for the world. The occupation 
of Iraq hasn't made us any safer. It has cost over $1 trillion so far, 
helping to put our economy into a deep recession. It has devastated our 
reputation in the world. All of this is clear to just about everyone 
except our current leaders in the White House.
  At his press conference yesterday, President Bush insisted that the 
occupation of Iraq hasn't damaged America's moral standing in the 
world. But his administration's policy of shooting first, asking 
questions later, has badly damaged our Nation's moral authority.
  The use of torture has damaged it even more. Yesterday President Bush 
called the human rights abuses at Abu Ghraib a disappointment. But in 
recent weeks we have seen convincing evidence that Abu Ghraib was the 
result of deliberate administration policy. Talk about disappointment.
  In February of 2002, the President signed an order stating that the 
Geneva Conventions did not apply to members of al Qaeda or the Taliban. 
Then high-ranking American officials took a series of actions that made 
torture a part of our interrogation practices in Iraq and elsewhere. 
Former Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld was one of the officials who 
gave his stamp of approval.
  A bipartisan report issued by the Senate Armed Services Committee on 
December 11 documented this illegal action and how these actions came 
about. According to the committee, the authorization of aggressive 
interrogation techniques by senior officials conveyed the message that 
it was okay to retreat and degrade.
  Then a week after the committee issued its report, Vice President 
Cheney gave a shocking interview to the Washington Times. In the 
interview, he admitted that 33 prisoners were subjected to what he 
called ``enhanced interrogation techniques.'' That's fancy bureaucratic 
language for torture. He even admitted that prisoners were subjected to 
waterboarding, which has been considered a form of torture ever since 
the Spanish Inquisition.
  I know that conservatives like Vice President Cheney have looked 
backwards for their policies, but the 15th century, Mr. Speaker, is 
much too far back. Look at the consequences of these policies of war, 
occupation and torture. The Middle East continues to be in turmoil and 
flames. Iran's influence continues to spread. People all around the 
globe have a negative opinion of the United States, which makes it much 
harder for us to get their help.
  When America loses its moral authority, Osama bin Laden and other 
terrorists find it a lot easier to recruit new members. But with the 
change in our Nation's leadership on January 20, America has new hope. 
We have new hope for the future.
  In addition to her comments about diplomacy this morning, Hillary 
Clinton said that ``We must build a world with more partners and fewer 
adversaries,'' and she promised to work with Congress and not to treat 
us with contempt, as the current administration has. She said, and I 
quote her, ``For me, consultation is not a catchword--it's a 
commitment.''
  And she quoted Terence, the Roman playwright, who said, ``In every 
endeavor, the seemly course for wise (people) is to try persuasion 
first.''
  The current administration tried war and occupation for 8 years, and 
it didn't work, so it's time to give diplomacy a chance.

                          ____________________