[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 150 (2004), Part 11]
[House]
[Pages 14800-14801]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




       CONGRESSIONAL RECORD PROVES USEFUL FOR PRESERVING REMARKS

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentleman from Texas (Mr. Burgess) is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Mr. BURGESS. Madam Speaker, we have heard from several people tonight 
on the other side of the aisle who spoke out against the activity in 
Iraq and said that they were opposed to the activity in Iraq, and that 
is their right, their privilege, their obligation to do so.
  Madam Speaker, I was not here when the Congress voted on authorizing 
the use of military force in the country of Iraq. I think had I been 
here that I would have voted in favor of that use of military force, 
but that is merely speculation. I was not here.
  But, Madam Speaker, I think it is useful to go back in the 
Congressional Record and read the remarks of people who were here who 
had those debates, who had to work through those issues, and who did 
then ultimately vote for the use of force in Iraq.
  I quote the Congressional Record from September 12, 2002, where an 
individual said, ``I firmly believe the issue of Iraq is not about 
politics, but it is about national security. We know or have known for 
at least 20 years that Saddam Hussein has aggressively and obsessively 
sought weapons of mass destruction by any means available. We know that 
he has chemical and biological weapons today. He has used them in the 
past, and he is doing everything he can to build more. Each day he 
inches closer to his long-term goal of a nuclear capability, a 
capability that could be less than a year away. I believe,'' this 
speaker said, ``I believe that Saddam Hussein's Iraqi regime wants a 
clear threat to the United States, to our allies, to our interests 
around the world, and to the values of freedom and democracy that we 
hold dear.''
  Madam Speaker, this individual went on to say, ``Saddam has proved 
his willingness to act irrationally and brutally against his neighbors 
and against his own people. Iraq's destructive capability has the 
potential to throw the entire Middle East into chaos and poses a moral 
threat to our vital allies. Furthermore, the threat against America is 
all too clear. Thousands of terrorist operatives around the world would 
pay anything to get their hands on Saddam's arsenal.''
  The speaker went on to say, ``There is every possibility that he 
could turn those weapons over to terrorists. No one can doubt that if 
the terrorists had had weapons on September 11, had had those weapons 
of mass destruction, they would have used them. On September 12, 2002, 
we can hardly forget the terrorist threat and the serious danger that 
Saddam would allow his arsenal to be used. Iraq has continued to 
develop its arsenal in defiance of the collective will of the 
international community as expressed through the United Nations 
Security Council. It, Iraq, is violating terms of the cease-fire that 
ended the Gulf War and is ignoring as many as 16 United Nations

[[Page 14801]]

Security Council resolutions, including 11 resolutions concerning 
Iraq's efforts to develop weapons of mass destruction. These U.N. 
resolutions are not unilateral American demands; they involve 
obligations that Iraq has undertaken to the international community. By 
ignoring them, Saddam Hussein is undermining the credibility of the 
United Nations.''
  Let me repeat that.
  ``By ignoring them, Saddam Hussein is undermining the credibility of 
the United Nations openly and openly violating international law and 
making a mockery of the very idea of international collective action.''
  Madam Speaker, this individual on September 12 of 2002 wrapped things 
up with the very concise statement that goes on to say, ``The path of 
confronting Saddam is full of hazards, but the path of inaction is far 
more dangerous. This week, a week before we remember the sacrifice of 
thousands of innocent Americans made on 9/11, the choice could not be 
starker. Had we known that such attacks were imminent, we surely would 
have used every means at our disposal to prevent them and to take out 
the plotters.''
  Well, Madam Speaker, unfortunately, these words were spoken by a 
Member of the other body, and the decorum of the House prevents me from 
properly attributing them, but most people would recognize the speaker 
of these words as the man who has recently been designated for the 
second highest office in this land, the Democratic, purported 
Democratic nominee for Vice President of the United States.

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