[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 150 (2004), Part 14]
[Senate]
[Pages 18516-18518]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                           LACK OF DIRECTION

  Mr. LAUTENBERG. Madam President, I rise to voice deep concern about 
what is happening in our war with Iraq, what is happening within our 
country, and a lack of direction that is pronounced as far as I am 
concerned.
  We hear the political debate that goes on: What is your plan for 
getting us out of Iraq? Well, what is yours?
  Since our Commander in Chief is in charge, I would think that he 
would lead the country and lead the direction of the campaign, telling 
the American people about when it is we are going to be able to expect 
our troops to come home, when these families will be reunited.
  Last week, the 33rd soldier from New Jersey died in Iraq. Our country 
has now lost a total of 1,018 of our troops in Iraq. Of these deaths, 
877 troops have died since the President announced that major combat 
operations in Iraq were over, finished. He made that announcement 
during a political appearance on an aircraft carrier on May 1, 2003.
  If we look at this picture, we see our sailors lined up. I know what 
they are thinking. I was a veteran, and I remember so vividly when I 
was on a ship bound for Japan after serving in Europe and the war 
suddenly ended and how relieved I was. I was concerned for myself, of 
course, but I was concerned for my brothers and sisters in arms as 
well. So these sailors are standing at attention, and there were 
rousing

[[Page 18517]]

cheers when the President made his statement. And he boldly declared: 
``Mission accomplished.''
  It turned out to be more theater than reality. The mission 
accomplished debacle is illustrative of President Bush's failure to 
execute a coherent plan to win the war in Iraq. Even after reaching a 
thousand dead, President Bush has not come forward with a plan. We have 
not heard one word about when those troops are expected to come home. 
When will the fighting really stop? When can we look at the situation 
in Iraq and say, good grief, it is finally resolved? Every day more and 
more people are killed, and many are Americans. But lots of times the 
structure in Iraq promotes this kind of dispute and violence.
  I say to President Bush, stop this killing. Our troops are putting 
their lives on the line for our country.
  The President refuses to show the kind of leadership we need to have 
in a time of war. Even as the fighting continues, we hear promises that 
somehow or other it is going to get better, when in fact the situation 
has worsened.
  I ask my colleagues: What are we doing there? What is our plan? What 
kind of a government do we think we are going to see there? We have 
sort of turned it over to the Iraqis, but since that turnover has been 
made the violence and the numbers killed each day has accelerated. I 
don't know whether anyone here knows what, if any, our plans are. As 
the killing continues overseas, the President is inviting a new risk to 
begin here at home.
  Madam President, this Senate, the Congress, failed to extend the life 
of the assault weapons ban. Ultimately, the failure to extend this law 
falls on the desk of President Bush. He has not done anything--not 
lifted a finger--to urge the Republican leaders to extend this ban. As 
a matter of fact, in earlier days, he said he would sign a bill. But he 
knows very well, and all America knows very well, if he doesn't 
encourage the Republican leadership to present a bill, there is no bill 
to sign. So all kinds of boastful comments can be made about how he 
would sign it, but to my knowledge he never has picked up the phone and 
called the leadership of the House or Senate and said we need a bill, 
we don't want these crazy weapons around our country.
  Assault weapons are semiautomatic, civilian versions of weapons 
designed for military use. They are the weapons of choice of criminals 
and terrorists because they are capable of holding large-capacity 
magazines that allow a shooter to fire up to 150 shots without having 
to reload.
  These weapons are specifically designed for military use in order to 
kill greater numbers of people more effectively and quickly.
  This placard illustrates some of the new products available at local 
gun stores, thanks to the President's lack of leadership. We took an 
action here that said we would like to continue the ban, but it fell 
when the House refused to deal with it.
  We could not find weapons of mass destruction in Iraq, and we are 
finding weapons that easily destroy lives right here at home. FBI 
statistics show that one in five law enforcement officers slain in the 
line of duty were killed by an assault weapon. That is why police 
officers across the country are outraged that we did not extend this 
ban. Why in the world we need these weapons, I cannot figure out. Who 
do we please when we say let's have these automatic weapons on our 
streets in New York? For what purpose? Target shooting? Shooting deer? 
Maybe shooting neighbors. Maybe drug dealers, yes. Maybe policemen. 
That is who gets shot when these guns are available.
  The International Association of Chiefs of Police, the Fraternal 
Order of Police, the International Brotherhood of Police Officers, the 
Major Cities Chiefs Association, the Major County Sheriffs 
Association--every one of them want us to extend the assault weapons 
ban. But our ears were closed.
  Madam President, these law enforcement officers put their lives on 
the line every day, and they should not have to face criminals armed 
with an Uzi pistol or an AK-47 rifle, a Street Sweeper, or a TEC-9 
pistol during a drug bust or school shooting. This Nation should never 
forget the school shooting at Columbine High School in Littleton, CO, 
where two teenage students, using a TEC-DC9 assault pistol and other 
weapons, went on a shooting rampage that killed 12 other students and a 
teacher. Who can ever forget the pictures of the students hanging out 
the windows begging for mercy, begging for a way to escape the rampage 
that was taking place?
  We should never forget it. But we don't want to do anything about it; 
that is the tragedy. Nor should the Nation forget another school 
shooting in Stockton, CA, in 1989, where an AK-47 was used in a 
schoolyard full of kids, firing over 100 rounds in less than 2 minutes 
and killing 5 children and wounding 29 others.
  Then there is the issue of terrorism. If anyone thinks for a second 
that the expiration of the assault weapons ban will not be noticed by 
foreign terrorists, then we are hiding our heads in the sand.
  Found in the ruble of a terrorist training camp in Afghanistan was a 
manual. It is entitled, ``How Can I Train Myself for Jihad?''
  The placard contains a quote from that manual:

       In other countries, e.g., some states of the USA, South 
     Africa, it is perfectly legal for members of the public to 
     own certain types of firearms. If you live in such a country, 
     obtain an assault rifle legally, preferably AK-47 or 
     variations, learn how to use it properly and go and practice 
     in the areas allowed for such training.

  That is training on how to kill innocent people.
  This placard also says:

       ``How Can I Train Myself for Jihad,'' a guide originally 
     published on the Azzam.com, a website dedicated to the 
     worldwide jihad (now shut down). The guide was found in the 
     ruins of a terrorist training center south of Kabul, 
     Afghanistan, after it was destroyed by U.S. air strikes in 
     late 2001.

  Those are the people who want to get their hands on these weapons. 
Those are the people who say that the United States is easy pickings if 
you want to buy a gun and kill a lot of people.
  Terrorists know, they are aware of our weak gun laws. It just became 
weaker. For all of President Bush's statements on terrorism, he has 
chosen to stand with the NRA rather than protecting our communities 
from this brand of terror.
  In my view, the President's behavior on the assault weapons ban is 
one of those things we call a flip-flop. It is when you say one thing 
and do something else. We saw an angry U.S. Senator on the floor of the 
convention a couple of weeks ago when he said that the worst thing to 
do is say something and do nothing. That is his definition of a flip-
flop.
  This is a flip-flop of the worst order. It endangers our families, 
our children, and our Nation's law enforcement officers. I wish it were 
not so, and apparently there is not going to be any going back on the 
assault weapons ban. I wish there were a way to resurrect it. We are 
where we are. What we have done is we have encouraged the sale of these 
weapons. I heard there are gun manufacturers who were preparing for a 
burst of sales activity when these weapons were available. I ask 
myself: Who wants to buy these kinds of weapons? What are they going to 
do with them? They are going to endanger our families and our kids and 
other innocents. That is what they are going to do.
  It is too bad because we are now in the midst of a terrible situation 
with the war, with the casualties continuing to escalate, and with a 
situation totally out of control in Iraq. I was there shortly before 
the government was turned over to an interim group to be followed by an 
election in January. The fact is that it does not look like there is 
going to be an election in January. I heard statements from those in 
leadership in Iraq who suggest an election might be tough to hold. But 
one thing is for sure, this is not a mission accomplished. This is a 
mission that is still underway, and the cost is terrible.
  I went to visit some wounded from Iraq at Walter Reed a few weeks 
ago, after a burial at Arlington Cemetery, to meet young people who 
will never function the way they used to. There was a man who was 
blinded from an attack who said to me: I will never see

[[Page 18518]]

my 28-month-old daughter, but I still want to hold her.
  That is the condition that continues to develop each and every day: 
Over 1,000 killed, many more thousands wounded, and we just hope and 
pray they will recover and we will be able to conclude this effort in 
Iraq successfully but quickly.
  I yield the floor, and I suggest the absence of a quorum.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.
  The assistant legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  Mr. BENNETT. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order 
for the quorum call be rescinded.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. Hagel). Without objection, it is so 
ordered.
  Mr. BENNETT. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that I might 
proceed as if in morning business.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. We are in morning business.

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