[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 152 (2006), Part 11]
[House]
[Page 14568]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                     THE CRISIS IN THE MIDDLE EAST

  (Mr. McDERMOTT asked and was given permission to address the House 
for 1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. McDERMOTT. Mr. Speaker, the question is, Does silence mean 
agreement?
  The United States is the only superpower in the world; yet the 
President has been on the sidelines since the start of the Middle East 
crisis.
  There are 25,000 Americans in harm's way in Lebanon, but the 
President has yet to reassure them, or us, that the United States is 
doing everything possible to protect our citizens and get them out of 
harm's way. A U.S. warship was ordered to sail out of the Port of 
Haifa. Why weren't U.S. helicopters flown in to evacuate Americans 
visiting Israel? And why are we only now flying helicopters into 
Lebanon to begin evacuating Americans?
  The President had days to speak, but waited, and then let the G-8 
nations issue a joint communique.
  Why didn't this President dispatch the Secretary of State to the 
region immediately?
  The United States must lead if there is any hope of restoring 
stability to the region. The President's silence is unacceptable. In 
the midst of this crisis, his silence is intolerable. He is AWOL.

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