[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 153 (2007), Part 13]
[Senate]
[Pages 18084-18085]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                         DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION

  Mr. McCONNELL. With that, Mr. President, let me make some 
observations about the Defense authorization bill.
  What Republicans would like to see is an open and comprehensive 
debate. We know this debate is going to include a discussion of our 
policy in Iraq. We welcome that too. There are a variety of different 
proposals on both sides of the aisle about how we ought to go forward 
on that most important issue. Nobody has any doubt that is the No. 1 
issue in this country, and we are certainly prepared to offer our 
suggestions, as well as to react to the Democratic suggestions about 
where we should go from here.
  But a couple of words of caution are in order as we proceed. Everyone 
should know from the outset that Republicans will expect and insist on 
the freedom to improve this bill with our own amendments. We will be 
offering them and expect to have them voted on, as well as Democratic 
amendments.
  Democrats have continually tried to block our efforts at improving 
legislation earlier in this session, as evidenced by the record pace of 
cloture motions we have been discussing on the floor that have been 
filed since January. I know there has been an effort to attempt to 
paint this record-setting pace of cloture motions as a reaction against 
alleged Republican intransigence, but, frankly, that is simply not the 
case. It is an effort to try to truncate the legislative process in 
such a way that works to the disadvantage of the minority.
  The Senate has always been a place of cooperation. Most of us on both 
sides have been in the majority and minority recently. We know the 
different proposals that tend to please one and inhibit the other. The 
Senate is a ponderous place on purpose. It is exactly what Washington 
and the Founders predicted.
  Republicans have insisted on our right to improve everything from 
ethics reform to the minimum wage bill this year. We have improved, we 
believe, everything we have touched, and we will continue to insist on 
our rights to do that.
  Specifically, on this bill, the DOD authorization bill, which we will 
turn to at 3 o'clock, we will insist on amendments that respond 
aggressively and practically to the ongoing terrorist threat both here 
and abroad.
  It is important to remember whom we are fighting. General Petraeus 
has said that 80 percent to 90 percent of the suicide bombers in Iraq 
are from outside the country, outside of Iraq. We are fighting al-
Qaida, other terror groups, and the states that support them.
  We cannot allow these terrorists to gain a new sanctuary even closer 
to the United States than Afghanistan or to gain access to other 
ungoverned areas in the Middle East that will give them a new stage to 
carry out their attacks.
  It has always been in the U.S. interest, and it remains in the U.S. 
interest, to maintain stability in the Persian Gulf. It is important 
not to forget that either. We need to guard against an emboldened Iran, 
which is facilitating and capitalizing on the weakness of Iraq for its 
own advantage on the world stage. We must reassure our allies in Iraq, 
the Middle East, and the world that America remains committed to 
fighting terrorism wherever it is found.
  Finally, as we proceed, we must remember we are at war and that our 
enemies will use any means at their disposal to harm us. They intend to 
strike us at home and abroad. They will exploit any opening we give 
them, and they will use every tool at their disposal.
  Everyone in this Chamber has America's best interests at heart. But 
it will fall on Republicans in this debate to be particularly awake to 
the complexity of the terrorist threat.
  Now, it is no accident we have not been attacked at home in nearly 6 
years. We have kept terrorists at arm's length by bringing the fight to 
them. Republican amendments will build on the lessons we have learned 
over the past 6 years. They will reflect our commitment to security and 
continued vigilance, and we will insist they be heard. Republicans will 
succeed in improving this bill in ways that improve our war-fighting 
ability and our counterterrorism tools.
  I yield the floor, Mr. President.
  The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. The majority leader is recognized.
  Mr. REID. Mr. President, I appreciate not only the comments of my 
distinguished counterpart, the senior Senator from Kentucky, but the 
manner in

[[Page 18085]]

which they were offered, the tone. I would hope we can work together to 
get some of these things done, starting with this bill, the Defense 
authorization bill.
  We have two wonderful Senators who are the managers of that bill, 
Senators Levin and Warner. They have worked together in that committee 
for 25 years and are both dedicated patriots. They will do a good job 
managing this bill, no matter what happens on the floor.
  I would also say that, coincidentally, I had a meeting today with the 
president of the American Medical Association. He came to talk about 
the SCHIP bill and how important it is we get that passed.
  Also, in speaking with physicians about the Clinton health care plan 
that we did spend a lot of time on, as everyone knows, that legislation 
started out with 80 percent of the American people supporting a change 
in the health care policy in this country. With the huge amounts of 
money spent by mainly the insurance industry, with their ``Harry and 
Louise'' ads, that reversed, when it was all over, with less than half 
the people supporting that legislation. Huge amounts of money were 
spent denigrating that legislation.
  Right now, as with the people who met with me today, they sure wish 
that legislation passed. It would have solved a lot of the problems we 
deal with here: medical malpractice and allowing the pooling of small 
employers so they can compete with large employers and have affordable 
insurance. But hindsight is 20/20. That was not accomplished. 
Hopefully, we can, with SCHIP, set a tone for what we can do with 
legislation as it relates to health care.
  With the 9/11 and the ethics and lobbying reform, the proof is in the 
pudding. Are we going to have more delays? As my distinguished friend 
has indicated, if Republican staff comes to our staff and says: We are 
ready to go to conference, we will go, just like that. But I am not 
going to come out here anymore and have somebody come out and sideswipe 
it: We cannot do it because of this or that, always something standing 
in the way of it.
  The American people are watching us. We are going to finish those two 
pieces of legislation before we leave in August. It is not a threat. It 
is what we have to do. The American people need us to do certain 
things. Can't we certainly pass ethics and lobbying reform? Can't we 
certainly pass the 9/11 Commission recommendations, which are 3 years 
old? The administration has not implemented those. In fact, as we know, 
we talk about one reason it passed overwhelmingly here and in the House 
is the Bush administration is given Ds and Fs on the implementation of 
this. We need to get this passed, and we need to get ethics reform 
passed. We need to get the 9/11 bill passed. I hope we can do that.
  Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, will the majority leader yield for a 
question?
  Mr. REID. Mr. President, I am happy to yield.
  Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, I do not know if the majority leader 
was preoccupied or not, but let me say again, we were prepared to go to 
conference on the 9/11 bill the Friday before the recess, and the 
request was not made by my good friend, which is fine. I would say, 
again, we are prepared to go to conference on the 9/11 bill. I would 
suggest we have our floor staffs work out the language. I do not think 
there is any reason why we could not do that today.
  Mr. REID. Mr. President, I am happy. I am happy. I so appreciate 
that, very much appreciate that. I think it is good we try to have a 
good work environment the next few weeks. We have a lot of things to 
do. We have been through one of the most difficult issues that has ever 
faced this body, ever, in the 200-plus years we have been a country; 
that is, immigration reform. Friends against friends, it was a very 
difficult issue.
  So I think it is time we are able to do what the Senate can do by 
unanimous consent. So I appreciate very much what my friend said. I 
look forward to that. I think it will be something the American people 
can look at and say: You know, those guys don't disagree on everything.

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