[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 154 (2008), Part 2]
[House]
[Pages 2649-2650]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                        WHO SEEKS INDEPENDENCE?

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentleman from Texas (Mr. Poe) is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Mr. POE. Madam Speaker, it is written that governments are instituted 
among men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, 
and that when any form of government becomes destructive of these ends, 
it is the right of the people to alter or to abolish it and to 
institute new government.
  Madam Speaker, this eternal statement from the Declaration of 
Independence clearly states the United States' right to self-
determination. We used this natural right to break away from Great 
Britain.
  Last week Kosovo unilaterally declared itself an independent and 
sovereign state, and the announcement has ushered violence in the 
region and opposition from the country it broke from, Serbia. Following 
Kosovo's declaration of independence, the United States was one of the 
first world powers to grant official recognition to the self-declared 
independent Kosovo. Since then, several other countries have followed. 
Of course, not everyone agrees that Kosovo may unilaterally declare its 
independence from Serbia. Certainly Serbia objects.
  At the same time, Russia, China and Spain have shared their strong 
opposition to the declaration. Each of these countries is struggling 
with its own separatist communities. They are afraid that Kosovo's 
unilateral declaration will encourage secessionist groups in their own 
country to rebel and declare themselves independent and sovereign 
states.
  When we start meddling in the internal affairs of international 
nations like Serbia, consequences are sure to follow. Let me be clear, 
I am not talking about a people rising up and overthrowing a civil 
government, but a people separating themselves from a civil government 
and forming a new nation.
  The question is, do all peoples have this right of separation, and 
does the United States support that? What position will the United 
States take as other peoples may decide self-determination, separation 
and independence? By recognizing Kosovo, the United States is setting a 
precedent, and it needs to take that position very seriously, because 
there are consequences.
  Is the United States willing to offer recognition to the Basque and 
Catalan people of Spain if they declare independence or to Chechnya if 
they break away from Russia? Or how about Tibet if they decide to leave 
China? Separatist communities across the world are interpreting the 
actions of the United States in Kosovo to suggest that America supports 
movements of self-determination.
  A columnist for an African newspaper recently wrote a newspaper 
article titled ``Kosovo--the precedent that will enflame Africa.'' This 
journalist predicts that the Kosovo recognition will ignite a revival 
of secessionist groups across the African continent. Will the United 
States be prepared to deal with that if it happens? And what will we 
do? Will we send troops? Will we send aid to these movements?
  We've even got folks from the State of Montana here in the United 
States saying they are going to secede from the Union if the Supreme 
Court rules a certain way on gun ownership. Is self-determination 
allowed in Montana?
  Looking at our country's history, it is pretty clear that the right 
of self-determination of a people is expensive, and it has costs. If it 
weren't for the courage and self-determination of our country's 
founders, we would still be a colony of Great Britain.
  But the United States has been inconsistent on the right of self-
determination. For example, in the 1860s, the United States rejected 
this self-determination here at home. More than 650,000 Americans were 
killed during the War Between the States when the South claimed the 
right of self-determination and the North went to war to prevent it and 
to prevent southern independence.

[[Page 2650]]

  Independence is a serious and volatile matter. Thomas Jefferson said, 
``What country can preserve its liberties, if its rulers are not warned 
from time to time that the people preserve the spirit of resistance? 
Let them take up arms.'' These are strong words from the author of the 
Declaration of Independence.
  Is this statement U.S. policy? It may very well be the case that the 
United States' position in Kosovo will encourage more turmoil 
throughout the world. What will the United States do then? Is the 
United States going to choose to either fully support or fully oppose 
the right to self-determination for other peoples? Or is the United 
States going to continue down its path of inconsistent foreign policy 
on self-determination?
  People with aspirations of independence all over the world are 
watching the United States and trying to interpret what our foreign 
policy is. They need to know what our position is on independence, and 
the American public needs to know where we stand on independence for 
other peoples.
  And that's just the way it is.

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