Daniel Inouye

Mr. INOUYE

Mr. INOUYE. Madam President, I rise today to discuss the Guantanamo amendment which I offered along with Senator Inhofe. As all of my colleagues know, the amendment would strip the funding from the supplemental that was requested to begin the process of closing Guantanamo. Let me say at the outset that despite some of the rhetoric concerning this issue, this amendment is not a referendum on closing Guantanamo. Instead, it should serve as a reality check since, at this time, the administration has not yet forwarded a coherent plan for closing this prison. In the committee markup, I included language which would have delayed the obligation of funding for Guantanamo until the administration forwarded such a plan. I also included provisions which would not have allowed prisoners to be relocated to the United States or released if they still pose a threat to our Nation. But after listening to the debate and reading media reports, it became clear that this message was not getting through. Rather than cooling the passions of those who are justifiably concerned with the ultimate disposition of the prisoners, the funding which remained in the bill became a lightning rod far overshadowing its impact and dwarfing the more important elements of this critically needed bill. Instead of letting this bill get bogged down over this matter, as chairman of the committee, I determined that the best course was to eliminate the funds in question. The fact that the administration has not offered a workable plan at this point made that decision rather easy. But let me be very clear: We need to close the Guantanamo prison. Yes, it is a fine facility, state of the art, and I too have visited the prison site. Yes, the detainees are being cared for, with good food, good service, and good medical care. Our service men and women are doing great work. But the fact is that Guantanamo is a symbol of the wrongdoings that have occurred, and we must eliminate that connection. Guantanamo serves as a sign to many in the Arab and Muslim world of the insensitivities that some under our command demonstrated at the Abu Ghraib prison. It is a constant reminder that what we call ``enhanced interrogation techniques'' is referred to nearly universally elsewhere in the world as torture. Yes, we should not kid ourselves; the fact that Guantanamo remains open today serves as a powerful recruiting tool for al-Qaida. We Americans have short memories, but that is not so in other cultures. For example, when the Japanese Prime Minister visited Yasukini shrine, which commemorates Japanese soldiers from World War II, the Chinese were outraged. This controversy was for events that are now more than 65 years old. In Korea, the name of the dictator Toyotomi Hideyoshi is still remembered today for the thousands of ears and noses which were cut off Koreans and sent to him to prove to him how many Koreans his soldiers had killed. That atrocity is still remembered today by millions of Koreans, even though it occurred more than 400 years ago. The dehumanizing photographs of detainees at Abu Ghraib are no longer fresh in our minds, but that is not true in the Middle East, where the populace remembers the degradation with disgust. When they think of Guantanamo, they remember those photos. Those images are still crystal clear to them. The wrongdoing has not been forgotten. The closure of Guantanamo is a requirement for this country to help overcome some of the ill will still felt by Muslims around the world. To many, Guantanamo is considered an affront to the Muslim religion. Stories of improper respect for the Koran by prison officials, even though inaccurate, serve as a reminder to millions of Muslims that this prison must be closed. Many of our colleagues are justifiably concerned about how the terrorists at Guantanamo will be handled. They deserve answers. But so too we must begin planning to close this prison. That work needs to begin soon for the good of our Nation and the men and women still serving in harm's way. It is up to the administration to fashion a plan that can win the support of the American people and its congressional representatives. As we approach the fiscal year 2010 budget, this will be a key element of our continued review of this matter. I support the amendment for the reasons I have stated and urge its adoption. I yield the floor.

Mr. INOUYE. I move to reconsider the vote, and I move to lay that motion on the table. The motion to lay on the table was agreed to.

Mr. INOUYE

Mr. INOUYE. Mr. President, I certify that the information required by Senate rule XLIV, related to congressionally directed spending has been available on a publicly accessible congressional Web site in a searchable format at least 48 hours before a vote on the pending bill.

Mr. INOUYE. Mr. President, I am for it. I yield back the remainder of my time.

Mr. INOUYE

Mr. INOUYE. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Foreign Relations be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Wednesday, May 20, 2009, at 11 a.m.

Mr. INOUYE. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate Committee on the Judiciary, Subcommittee on Immigration, Refugees and Border Security, be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate, to conduct a hearing entitled ``Securing the Borders and America's Points of Entry, What Remains to Be Done'' on Wednesday, May 20, 2009, at 10 a.m., in room SD-226 of the Dirksen Senate office building.

Mr. INOUYE. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Wednesday, May 20, 2009, at 9:30 a.m.

Mr. INOUYE. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Ad Hoc Subcommittee on Disaster Recovery of the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Wednesday, May 20 2009, at 2:30 p.m. to conduct a hearing entitled, ``The Role of the Community Development Block Grant Program in Disaster Recovery.''

Mr. INOUYE. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Personnel Subcommittee of the Committee on Armed Services be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Wednesday, May 20, 2009, at 2:30 p.m.

Mr. INOUYE. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Special Committee on Aging be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Wednesday, May 20, 2009, from 2 p.m.-4 p.m. in Russell 432 for the purpose of conducting a hearing.

Mr. INOUYE. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate Committee on the Judiciary, Subcommittee on Crime and Drugs, be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate to conduct a hearing entitled ``Criminal Prosecution as a Deterrent to Health Care Fraud'' on Wednesday, May 20, 2009, at 2:30 p.m., in room SD-226 of the Dirksen Senate office building.

Mr. INOUYE. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Foreign Relations be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Wednesday, May 20, 2009, at 1:30 p.m., to hold a hearing entitled ``Foreign Policy Priorities in the President's FY10 International Affairs Budget.''

Mr. INOUYE. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Wednesday, May 20, 2009, at 2:30 p.m. in room 430 of the Dirksen Senate office building.

Mr. INOUYE. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Wednesday, May 20, 2009, in Russell 253, at 2 p.m.

Mr. INOUYE. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Finance be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Wednesday, May 20, 2009, at 10 a.m., in room 215 of the Dirksen Senate office building.

Mr. INOUYE. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Subcommittee on Strategic Forces of the Committee on Armed Services be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Wednesday, May 20, 2009, at 2 p.m.

Mr. INOUYE. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Foreign Relations be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Wednesday, May 20, 2009, at 9 a.m.

Mr. INOUYE. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on May 20, 2009, at 9:30 a.m., to conduct a hearing entitled ``Oversight of the Troubled Asset Relief Program.''

Mr. INOUYE

Mr. INOUYE. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that Mr. Robert Berschinski, a detailee with the Defense Appropriations Subcommittee, be granted floor privileges during the consideration of this measure.

Mr. INOUYE

Mr. INOUYE. Mr. President, I send an amendment to the desk on behalf of Senator Cochran and myself and ask for its immediate consideration.

Mr. INOUYE. Mr. President, I am pleased to yield. Amendment No. 1133

Mr. INOUYE. Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for the quorum call be rescinded.

Mr. INOUYE. Mr. President, I suggest the absence of a quorum.

Mr. INOUYE. Mr. President, I suggest the absence of a quorum.

Mr. INOUYE. Madam President, I suggest the absence of a quorum.