Dennis Kucinich

Mr. KUCINICH

Mr. KUCINICH. I yield to the gentleman from Illinois.

Mr. KUCINICH. Mr. Chairman, just to point out to the gentlewoman that I think it would be helpful if the committee supported the amendment because, at worst, if the amendment would be repeating the work of the committee, if it would be essentially redundant, then it could not hurt, and I would also want to point out that the gentlewoman is correct. I mean, this amendment is narrowly focused, and it is aiming specifically at obtaining information relative to the relationship between the Vice President and the CIA. I thank the gentlewoman for yielding.

Mr. KUCINICH. Mr. Chairman, we now know that there were not vast stockpiles of weapons of mass destruction in Iraq when the U.S. invaded and that, therefore, Iraq did not pose an imminent threat to the United States, as the administration claimed before the war. The question remaining is whether the administration compelled the Central Intelligence Agency to release raw, undisseminated information they knew to be unreliable because it helped support the worst case scenario concerning Iraq's weapons program and, therefore, helped make the case, an erroneous case it turns out, that Iraq posed an imminent threat to the United States. The administration has made numerous assertions. The President in his State of the Union said, The British government has learned that Saddam Hussein recently sought significant quantities of uranium from Africa. Our intelligence sources tell us that he has attempted to purchase high strength aluminum tubes suitable for nuclear weapons production. Number one, the claim about uranium from Africa was forged. Number two, the aluminum tubes were not suitable for a nuclear enrichment program. These assertions made by the President in his State of the Union to justify an immediate war with Iraq were false. Did the Vice President play a role in making false information become the public reason the President went to war in Iraq? The Vice President, as reported in the Washington Post of June 5, 2003, Vice President Cheney and his most senior aide made multiple trips to the CIA over the past year to question analysts studying Iraq's weapons programs and alleged links to al Qaeda, creating an environment in which some analysts felt they were being pressured to make their assessments fit with the Bush administration's policy objectives. That is from the Washington Post on June 5, 2003. Number two, the Vice President knew or should have known that documents purporting to show that Iraq had bought uranium from Niger were forged. On March 7, the IAEA Director General Mohamed ElBaradei reported the following to the U.N. Security Council: These documents which form the basis for reports of recent uranium transactions between Iraq and Niger are, in fact, not authentic. We have, therefore, concluded that these specific allegations are unfounded. We have found no evidence or plausible indication of the revival of a nuclear weapons program in Iraq. It turns out that the forgeries were crude. Anyone with an Internet search engine could determine that these documents were forgeries. Yet on March 16, nine days afterwards, the Vice President repeated the falsehood on national television. He said, We believe, and he was talking about Hussein, has in fact reconstituted nuclear weapons. The Vice President knew 1 year earlier, it appears, that the documents were forgeries and, therefore, the allegations false. According to the New York Times of May 6, 2003, More than a year ago the Vice President's office asked for an investigation of the uranium deal. So a former U.S. ambassador to Africa was dispatched to Niger. In February 2002, according to someone present at the meetings, that envoy reported to the CIA and the State Department that the information was unequivocally wrong and that the documents had been forged. So public reports indicate the Vice President made assertions which were unreliable, and the Vice President visited the CIA, making analysts there feel, according to the Washington Post, that a certain output was desired from here. In summary, what this amendment seeks to do is to probe what role the Vice President played in causing the CIA to disseminate unreliable, raw, previously undisseminated, untrue information about Iraq's alleged threat to the United States. Specifically, this amendment would direct the Inspector General of the Central Intelligence Agency to audit all electronic and telephone communications between the Office of the Vice President and the CIA which would answer the question about how extensive the visits by the Vice President to the CIA were.

Mr. KUCINICH. Mr. Chairman, I demand a recorded vote.

Mr. KUCINICH. I would say in order for the test to be made to make the request first then imposes our responsibility as Members of Congress, and as a coequal branch of government, we are entitled to do that and the executive branch is entitled to assert executive privilege, if they so choose, and that would be illuminating, I think.

Mr. KUCINICH. Mr. Chairman, will the gentlewoman yield?

Mr. KUCINICH. Mr. Chairman, it would be more than instructive. It would be classified information if the Vice President manipulated CIA analysts to disseminate false, raw unreliable information to justify a war in Iraq. I am hopeful no one is saying that and I am not aware that the administration has asserted executive privilege in an attempt to shield such information from the Congress. I am not aware of that at all. Maybe that has happened privately, but I am not aware that such an assertion can be private and that in fact such an assertion has been made.

Mr. KUCINICH. Mr. Chairman, will the gentlewoman yield?

Mr. KUCINICH. I would suggest to the gentleman and I would not impugn his answer by stating that his unwillingness to clearly commit to gathering this information publicly would in any way reflect a partisan position on his part, just as my desire to have the Inspector General bring that information forward is not reflective of a partisan position on my part.

Mr. KUCINICH. Mr. Chairman, it goes on to say the intelligence oversight panels have received no whistleblower complaints from the CIA or other intelligence agencies on the issue. I would maintain that this would not be a subject of whistleblowing, and only the Office of Inspector General or in this case the investigative agency would have an opportunity to be able to get this in an evenhanded way, and it takes it out of politics at a time when Members suggest this is only political. I might further add that I did not make my reputation in this House by raising partisan issues, and I do not see this as a partisan issue, I see this as justifying the administration's claim that this country had to go to war against Iraq because there was imminent threat.

Mr. KUCINICH. Mr. Chairman, I take great pride in serving in the Congress with the gentlewoman and the gentleman. I would say, though, that I do not see this so much as being a battle over turf as I see it being an assertion of the need for pursuing the truth. And I would expect that the Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence has the capability to do the job, but I also think that this particular matter is so unique that it receive the attention of the House, which is why I have offered this amendment and why I will continue to insist on it.

Mr. KUCINICH. Mr. Chairman, will the gentleman yield?

Mr. KUCINICH. Mr. Chairman, I withdraw my reservation of objection.

Mr. KUCINICH. Reserving the right to object, I would be happy to grant the gentleman an additional 2 minutes if he would be happy to return the favor to me.

Mr. KUCINICH. Mr. Chairman, if the gentleman will continue to yield, I would ask that the gentleman not take offense. This is certainly, I would hope the gentleman would agree, a salient issue of interest to the American people and that the public does have a right to know, and there have been published statements that provide contradictory information relative to what is really a question of a singular cause of war. So I respect the gentleman's right to make these statements, and I would ask the gentleman to respect my right as a Member of Congress to offer this amendment.

Mr. KUCINICH. Well, Mr. Chairman, I thank the gentleman for continuing to yield, and I would say that, first of all, the idea that it is the committee's jurisdiction and, therefore, should be left to the committee, I do not believe the gentleman is seriously proposing what I think is an absurdity, but the argument rests on the same absurd logic. All Members of the Congress have the privilege to offer amendments, and if a majority of the House agrees with the amendment, it passes. However, I do not believe it is legitimate or logical against my amendment to say that the Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence should enjoy an exemption from the amendment process.

Mr. KUCINICH. Mr. Chairman, I thank the gentleman. Under the gentleman's logic, there would be no reason at all for any amendments to be offered from this floor. We might as well dispense with the amendment process and move to a system in which the committees of Congress report bills for a simple up or down vote from the whole House. So we might as well extend the suspension calendar for all bills.

Mr. KUCINICH. Mr. Chairman, will the gentleman yield?

Mr. KUCINICH

Mr. KUCINICH. Mr. Speaker, today the House will consider an amendment to H.R. 2417 which will direct the Inspector General of the Central Intelligence Agency to conduct an audit of all telephone records and electronic communications between the CIA and the Office of the Vice President that relate to so-called weapons of mass destruction obtained or developed by Iraq preceding Operation Iraqi Freedom. I have introduced this amendment to obtain the Vice President's records in response to a June 5 article in the Washington Post which reported that the Vice President made multiple visits to the CIA by which some analysts felt pressured to make their assessments on Iraq fit with Bush administration policy objectives. This administration has repeatedly claimed they had evidence which proved that Iraq had vast stockpiles of weapons of mass destruction that posed an imminent threat to the United States. Americans remember that this administration cited their evidence of Iraq's weapons as reason to go to war. It has been over 3 months since the start of the war. No such weapons have been found. Has there been a massive intelligence failure on the part of all our intelligence agencies? Or has this administration deliberately misled this Nation to war? Either way, there needs to be an investigation. My amendment would uncover the role the Vice President may have played to achieve a political translation of CIA intelligence about alleged stockpiles of weapons of mass destruction in order to suit the Bush administration's campaign to push this country to war.

Mr. KUCINICH

Mr. KUCINICH. Mr. Speaker, this administration deliberately took this Nation into a war against Iraq based on false premises. Iraq had nothing to do with 9-11, with al Qaeda's role in 9-11, with the anthrax attack on this Nation; did not represent an imminent threat to the United States, had no usable weapons of mass destruction. That is why the weapons of mass destruction cannot be found. This deception made America less secure. It cut the United States off from the world community. It violated the U.S. Constitution, it violated the U.N. charter, it violated the Geneva Convention; and it continues to cost, because we are now losing our men and women in combat on a regular basis. We continue to lose them. It has cost the lives of countless innocent Iraqis. It has cost the taxpayers of this Nation over $100 billion, and it has cost tens of billions of dollars in damage to Iraq. It has strengthened religious fundamentalists in Iraq who now threaten the freedom of women in Iraq's society. This manufactured catastrophe called ``foreign policy'' represents not only a failure of truth, a great credibility gap, but, more than that, America faces a crisis of legitimacy of this administration itself, which lied to the American people to get approval for a war.

Mr. KUCINICH

Mr. KUCINICH. Mr. Speaker, I rise to mourn the passing of Maynard Jackson. When I had the great privilege of serving as Mayor of the City of Cleveland, Maynard Jackson and I were contemporaries in his service as Mayor of the City of Atlanta. In working with him through the years and learning his dedication, not only to the people of Atlanta but urban America, I was able to see that there was a real opportunity for people of good will to achieve a synthesis of that good will, of urban policy, because Maynard Jackson made the cause of cities his cause and he spoke to the needs of the people of urban America eloquently, with deep passion and with a concern about the potential of urban America that was being ignored. But he infused the City of Atlanta with his own potential, and with his passion and with his heart he helped raise Atlanta to greater and greater heights. Maynard Jackson was not only a servant of Atlanta and the State of Georgia, but of America and the world because his life was about bringing people together and his life was about the potential of not only minorities but of every individual to make a dedication to community. So today, as Maynard Jackson passes, we can reflect on that wise Latin saying translated into English that says, ``If you seek his monument, look around.'' And wherever you look, in urban America, where men and women are dedicated to building up cities, you are always going to remember and be reminded of Maynard Jackson.

Mr. KUCINICH

Mr. KUCINICH. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor and recognition of the 50th Anniversary of the School of Ukrainian Studies in Cleveland, Ohio. For more than fifty years, the School of Ukrainian Studies has educated thousands of Americans regarding all facets of the Ukraine-- its language, culture, history, customs, religion and art. The School fosters a sense of diversity and continuity between the old country and new and reflects a vital cultural component that defines our Cleveland community--a community that is home to countless Americans whose lifelines originate from points around the world--reaching across borders, time and distance. The School of Ukrainian Studies ensures that the culture of the Ukraine remains a conscious and vibrant aspect of the fabric of our American community, handed down through the children of each new generation. For decades, Ukrainian immigrants have understood the significance of assimilation, yet they also share an equally strong focus on preserving the ideals and tradition of their beloved Ukraine. Mr. Speaker and colleagues, please join me in honoring the administrators and students of the School of Ukrainian Studies of Cleveland, as they celebrate fifty years of Ukrainian education. Cultural diversity is the foundation and light of America--adding color; depth and life to our Cleveland community--bridging old world and new, connecting our past to today. As Americans, our shared commitment to celebrate and preserve our many lands of origin unites us.

Mr. KUCINICH

Mr. KUCINICH. Mr. Speaker, protection of the truth and the constitutional role of Congress as a coequal branch should not be a partisan matter. Yet yesterday Republicans on the House Committee on International Relations participated in the cover-up of the Bush administration's false claims which sent America to war against Iraq. The resolution of inquiry, backed by 40 Members of the House, sought to protect Congress' role in asking the administration where is the proof that Iraq has weapons of mass destruction; where was proof of an imminent threat. Unfortunately, as panic sets in over the realization that this administration misled the American people in the cause of war, Republicans are refusing to hold public hearings, refusing serious oversight, open oversight. Republicans just will not make Republicans accountable. That is the problem with one-party rule. Our democracy is in danger if we do not make this administration accountable. They sent this country into war based on lies and in doing so have damaged the legitimacy of their own government. Where are the weapons of mass destruction? Where was the imminent threat? Why did America go to war?

Mr. KUCINICH

Mr. KUCINICH. Madam Speaker, the Committee on International Relations is at this very moment reviewing a resolution of inquiry submitted by me and cosponsored by 36 Members of the House of Representatives asking for the administration to provide whatever evidence to this Congress that caused them to send this country on a path towards war against Iraq. The American people have a right to know why their sons and daughters were sent to war. They have a right to know whether or not this administration provided the American public with information that was false. We need to know on what basis did the American people learn from this administration that there was an imminent threat, and, in fact, was there an imminent threat coming from Iraq, did Iraq have weapons of mass destruction that posed an imminent threat. It is up to the Committee on International Relations of the House to provide the American people with an opportunity to get that information from this administration. This Congress exists to provide a balance to administrative power, and it is time that this Congress stood up to its responsibility. The people have a right to know, was there an imminent threat and where are the weapons of mass destruction.

Mr. KUCINICH

Mr. KUCINICH. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in honor and recognition of Cuyahoga County Prosecutor William D. Mason as he is being honored by the Cuyahoga County Democratic Party on May 18, 2003. Mr. Mason graduated from Cleveland-Marshall College of Law in 1986. Shortly thereafter, he began working with the Cuyahoga County Prosecutor's Office as an assistant prosecutor. In 1993, Mr. Mason was elected to hold the office of Law Director and Chief Prosecutor for the City of Parma. During his six-year tenure as Law Director, Mr. Mason maintained and implemented high standards within all areas of Parma's legal department--from working with County agencies to prosecute criminals, to saving the City thousands of dollars in the reduction of legal fees. Since January of 1999, Mr. Mason has held the elected position of Chief Prosecuting Attorney for Cuyahoga County--the twentieth largest county in the United States, and the largest county in Ohio. In this capacity, Mr. Mason and his staff are responsible for the indictment and prosecution of more than 25,000 criminal felony and juvenile delinquency cases every year. Additionally, Mr. Mason is the Chairman of the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force. The Task Force is a team effort, comprised of local, state and federal authorities whose focus and goal is the apprehension and prosecution of Internet child molesters. In addition to his professional accomplishments, Mr. Mason continues his significant service to his community as coach, mentor and volunteer. Mr. Speaker and Colleagues, please join me in honor of Mr. William D. Mason, Cuyahoga County Prosecutor, as we recognize his significant expertise, dedication and contribution--all focused on the safety and welfare of every citizen within our entire community.