Donald Payne

Mr. PAYNE

Mr. PAYNE. Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from Louisiana (Mr. Jefferson), a member of the Committee on Ways and Means.

Mr. PAYNE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the remaining time. Let me conclude by thanking the majority for the kindness and the thoughtfulness that they have given us. The gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Hyde) should be commended, as I mentioned earlier, a gentleman always, but to allow everyone to have a word to say. The past 2 days with over 24 hours of debate has been an historic time in this House. A debate has endured that will be noted and will be long-remembered what was said here. We have debated fundamental changes in the manner in which this country operates, first strike preemptive. Definitely a new course of action for this Nation. Of course, first strikes are nothing new. In the medieval times there were many, France into Germany, Spain into Italy. In 1918, Germany entered France. December 7, Japan attacked the United States. So there has been preemptive strikes but never the greatest Nation in the world taking a decision to make first strikes preemptive, and so this is a new day for this great Nation. The Framers of the Constitution, the Jeffersons and the Adams and Washingtons and Hamiltons, said let us be careful about power. We do not want a king or emperor or dictator, and, therefore, let us give the power of war to the Congress. Here we are abdicating that responsibility and giving the right to declare war to one person, to say it is his decision to do what he wants and he has 48 hours to tell us later what he has done. Another principle that we have changed. We jeopardize a coalition because I believe right now our number one fight is the battle against terror. The al Qaeda cells that are in this country and in 50 other countries and a false feeling of security will emerge when we attack Iraq if that is done, and Americans will, therefore, believe that there is a sense of security now and al Qaeda is gone. There is definitely a difference between the al Qaeda cells and the government of Iraq, and so we are leading people down a wrong path to believe that a defeat of Iraq, therefore, eliminates the war on terror. We have heard recently that there is a connection between al Qaeda and the government of Iraq. This only was revealed in the last week or so. Many wonder where this information is coming from and whether, in fact, it is indeed true. And, once again, we should not lull our people into a false feeling of security when we look over there and say Iraq is done, we are safe again, when the war on terror will still be here. So we talk about a new concept, regime change, Saddam Hussein should go. This is a tall order. How do we do it? How long do we stay? How dangerous will it be? How costly will it be? How are we going to rehabilitate Afghanistan? We have not drilled the pumps to reach the low water tables as we promised. We have not started construction of schools as we said. We have not built the hospitals as we promised, but now we will go into Iraq and for how much? What will the cost be? $100 billion? $200 billion? No one really knows. As the DOW has dropped from close to 11,000 down to close to 7,000, almost a 40 percent drop, how can we fund this? We spend $1 billion a day today on a $350 billion defense budget, with another couple of hundred billion dollars on the side. How can we do it with the unmet needs of PELL grants and student loans, the needs for prescription drug benefits for seniors and section 8 housing, vouchers funding for elementary and secondary schools in the leave no child behind legislation? How do we deal with that? So as we move to vote we should engage the U.N., we should encourage them and support the inspectors to find and destroy those biological and chemical weapons of mass destruction. We should leave no stone unturned. We should go unfettered. We should demand that, and I believe then we can have the avoidance of war. We should attempt to avoid war at any cost. I do not believe that the United States is eliminating the danger of the al Qaeda cells in this country by us having a war and attack on Iraq. I would like to say that we are a mighty powerful country. Let us use our power and might. We love this country. In school I used to recite the poem, This is my country, land of my birth; this is my country, the grandest on earth; and I pledge thee my allegiance, America the bold, because this is my country to have and to hold. Let us not misuse the power that we have, but let us be sure that Saddam Hussein is contained, that this world is free of tyrants like that. Let us support the inspectors going in. Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. PAYNE. Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Cummings), a member of the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure.

Mr. PAYNE. Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from Washington (Mr. Inslee), a member of the Committee on Financial Services. (Mr. INSLEE asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. PAYNE. Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Scott), one of our top constitutional lawyers in this House.

Mr. PAYNE. Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from Wisconsin (Mr. Barrett), a member of the Committee on Energy and Commerce.

Mr. PAYNE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from California for yielding me the additional time. We appreciate the cooperation from the other side. Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from Washington (Mr. Baird), a member of the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure.

Mr. PAYNE. Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Millender-McDonald), a spokesperson really for justice.

Mr. PAYNE. Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentlewoman from Oregon (Ms. Hooley), a member of the Committee on the Budget.

Mr. PAYNE. Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from California (Mr. Honda), a member of the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure. (Mr. HONDA asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. PAYNE. Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from Connecticut (Mr. Larson), a member of the Committee on Armed Services. (Mr. LARSON of Connecticut asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks, and include extraneous material.)

Mr. PAYNE. Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Eshoo), a member of the Committee on Energy and Commerce.

Mr. PAYNE. Mr. Speaker, it is with pleasure I yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from California (Mr. Becerra), a member of the Committee on Ways and Means.

Mr. PAYNE

Mr. PAYNE. Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from New York (Mr. Nadler), member of the Committee on the Judiciary.

Mr. PAYNE. Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Jackson), a real spokesperson for justice in this country and a member of the Committee on Appropriations.

Mr. PAYNE. Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from Vermont (Mr. Sanders), a member of the Committee on Government Reform and the Committee on Financial Services, a true leader in this government.

Mr. PAYNE. Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentlewoman from California (Mrs. Davis), a member of the Committee on Armed Services.

Mr. PAYNE. Mr. Speaker, we would need a minimum of at least one full hour. That would be the least amount of time. It is very difficult to predict. We will not let anyone speak over 5 minutes. However, we feel an obligation to every Member who was promised the opportunity to speak. We want to live up to our obligations, but we will try to move it along as quickly as possible.

Mr. PAYNE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume to also compliment the gentleman from Ohio, who has served this House so outstandingly; and we will certainly truly miss him. Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from Massachusetts (Mr. Frank), one of the brightest persons in the House, who serves on the Committee on Financial Services and who has patiently waited.

Mr. PAYNE. Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Sawyer). (Mr. SAWYER asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. PAYNE. Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from Colorado (Mr. Udall), a member of the Committee on Resources. (Mr. UDALL of Colorado asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. PAYNE. Mr. Speaker, I must once again reiterate, although it seems rude and people do want to extend and it is difficult to end before my colleagues complete their statements, I must insist that we take no more than 5 minutes. Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from New York (Mr. Towns), a leading member of the Committee on Energy and Commerce.

Mr. PAYNE. Mr. Speaker, I yield 5\1/2\ minutes to the gentleman from Rhode Island (Mr. Langevin), a member of the Committee on Armed Services. (Mr. LANGEVIN asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. PAYNE. Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Rodriguez), a member of the Committee on Armed Services and the Committee on Veterans' Affairs.

Mr. PAYNE. Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentlewoman from California (Mrs. Capps), a member of the Committee on Energy and Commerce. (Mrs. CAPPS asked and was given permission to revise and extend her remarks.)