John Warner

Mr. WARNER

Mr. WARNER. Mr. President, parliamentary inquiry. What is the current order?

Mr. WARNER. Fine. Thank you. Mr. President, I desire to speak, say, for 7 minutes, and then I would be happy to engage in a colloquy or otherwise with my colleagues on the other side.

Mr. WARNER. I thank the Chair.

Mr. WARNER. Mr. President, I will just take 3 minutes, and then I will yield to my colleague, the distinguished Senator from Colorado.

Mr. WARNER. Shall I divide it with my distinguished colleague?

Mr. WARNER

Mr. WARNER. Mr. president, for the Committee on Armed Services I report favorably the following nomination lists which were printed in the Record on the dates indicated, and ask unanimous consent, to save the expense of reprinting on the Executive Calendar that these nominations lie at the Secretary's desk for the information of Senators.

Mr. WARNER

Mr. WARNER. Mr. President, as elected representatives of the American people, Senators seek to ensure that the U.S. Government protects the American people from international terrorism. We seek also to ensure that the cherished liberties of the American people are preserved, and to keep the people as fully informed as possible, as we fight the war on terror. On February 24, 2004, the Counsel to the President of the United States, former Texas Supreme Court Judge Alberto R. Gonzales, addressed the Standing Committee on Law and National Security of the American Bar Association. Judge Gonzales discussed the legal basis for detention of enemy combatants in the war on terror, including U.S. citizens Yaser Hamdi and Jose Padilla. His address set forth details of the decisionmaking steps that resulted in the detention of Messrs. Hamdi and Padilla as enemy combatants. The U.S. Supreme Court has accepted the cases of Messrs. Hamdi and Padilla for review during its current term. So that all my colleagues and the American public may be informed on this important matter, I ask unanimous consent that the address by Judge Gonzales be printed in the Record.

Mr. WARNER

Mr. WARNER. Yes.

Mr. WARNER. No objection.

Mr. WARNER. I thank the Chair.

Mr. WARNER. Mr. President, I thank the distinguished Senator from North Dakota. Momentarily, he is quite correct, we will address that. This amendment raises the caps and we do not have an offset in it. We believe at this point in time the urgency of the matter dictates that we do just what I hope the Senate will do by virtue of adoption of this amendment. Momentarily, the Senator from Oklahoma will return to the floor and perhaps the Senator will ask if we may proceed. I suggest the absence of a quorum.

Mr. WARNER. Mr. President, it is my understanding that there is an hour equally divided. Am I correct on that?

Mr. WARNER. Mr. President, the yeas and nays have already been ordered.

Mr. WARNER. I ask unanimous consent the reading of the amendment be dispensed with.

Mr. WARNER. Mr. President, in this amendment, I am joined by Senator Stevens, Senator McCain, Senator Inhofe, Senator Roberts, Senator Collins, Senator Chambliss, Senator Graham, Senator Craig, and Senator Talent. The amendment is very simple. It restores funding for the Department of Defense to the level requested by the President for fiscal year 2005. Specifically, this amendment will add $6.9 billion to the level contained in the pending budget resolution for the national defense 050 budget function. As we review our budget priorities for the coming year, it is clear many important programs must compete for limited resources. Hard choices must be made. As we individually wrestle with the hard choices we must make, I remind my colleagues we have no more solemn responsibility than that imposed by the Constitution of the United States and that is to provide for the common defense of this great Nation, the United States. This is the most important function of the Federal Government. The President requested $420.7 billion for defense-related activities for fiscal year 2005. That request includes funding for the Department of Defense, the defense activities of the Department of Energy--that's roughly two-thirds of the total Department of Energy budget--and a significant amount for the intelligence community. Our military service chiefs--the Chief of Naval Operations, Chief of Staff of the Army, the Commandant of the Marine Corps, Chief of Staff of the Air Force--all four service chiefs came before the committee and asked that we authorize and obtain the full amount requested by the President. As you well know, having spent a considerable portion of my career in the Department of Defense, each year the President goes to the Department for their recommendations, a budget is made up and it is submitted and it finally is submitted to the Office of Management and Budget on behalf of the President and Congress. Recognition must be given that we are a nation at war. Those are the very words used by our distinguished colleague, the manager of this bill, moments ago. Terrorists brought this war to our shores on September 11, 2001. President Bush, together with a coalition of nations, responded forcefully and effectively. This Chamber provided a resolution expressing support for the President to bring the war on terrorism to the terrorists. Hundreds of thousands of our servicemen and women are now deployed around the world defending our Nation in Operation Enduring Freedom, Operation Iraqi Freedom, and other military operations in the ongoing war on terrorism. Hundreds of thousands more are forward deployed in Korea, the Balkans, at sea and elsewhere, protecting American interests and deterring aggression. I wonder if our Nation realizes that well over half of the United States Army today, some 320,000 men and women, proud to wear the uniform of the United States Army, are deployed overseas, over half of the total standing Army--leaving their families behind, going into harm's way to protect us. Others stand vigilant at our borders and at our ports and in our skies here at home. We have an obligation, in my judgment, to live up to the President's budget request, which budget request was carefully prepared in consultation with the Chiefs and other senior members of the defense force. What have our Armed Forces accomplished in the last few years? The simple answer is, everything we have asked of them and more. They have confronted brutal regimes in Afghanistan, and Iraq and given the people of those regions hope, and an opportunity to experience freedom and democracy. In Iraq, together with a coalition of nations, they liberated a repressed nation--a country larger than Germany and Italy combined--in roughly 3 weeks. The Armed Forces accomplished this with unprecedented precision, and with casualties far below estimates. This level of professionalism is what we have come to expect of our military. Such expectations must be tempered by the realization that the magnificent professionalism of our Armed Forces is a product of strong leadership, patriotic young men and women, supportive families, great American technology, and strong, consistent resources. All of these things require the long term support of the Congress in the form of funding, guidance and support. At a time of unprecedented demands on our military, it is critical that we provide our men and women in uniform--active, reserve, and National Guard--the funding they need to continue to successfully accomplish their missions. To meet the challenges we now face around the world, and to prepare for the future, the President has proposed a budget that includes $420.7 billion for national defense. It is a prudent request that maintains the readiness of our current force and makes the investments necessary to develop and field the capabilities that will keep our Nation safe from the uncertain threats of the future. We are blessed with a military that has responded to the demands of a post-September 11 world with extraordinary commitment, but even the best military has its limits. The pace of recent operations is putting increased demands on our forces around the world, increased demands on our Reserve and National Guard units, and increased demands on military families. Our military has dedicated personnel--active duty, reserve, guard and retirees--and families who must be fairly compensated with competitive pay and a good quality of life. Our military has equipment that has been heavily used in recent operations that must be repaired or replaced, and new capabilities that must be developed and procured to meet future threats. And finally, our military has an aging infrastructure that must be modernized. In my opinion, the President's budget request for defense has struck the proper balance to accomplish these goals. At this critical time in the war against terror, when we are asking so much of our uniformed personnel and their families, and when we are seeking the continued cooperation of our allies, what message do we want to send? We must send a message of continued commitment and resolve by supporting the level of funding for defense requested by the President. Our military deserves no less. At this time, Mr. President, I yield the floor and grant such time as the distinguished Senator from Alaska may desire

Mr. WARNER. Mr. President, I thank both managers of the bill for their cooperation.

Mr. WARNER. Mr. President, I send an amendment to the desk and ask for its immediate consideration.

Mr. WARNER. Mr. President, I move to reconsider the vote.

Mr. WARNER. That is what this vote is for. I yield back the remainder of my time.

Mr. WARNER. We are endeavoring, through oversight and otherwise, to correct it. But those problems in no way are owing to the valor of the men and women in uniform and their families.

Mr. WARNER. Mr. President, I say to my distinguished colleague in reply that you have brought this to the attention of the Senate year after year, as you should.

Mr. WARNER. Mr. President, I will be happy to follow with the remainder of my time, if the other side wishes to address this issue.

Mr. WARNER. Mr. President, of the 2 minutes under my control, I would like to give a minute to my distinguished colleague, Senator Stevens.

Mr. WARNER. Mr. President, we will yield our time if the other side will yield their time and go on to the next matter.

Mr. WARNER. Mr. President, I thank my distinguished colleague. Mr. President, how much time remains under the control of the Senator from Virginia?