John Warner

Mr. WARNER

Mr. WARNER. Mr. President, I express my appreciation to my colleague, and I share his sentiments with regard to our magnificent colleague, Senator Byrd. We are privileged to have adjoining States, with a small boundary between them, that was inserted at one point in history during the historic Civil War period. But we cross that boundary together because we love those people--particularly the people of Appalachia. I thank the Senator for his comments about me. I receive them with great humility. I served in uniform, but I was always a communications officer in Korea, the First Marines Airwings, and a staff officer. In the field of battle, I shared the bunks and tents with others, but I don't put myself in the combat arms category. I served with others who did. Yes, perhaps I have some thoughts and views emanating from those periods I was privileged to serve in uniform. But I think every Member of the Chamber has equal conscience and the strength of his or her own convictions to make the tough decisions we have to make in the days coming with regard to Iraq. I look forward to engaging the Senator from Connecticut. Yes, we have been good friends, but let me tell you, no Senator should ever think they have been tested in the field of oratory until they tangle with that Senator from Connecticut or the awesome Senator from West Virginia. There is just not as much of the great oratory that this Chamber has enjoyed in the 24 years I've been here. There seemed to be more when I came than we have now. My gracious, I was in awe of the senior Members of this Chamber when I first came here and sat and listened intently. But I say to the Senator from Connecticut, I am ready for this debate he and I will have one day. I only wish it were this afternoon in the presence of our senior Member of this body. But if it is to be another day, I will await it. I hope he will some day debate me on the League of Nations. He is a student of American foreign policy as a senior Member of the committee, following in the footsteps of his proud father who served in this institution. Some day let us talk about the fate of the League of Nations. As our President challenges the U.N. today, I challenge the Senator to that debate some day. Also, serving on the Rules Committee, we are very proud of what you have done, together with Senators Bond, McConnell, and others, to bring about this bill--particularly as this Nation stands somewhat in awe--I am not going to take sides on what is happening in New Jersey regarding the complexity of the election laws, the problems encountered for a second time, most unfortunately, in Florida. Let us hope this legislation can improve that system and serve as a means to inspire more of our citizens to participate in the electoral process, whether it is for county commissioner, sheriff, or for the Presidency and the Members of Congress. All too often, less than half of the people who are eligible vote or take the trouble to exercise the right given to them under the Constitution, to which the Senator so reverently referred. I thank my colleague. (Ms. STABENOW assumed the Chair.)

Mr. WARNER. Madam President, I have had the privilege of sharing these floor debates with my distinguished colleague from West Virginia many times. If he would allow me, I will make some observations about the comments just delivered by this esteemed Member of the Senate. I fear no question that would be asked. I have the privilege of being designated by our Republican leader to be one of the managers of the debate today, tomorrow, and the days to come, since I am proud to have my name on this resolution which is before the Senate. I will be prepared, as best I can, to respond to my colleagues because I speak from my own personal convictions, which are equally as strong as those of my dear friend from West Virginia. But the Senator said the President is not king, and the Senator is right. There is no one who understands this Constitution better. The king is not mentioned, as far as I can recall, in the Constitution anywhere. But what is in the Constitution is the President should be Commander in Chief of the Army and Navy and, indeed, the Air Force and the Marines. At this very moment, while we are in this Chamber, Saddam Hussein is firing on our airplanes over Iraq, which have been operating for over a decade, trying to enforce at least one of the resolutions, 688, which precluded him from using force, such as poison gas and biological weapons against his own people. Just in the month of September, 60 times have our airplanes and those of Great Britain and at one time France experienced that hostile fire against American and British aviators. Therein is the constitutional responsibility of our President to fire back. A very good question which my good friend raises, What is new? I am urging the administration to try and share more information with the Congress this week and to perhaps declassify information, but I can only speak for myself as to what is new, and that is the biological weaponry. It is an open fact now. It has been expressed by the chairman of the Joint Chiefs, Secretary Rumsfeld, that Saddam Hussein is manufacturing this biological agent by using trucks. Three or four trucks constitute a small industrial plant, and they can be moved around. It can be containerized. It could be put in a bottle or can of baby powder and smuggled into the United States. There are means, and all of us know how that could be distributed in a harmful way against our people. That is the new information that compels me to take the actions I am taking with others. I will, in the days to come, give other bits of information that compel me to take this position behind this resolution.

Mr. WARNER. I am happy to yield.

Mr. WARNER. If I might say to my good friend, I think it is helpful Senators engage as you and I are, and I hope throughout this debate there is a great deal of that, Senator to Senator, eye to eye, to talk about these issues. But this biological weaponry, the ability to manufacture it and move those sites around to conceal his industrial base, the ability to package it in such a way that it now can be transported long distances, I think that is new technology, which is troublesome to me. We know full well of the willingness and capability of terrorists to hit us as they did on 9/11. We saw them attack the USS Cole. What is to prevent those biological weapons being placed into the hands of this growing network of terrorists, people who hate the United States, and bring it to our shores and distribute it?

Mr. WARNER. Yes.

Mr. WARNER. Madam President, I will walk out of this Chamber after we complete our debate to go to my State, as others have gone to theirs, to listen to my citizens. But I say to them, the timing of the work we are doing on this resolution is important now, for many reasons. But I draw to the attention of my colleague that the United Nations is now deliberating, at this very moment, on the possibility of another resolution providing for yet another attempt for an inspection regime. If we show our strength and we show our resolve as a unified Congress, behind the President, to the extent we do that, it is to that extent that resolution could be meaningful and have teeth in it and enforceability in such a way that we can avoid the conflict of war to resolve this question of weapons of mass destruction, about which I know my good friend may have a view different from mine. We know now he possibly does not have an operative nuclear weapon, but he is doing everything he can to get the materials to construct one or the materials to incorporate in such technology as he has in place now.

Mr. WARNER. Oh, yes, of course, Madam President.

Mr. WARNER. Oh, yes.

Mr. WARNER. Madam President, if I could turn to the reference to the United Nations and the timing, I wish I were the student of history that my good friend Robert Byrd is. I remember when you took me, hand in hand, to Rome and we went to the very site of the Roman Senate. Do you remember that day? You stood there, amidst the falling rubble of that historic building--if only they would restore it to its original integrity as ever more a reminder of the strength of the Senate as a body, in State legislatures or wherever--but at any rate, what was the quote of a Frenchman who said one time: Oh, tell me in which direction the crowd is surging so I can run out and get in front and lead? Do you remember that quote?

Mr. WARNER. No, but what I say is, what our President has done, to hope that the United Nations will move in the right direction, is to go there and speak to them and to lead, together with others--the Prime Minister of Great Britain and others--lead, not wait and see in what direction they go. No, that is the reason for the timing of this resolution. I would like to ask most respectfully----

Mr. WARNER. Oh, yes.

Mr. WARNER. Madam President, I draw to the attention of my colleague that it has been over a decade since hostilities were concluded in the signing of those documents in the desert by Saddam Hussein's Foreign Minister on April 6, 1991. Sixteen resolutions which have been passed by this body have been ignored. Only one of them is receiving any degree of enforcement through the bravery of our airmen. I say, what is the record of the U.N., having sat there and let 16 resolutions be ignored, allowing the inspectors to be driven out? And President Clinton made his effort to get this Chamber to pass a resolution for regime change, to send the inspectors back. What fragment of knowledge do you have about the U.N. that I do not possess, that they have sat there 16 times and said do this--did not enforce it, allowed for a 4-year lapse in the inspection team to be there--and are now considering at this very moment sending another team back? What is it about this institution that instills in you the confidence that this, the 17th resolution, if they adopt it, will have more force and teeth and resolve and conviction than did the previous 16?

Mr. WARNER. Yes, of course.

Mr. WARNER. Madam President, if I interject, we were flying those missions. Our airmen were risking their lives. That is what we did.

Mr. WARNER. No, I do not recall, but I know it was shared.

Mr. WARNER. Madam President, it seems to me a smaller fraction of it because our allies contributed a considerable number.

Mr. WARNER. That is my recollection.

Mr. WARNER. Madam President, let's stop and think. We are not in this alone. Great Britain--I know of no Senator who has a greater respect for England's participation as our ally in World War I, World War II. I have had the privilege of going with my good friend to Great Britain and sitting in the Houses of Parliament.

Mr. WARNER. My mother's great-great-great-grandfather built Balmore Castle, which the Queen uses as her home. But let us get back to this. Great Britain has helped us. I know Spain and Portugal expressed an interest. I ask my good friend--I have seen him on this floor defending the courage of Turkey and its leaders--am I not correct that Turkey has been a valiant partner in war in the area?

Mr. WARNER. I know the Senator is.

Mr. WARNER. I am prepared to do so.

Mr. WARNER. Madam President, I wish to ask one more question. I see other colleagues seeking the floor. Could I wrap up on one point in my colloquy with the Senator?

Mr. WARNER. Madam President, if I could ask one further question of my good colleague, first, I join with the Senator in encouraging the people to speak out, write, and call. I welcome those who disagree with my views, or those who might wish to associate with my views and those of others who have written this resolution. But I say to my good friend that it is always a learning experience to join him on this historic floor of this great Chamber of this Senate, which he has referred to with the deepest of affection for so many years as the greatest deliberative body on Earth. The Senator mentioned Madison. By coincidence, my itinerary this weekend will take me to Madison County, VA, where there is a little museum that has some of the fragments and memorabilia of that great statement. I ask this one last question: This document will rest on every Senator's desk. S.J. Res. 46 was introduced by our colleague who sits right here, Joseph Lieberman, for himself and Mr. Warner of Virginia, and others. I wrote the resolution with others in 1991. It was then the Warner-Lieberman resolution. Now I think, appropriately with the majority resting on that side, it is the Lieberman-Warner resolution. But I ask my good friend: Is there a word in this resolution--and I hold myself responsible for the words in this resolution. Is there any word, is there any sentence, is there any paragraph that exceeds the authority given to the President of the United States in the Constitution which you love and defend so dearly?

Mr. WARNER. Madam President, I say to my friend, the President of the United States, as I read the Constitution, has the authority, at this very moment, to employ the men and women of our Armed Forces in the defense of our Nation.

Mr. WARNER. I think it is implied in there.