John Warner

Mr. WARNER

Mr. WARNER. Mr. President, we will conclude. I just say if we had more time, I would want to enter into another chapter of debate with the Senator on what would be the consequences if we saw failure; if this program of his, no matter how well conceived and how conscientious, were to trigger that failure, what would be the consequence. The fact that this country could revert to a haven for further training of al-Qaida and terrorists from all over the world----

Mr. WARNER. We are going back and forth, and I am about to relinquish the management of the bill to my good friend from Alabama. The parliamentary situation is we remain on the bill, and debate can continue on the bill. We are not going to try and have time constraints. We are trying for the benefit of this infrastructure that has to remain in place and such Senators who may be listening to determine who would like to speak and for what period of time. That is all I am trying to ascertain.

Mr. WARNER. Can the Senator from Iowa advise the chairman as to how much time?

Mr. WARNER. Mr. President, does the Senator from Alabama desire some time also?

Mr. WARNER. Good. I relinquish the management of this bill to the Senator from Alabama and such time that Senator Sessions and Senator Harkin may require. I thank all for their participation.

Mr. WARNER. I think that will be advisable.

Mr. WARNER. Mr. President, I think that is a reasonable request.

Mr. WARNER. Mr. President, I think this chairman has resonated with debates for months on this issue of timetables. I say to my good friend from Massachusetts, as I stated in our colloquy here, clearly by setting forth a terminal date there is a timetable, and that, in my judgment, is a very destabilizing thing. It sends a signal that perhaps the United States has less than the will and the commitment, as clearly expressed by our President many times, most recently upon his return from his trip to Iraq just days ago, that we are there to help the Iraqi people achieve their goals. Now we expect from them a level of cooperation to move, hopefully, most swiftly to establish a full range of sovereignty and the responsibility that goes along with that. All I have asked repeatedly is give them a chance to do that. We have 18 months in the making of this permanent unified Government. Give them a chance. I think that is the President's desire--I know it is.

Mr. WARNER. Yes, that is correct.

Mr. WARNER. The Senator from Wyoming, and Senator Bingaman was with us.

Mr. WARNER. That is right.

Mr. WARNER. That is absolutely correct. I will even go a step further. I said: The American people have a strong voice in this, and the elected representatives in Congress listen to those voices. You need only look at the expressions being put forth today. But leadership requires reassuring our people, reassuring the Iraqis, reassuring the consortium of nations of the coalition, reassuring all others that this fight in Iraq portends the next half century of the history of that region. If it fails, who knows where the end of the strife will come in that region--the possible destabilization of one of the largest concentrations of energy in the world, which suddenly begins to impact in many ways on the quality of life here at home and throughout the world. That whole infrastructure could be challenged if this Nation devolves into a vicious civil war and anarchy follows and a haven for terrorism follows. We cannot let that happen. I just said to my good friend, timing is everything. The time for this amendment has certainly, in my judgment, not come, and a timetable is not a good signal to send out. I yield the floor, and I thank my colleague.

Mr. WARNER. I remember it very vividly. Senator Levin was there. He questioned these individuals quite thoroughly, as did I, and as did you. And it is clear there is an unfortunate dichotomy that the Sunni people are, in large measure, responsible for those areas--al Anbar and Baghdad--where this great instability and insurrection takes place today. At the same time, I think the Sunnis should recognize that it is the participation of the United States and the other coalition partners that gives them the security against the majority of the Shiites who could revolt in such a way and challenge them and their future. So let us hope that this government, which is a unity government with Sunni representation, can take hold. But it must be given the opportunity to send its roots down, to gain its stability and give it a chance. This amendment, in my judgment, would send the wrong signal and strip them of that chance.

Mr. WARNER

Mr. WARNER. Mr. President, for the Committee on Armed Services I report favorably the following nomination lists which were printed in the Records 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, I simply make a unanimous consent request for floor privileges for two military fellows, Howard Shaw and Trevor King, for the remainder of the debate on the bill, S. 2766.

Mr. WARNER

Mr. WARNER. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate Committee on the Judiciary be authorized to meet to conduct a hearing on ``Judicial Nominations'' on Wednesday, June 21, 2006, at 4 p.m. Dirksen Senate Office Building room 226. Witness list: PANEL I: (Members of Congress). PANEL II: Neil M. Gorsuch, to be United States Circuit Judge for the Tenth Circuit.

Mr. WARNER. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Wednesday, June 21, 2006, at 11:30 a.m. The purpose of this meeting is to consider the nominations of Phillip D. Moeller to be a member of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission for the term expiring June 30, 2010, vice Patrick Henry Wood III, resigned; and Jon Wellinghoff to be a member of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission for the term expiring June 30, 2008, vice William Lloyd Massey, term expired.

Mr. WARNER. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that on Wednesday, June 21, 2006, at 9:30 a.m. in SD 628 the Committee on Environment and Public Works be authorized to hold a hearing on inherently safer technology in the context of chemical site security.

Mr. WARNER. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Foreign Relations be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Wednesday, June 21, 2006, at 9:30 a.m. to hold a hearing on the United Nations Convention Against Corruption.

Mr. WARNER. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Indian Affairs be authorized to meet on Wednesday, June 21, 2006, at 9:30 a.m. in Room 485 of the Russell Senate Office Building to conduct a hearing on S. 480, the Thomasina E. Jordan Indian Tribes of Virginia Federal Recognition Act of 2005, and S. 437, the Grand River Band of Ottawa Indians of Michigan Referral Act.

Mr. WARNER. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate Committee on the Judiciary be authorized to meet to conduct a hearing on ``The Analog Hole: Can Congress Protect Copyright and Promote Innovation?'' on Wednesday, June 21, 2006, at 9:30 a.m. in Dirksen Senate Office Building Room 226. Witness list Panel I: LeVar Burton, National Board Member, Directors Guild of America, Los Angeles, California; Dan Glickman, Chairman and CEO, Motion Picture Association of America, Washington, DC; Gary Shapiro, President and CEO, Consumer Electronics Association Chairman, Home Recording Rights Coalition, Washington, DC; Chris Cookson, President, Warner Bros. Technical Operations Inc., Chief Technology Officer, Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc., Burbank, California; Matt Zinn, Senior Vice President, General Counsel, and Chief Privacy Officer, TiVo Inc., Alviso, California; Gigi Sohn, President and Co-Founder, Public Knowledge, Washington, DC.

Mr. WARNER. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate for a hearing entitled, ``Nomination of Steven C. Preston to be the Administrator of the U.S. Small Business Administration'' on Wednesday, June 21, 2006, beginning at 10:30 a.m. in room 428A of the Russell Senate Office Building.

Mr. WARNER. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Select Committee on Intelligence be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on June 21, 2006, at 2:30 p.m. to hold a closed business meeting.

Mr. WARNER. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate Committee on the Judiciary Subcommittee on the Constitution, Civil Rights and Property Rights be authorized to meet on Wednesday, June 21, 2006 at 2:00 p.m. to conduct a hearing on ``Reauthorizing the Voting Rights Act's Temporary Provisions: Policy Perspectives and Views from the Field'' in Room 226 of the Dirksen Senate Office Building. Witness list: PANEL I: Debo Adegbile, Associate Director of Litigation, NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, Inc., New York, NY; Gerry Reynolds, Commissioner, United States Civil Rights Commission, Washington, DC; Don Wright, General Counsel, North Carolina Board of Elections, Raleigh, NC; Jack Park, Office of the Attorney General, Montgomery, AL; David Canon, Professor, Department of Political Science University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI; Carol Swain, Professor of Political Science and Professor of Law, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN

Mr. WARNER. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Foreign Relations Subcommittee on International Economic Policy, Export and Trade Promotion and Subcommittee on Western Hemisphere, Peace Corps and Narcotics Affairs be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Wednesday, June 21, 2006, at 2:30 p.m. to hold a joint hearing on International Methamphetamine Trafficking.