Mr. President & colleagues, I rise to address our policy in Iraq.
The situation remains fluid & administration officials are engaged in negotiations at the United Nations over what approach we ought to take with our allies (in disarming) the brutal dictatorial Iraqi regime.
The debate that we're going to have on the Senate floor today & in the days to follow is critical because the administration seeks our authorization now for military action. This debate, colleagues, must include all Americans, because our decisions, finally, must have the informed consent of the American people who will be asked to bear the costs in blood & treasure of our decisions. When the lives of sons & daughters of average Americans could be risked & lost, their voices must be heard in the congress before we make decisions about military action.
Right now, despite a desire to support our president, I believe many Americans still have profound questions about the wisdom of relying too heavily on a preemptive, go-it-alone military approach. Acting now, on our own, might be a sign of our power. Acting sensibly & in a measured way, in concert with our allies, with bipartisan congressional support, would be a sign of our strength.
There have been questions raised about the nature & urgency of Iraq threat & our response to that threat. What is the best course of action that the United States could take to address this threat? What are the economic, political, & national security consequences of possible United States or allied invasion of Iraq?
There have been questions raised about the consequences of our actions abroad, including its effects on the continuing war on terrorism, our ongoing efforts to stabilize & rebuild Afghanistan, & efforts to calm the intensifying middle east crisis, especially the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
And there have been questions raised about the consequences of our actions here at home. Of greatest & of gravest concern, obviously, are the questions raised about the possible loss of life that could result from our actions. The United States could post tens of thousaands of troops in Iraq, & in so doing, we risk countless lives of United States soldiers & innocent Iraqis.
Authorizing the preemptive, go-it-alone use of force right now, which is what the resolution before us calls for, in the midst of continuing efforts to enlist the world community to back a tough new disarmament resolution on Iraq could be a very costly mistake for our country.
Madame Chair, I quite often in debates...at the end of debates on amendments we thank our staff for the work that they've done & appreciate their hard work. I would, at the end of my statement today on the floor of the US senate, as to why I am opposed to the resolution that will be before us & that we will be debating today & in the days to come, which is too open-ended & would provide the president with authority for preemptive action, including ground invasion of Iraq, I would like to thank my staff.
I'd like to thank my staff for never trying one time to influence me to make any other decision than what I honestly & truthfully believe is right for the state I represent, Minnesota, & for my country, & for the world that my children & my grandchildren live in, & to all of my staff, I would like to thank you for believing in me.
I yield the floor.
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@JFK_1963: Commencement address at @americanu [Photos] http://ow.ly/lt394 Watch here:
