Robert C. Byrd: “What has become tragically clear is that the United States has no strong plan for reconstruction, and no clear concept…”

I thank you for holding these hearings on the 9/11 Commission's recommendations for intelligence reform.

I hope that wherever you can share your views, you will, because it's pretty easy in history to see this.

I cannot support this item unless there are some limitations on it, unless Congress can exercise its power over the purse, as the Constitution provides.

In closing, may I say that the President's request includes $658 million for construction of the U.S. Embassy in Iraq.