Mike Thompson: “the vote we are debating today will be the most significant vote that we cast during this Congress and perhaps during…”

“the vote we are debating today will be the most significant vote that we cast during this Congress and perhaps during our entire careers. I say that for two reasons. First, this vote may very well send our American soldiers into what has been called on this floor ``harm's way.'' Make no mistake about it, it is important to note that is a very nice and sanitary way of saying that our soldiers will be going to war. They will face combat conditions that our forces have not seen during most of our lifetimes. According to the military experts and the generals I have heard from, the casualty rates may be high. If, as some expect, Saddam Hussein uses chemical and biological weapons to defend Baghdad, the results will be horrifying. Mr. Speaker, I have been in combat; and I am not willing to vote to send another soldier to war without clear and convincing evidence that America or our allies are in immediate danger and not without the backup and support of allied forces. The President delivered a good speech on Monday evening. I agree with him that Saddam Hussein is a ruthless dictator and that he is trying to build an arsenal of weapons of mass destruction. However, he showed us no link between Iraq and September 11, nor did he produce any evidence that even suggests that America or our allies are in immediate danger. This morning we learned from the CIA that Saddam Hussein is unlikely to use chemical or biological weapons if unprovoked by a U.S. military campaign.”