Cord Byrd: “I hope the Senator will join me in insisting that this Senate debate the homeland security legislation and not rush that…”

“I hope the Senator will join me in insisting that this Senate debate the homeland security legislation and not rush that legislation. That is a part of national defense as much as anything. It is the defense of our homeland. So I hope the Senator will be one of those who will join me in taking our time to thoughtfully debate a very serious matter, namely, the creation of the Department of Homeland Security. Now, more to the question as it was addressed to me, the answer is I support debate on the question as to whether or not the Congress should authorize the Commander in Chief to make war. I have asked my staff to consider language for such a question to be presented to the Senate. My staff has been working on such a matter. I hear that Mr. Levin is going to hold hearings in the Armed Services Committee, on which the distinguished Senator from Alabama serves so well. It is good that Senator Levin is going to do that. It is good that the distinguished Senator from Delaware, Mr. Biden, chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee, will hold hearings. The chairman of the Intelligence Committee, Senator Graham, may hold hearings. So all these things are well and good. They are all necessary under the circumstances. We should understand what the witnesses say in those hearings.”