Cord Byrd: “I am surprised at some of the things we do here. The distinguished Senator from North Dakota is one of the brightest…”

“I am surprised at some of the things we do here. The distinguished Senator from North Dakota is one of the brightest Senators I have ever seen over my good many years in this institution. But let's take the war, the resolution on a war with Iraq. I took the position that if we are, indeed--I was against that resolution, but I said, if, indeed, we are going to shift this kind of power to the President, a power to declare war, then shouldn't we put a sunset provision in, shouldn't we stop that, at least give him 2 years, and then say that we have to take another look at that? Was the Senator surprised, as I was, to see this very body--and even more surprisingly to see our own party--oppose that provision, a sunset provision, when the Constitution says Congress shall have the power to declare war, and we were shifting that power to the Chief Executive to determine how and when our military forces would be used, for how long and where? And he has that power in perpetuity. The next President after him will have that same power. I was surprised. I am surprised to see where this Senate, which has been the great protector of the American people and the constitutional system for over 200 years, is going of late. I have been very bitterly disappointed in this Senate, of which I am a part, to see where it is going.”