Drew Ferguson: “I represent 81 families who lost loved ones in the attacks of 9-11 and the World Trade Center. I have visited with these…”

“I represent 81 families who lost loved ones in the attacks of 9-11 and the World Trade Center. I have visited with these families, consoled them, wept with them, and each of them share a common thread. What I heard from these families over and over and over again was a plea, please do everything in your power to prevent this heartache, this destruction, these attacks from ever happening again. Today we face a tyrant, a cowardly dictator in Iraq who we know is building an arsenal of biological, chemical and, yes, nuclear weapons; weapons that have the potential to deliver untold destruction upon freedom-loving people, and innocent civilians of the United States are clearly in his sights. He has made no secret of his intent to use these weapons of mass destruction on America or Israel or other allies, just as he has brutally used them on his own people. Saddam Hussein has lied over and over and over again, deceived the international community and the United Nations for 11 years promising to disarm and to allow inspections, and then betraying our trust and our goodwill. He has clear ties to terrorists and to terrorist organizations like Hamas, Hezbollah and, yes, even al Qaeda. His goal, to kill as many people as possible and to force the civilized world to live in fear. As we heard from the President of the United States last night, we refuse to live in fear. The cost of action may be high, but I would suggest that the cost of inaction is far, far greater.”