Patsy T. Mink: “I served in the Congress during the heated debates about Presidential powers during the war in Vietnam. As a consequence…”

“I served in the Congress during the heated debates about Presidential powers during the war in Vietnam. As a consequence of the differing opinions that were so heatedly fought on this floor, the War Powers Act was enacted. It clarified specifically what the Presidential powers were, and to what extent the responsibility of the Congress was to review those actions taken by the President. We are here today to authorize President Bush to take such powers and such actions as may be necessary in order to find a way to punish, to retaliate against those who caused all this damage on the soil of America, and we join the President in our eagerness to give him that authority. But I want to make sure that I understand this resolution. I have read it a dozen times over, because I want to make sure that the War Powers Act that we enacted right after the conflagration in Vietnam is not in any way jeopardized. I think we have to call attention to those sections which say 'Nothing in this resolution supersedes the war powers resolution.' On that basis, I support the passage of this resolution tonight.”