Timothy Roemer: “Mr. Speaker, I want to encourage Members on both sides of the aisle to support the motion of the gentleman from Ohio…”

“Mr. Speaker, I want to encourage Members on both sides of the aisle to support the motion of the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Hall) to defeat the previous question and do so for the following two reasons: One, maybe the most important book written on the history of Kosovo and Bosnia in the last several years by Robert Kaplan is ``Balkan Ghosts.'' Certainly the ghosts of this distinguished Chamber are rattling around as we play some politics with the timing of this resolution. When it comes to foreign policy, it used to be that we did not play politics and go across the water's edge. Certainly when it comes to war, my very first vote in this Chamber, we had dignified and civil debate really that embodied the comity that this institution is capable of. The timing of this resolution is very important. We should not do it before we see the peace agreement that is reached, if one is reached in this very volatile and delicate region of the world. Secondly, Mr. Speaker, and I openly will criticize the administration for this, I do not know how I would vote next week or the week after on deploying troops.”