Doug Bereuter: “Mr. Chairman, notwithstanding the fact that I do not oppose, I would say to the gentleman, the gentleman from New York…”

“Mr. Chairman, notwithstanding the fact that I do not oppose, I would say to the gentleman, the gentleman from New York and I, along with nine of our colleagues, recently led a delegation before we went to the North Atlantic Assembly, to Slovenia, and all of us came back I think very much impressed with the tremendous progress they have made in democratization and in their economic reforms and in their ability to pay for modernization to meet the NATO requirements. We felt, in fact, they were well-qualified to be taken in as a member of NATO in the first round, and we made that recommendation to the Secretary of State, and I know I personally made it to the Secretary of Defense, and I think some of my colleagues have as well. This matter of Romania is certainly not one that I oppose. I thank the gentleman for his initiative. I just want to make sure that nothing being said here suggests that we have any less respect or support for Slovenia as a first-round entry.”