John Ensign: “I thank the chief sponsor of the bill. It has been a pleasure working with him and others in a bipartisan manner on this…”

“I thank the chief sponsor of the bill. It has been a pleasure working with him and others in a bipartisan manner on this important amendment. I understand there are deep feelings on both sides of this amendment. This is a fundamental, legitimate disagreement on policy: What is the best way to go forward for the United States, with the same goals in mind--that goal being that we have a stable Iraq in the future--that is in the interest of all Americans? It is worth doing the $87 billion investment that the President has requested, the rebuilding of Iraq. All who support this amendment are in support of that concept because we think it is important to have a stable type of government, whatever that will be in Iraq, democracy or whatever they choose. It is important to have that for the stability of the region and for the spread of freedom and freedom-loving people, especially in that part of the world which up to this point has only known rule under dictatorship.”