Byron Dorgan: “I have not been on the floor until now to speak about the homeland security bill and the issues surrounding that bill. I…”

“I have not been on the floor until now to speak about the homeland security bill and the issues surrounding that bill. I have been thinking a lot about it, as have many of my colleagues. We have had a good number of amendments, and I do not believe anyone here thinks the issue is whether we shall pass a piece of legislation dealing with homeland security. Of course we should enact a piece of legislation dealing with homeland security. We need to respond to the President's request. We will do that. The question isn't whether, the question is how. There are many ideas about homeland security that come from all corners of this Chamber. We ought to take the best of all of those ideas and incorporate them into this legislation. Yesterday the President spoke at the United Nations about the threat that comes from Saddam Hussein and Iraq. Because that also relates to the issue of homeland security, I wanted to make some comments of a general nature this morning.”