Major Owens: “I rise because I think this is an unprecedented amendment. We are considering an authorization of the Defense…”

“I rise because I think this is an unprecedented amendment. We are considering an authorization of the Defense Department, and we suddenly plunged into foreign policy. We consider the issue of Haiti so important that we have forced it on the agenda, and I would like to note that this is a matter that was not discussed and not taken through the usual committee procedure, neither the Committee on Armed Services or the Committee on Foreign Affairs. Neither committee has considered this amendment. It went directly to the Committee on Rules, which means a number of people consider the issue of Haiti to be of great importance and great immediacy. No one thinks the problem is more important than I do. As the chairman of the Congressional Black Caucus task force on Haiti, we have been wrestling with the issue now for almost 2 years. We see no reason necessary to rush to judgment on any aspect of Haitian policy at this moment. However, we would like to call to the attention of those who see it as being such an immediate problem that it is an immediate problem which requires a more reasoned and a more deliberative solution, without interference of this kind. It is important to note that it is a complex issue that has been discussed quite a bit lately, and the President finally has spelled out the fact that we do have compelling national interest in Haiti.”