Political Quotes

“In fact, I would ask, Madam Speaker, to insert in the Congressional Record this Dear Colleague memo that I sent to every one of the 435 House Members today which outlines in detail exactly what we have done up until now. The text of the memo is as follows: April 27, 1999. Duma-Congress Peace Plan on Kosovo Rebuffed by Administration; Bi-lateral Discussions Continue Dear Colleague. As you may know, late last week I was forced to cancel a proposed joint mission to Belgrade by Russian and American members of the Duma-Congress Working Group. This trip would have been the culmination of a proactive effort by many of the top leaders in Russia to solve the Kosovo without resorting to ground combat. At the eleventh hour, Deputy Secretary of State Strobe Talbott informed me that the Administration did not support the trip. Without the support of my own government, I decided to cancel the trip. I want to give the House a full accounting of the genesis of this proposed trip, and the painstaking efforts that were made to make it a success.”