I remember in the 1980s, traveling to several of the historically-- and they referred to them as ``historically Black colleges'' in the Commonwealth of Virginia, I noticed the absence of so much infrastructure in these struggling…

But I certainly share with you the enormity of loss of life, the loss of limb, of the hardships of the military families. Even those families who fortunately have not suffered loss of life or limb nevertheless have repeated tours of duty…

I would like to review some of the points we put in that language which is the law. It, first, requires the President to come forward on July 15, which he did. He submitted an assessment of the benchmarks. It further directed that General…

the Senator is correct, that Government has not performed. But we, 49 days ago, structured a careful sequence of events between now and September to make certain the information, the facts, the opinions, the conclusions which would guide…

It may not be enacted for 4 or 5 months, but the signal will go out of this Chamber, if we adopt your amendment, that the Senate, in less than 40 days, has changed the law that it passed a short time ago, and it looks like a zigzag course…

We have to decide on the facts as they exist now, and I think our Government has. But even in the recent words of the President, he wants to intensify the participation of other nations in this situation. My colleague, Senator Lugar, in…

Therefore, as part of the September 15th, 2007, report, Congress expects that the President will submit to Congress a proposal to revise Public Law 107-243. So Senator Lugar and I come foursquare and address that issue straight-on. There…

I say to the Senator most respectfully, I know no one over here who wants to try to do a precipitous withdrawal or lessen our efforts against al-Qaida. As a matter of fact, we want to reinforce our efforts against al-Qaida. We can go back…

I said those words. I stand by those words. I said ``de facto'' because there was every available means in the course of the debate on our authorizations bill for colleagues to come and challenge this. No one did. As a matter of fact, the…

I want to thank our colleague. I listened to his presentation and thank him for his reflections about the committee's work under the leadership of Senator Levin and Senator McCain on the underlying bill. Eventually, I presume, we will…

We have to always monitor ourselves with the Constitution of the United States, and it explicitly gives to the President the power as Commander in Chief to direct our forces and to employ such strategy as he deems necessary to defend the…

I appreciate that answer. I think there is a provision--as a matter of fact, the amendment Senator Lugar and I filed has very much the same language in it. Let's proceed to No. 3. The Iraq Study Group noted that ``Al Qaeda will portray any…

The citizens of your State have given 100 percent support to these military people all these years. They may miss a little bit of that airspace, but they are proud to have them there.

Nellis Air Force Base is well cared for in the current authorization bill before this body.

But I say, in response to my distinguished colleague, it is for that very reason the President is dispatching the Secretaries of State and Defense into that region, to bring that point very clearly, this problem which is being experienced…

Well, I remember on this floor and my distinguished colleague from Michigan remembers when Senator Byrd argued very persuasively about certain aspects of the famous War Powers Act. Now, if we bring all of that history into this debate, and…

The findings that supported H.J. Res. 114, Public Law 107-243, which was enacted in 2002 and which authorized the President to use the Armed Forces of the United States against Iraq, require review and revision. So, Senator, I have gone on…

I think the Senator is accurate. I have studied the Levin amendment. I am opposed to it because of the fixed timetables. But let's proceed to the second one. I think we have covered the first, and I find it very helpful. The second…

For instance, the first finding: A failed state in Iraq would become a safe haven for Islamic radicals, including al Qaeda and Hezbollah, who are determined to attack the United States and United States allies. We know from experience in…

I thank my friend. We can have our debates, and we frequently do, on procedure, and it is very confusing, of course, to the American public. But these are old rules that go back, I might say with some sense of pride, to Thomas Jefferson…

We have been here many years together. We manage, even though we oppose each other. But I do oppose you on this one, my dear friend.

I think the President can still act within that language right there--defend the national security of the United States against the continuing threat posed by Iraq. The Government of Iraq that existed at the time this was written is gone…

I simply say, I intend to vote for this amendment. But let us not be unmindful of the enormity of the sacrifice of the men and women of the Armed Forces of the United States--and, indeed, perhaps with the assistance of other nations--in…

I must state, with a sense of total modesty, that my contribution tonight would be just to express some concerns. I have followed the work of your group. Very kindly, the principals on this have invited me to join, but I have thus far not…

Well, it is simply that I have some concerns about the Salazar-Alexander amendment. I do not wish to encroach on such time as they wish, but it would seem to me those of us who may have some concerns should have the opportunity to speak in…