I certainly cannot rely on a 1997 review as being up to date. Much has occurred in those 2 years, indeed over 2 years, to where we are today. Let me give one example. The Russians are strapped financially. One of the principal motivations…

The Senator repeatedly says he presumes. I am not here to act on presumptions. What I do know is the realities, and particularly the political realities that face this Nation of an election and a new President. In my opinion, it is the…

I am not here to prejudge that review. I think it was done very carefully. But let me bring to the attention of my distinguished colleague, who spent great heroism in his career in the military himself, you should not try to make a…

there is no constraint on the next President, be it President Bush or President Gore, within which time--I mean it is not next December. He can do it before next December.

The sentiments expressed so fervently by those wanting to strike on behalf of our allies? There are 350-plus years of history, going back before World War II, of our steadfast alliance to our allies, and they can anticipate another 50…

Underlying this is clearly the readiness issue. It is not just the Kosovo operation, but it is how our troops are spread throughout the world. We are speaking in this amendment to a discipline that could well apply to the next mission…

As we approach the desk for this historic vote, and it will be a historic vote, I point out to my colleagues we have in the past contributed, in fiscal year 1999, $4.5 billion for this action in Kosovo. We are about to vote on, in a sense…

I am concerned about the hometowns in Virginia that are shoveling out taxpayer funds, billions and billions of dollars. I have already added it up--well over $6 billion. There has really been no debate or action in this Senate. We have an…

That is correct. I say with some dismay, we have been trying to alternate. If the tactic here is to hold those in opposition until the end, I think an element of fairness in this debate may be slipping away.

it had been my hope as cosponsor of the bill to have the opportunity to make some rebuttal arguments to those who are about to speak. Since that will not be possible, I will take my 2 minutes to sum up the manner in which I view this…

I regret we are on different sides. As I listened very carefully to the speech, the theme time and time again was, our allies, our allies. And that is important. Senator Byrd yesterday recounted the history from World War I and World War…

I say to my colleague, 23 Senators have already taken an action. They voted on it in the Appropriations Committee. They have taken that action. And you go back and count among the 23 those who proudly served in uniform for this country…

General Clark, again, is a Rhodes scholar, a brilliant officer, but I do not agree with him about his perception of the Congress of the United States. I believe the next President, whoever that may be--Albert Gore or George W. Bush--will…

I find very troublesome the accusation by General Clark. I have always believed General Clark to be a very brilliant field commander, despite the fact he was reversed in his desire to do certain things in Kosovo by the Chairman of the…

That is what the amendment requires. In other words, if there is a need, the President has the waiver authority.

I can guarantee, if the facts of the case are so strong and the turbulence so great amongst our NATO allies, then I think this Chamber will act in a responsible way in the best interests of the United States and all those involved. Time…

Indeed, I say to my colleague, Congress has been inactive on a number of occasions when we sent our troops abroad and expended our taxpayers' money. That is one of the purposes of this bill. To establish a precedent of inaction not…

But I am saying I commit to be the one Senator who requires the Congress to speak on it. So it will not be inaction. Congress will take action. The senior Senator from Virginia will be the one who will come to the floor under this…

First, the Byrd-Warner amendment is very carefully drawn so that the next President of the United States in following up with President Clinton's report with the next President's report. It is not required of him to wait until July as is…

That is precisely why, when I visited the region in January of this year--I try to go every 6 months or every several months. The officials told me, the U.N., the E.U., all of them said: Senator, if they just keep the money flowing and the…

I ask the distinguished leader, who came to this body following an earlier distinguished career in the House, is he aware of the overwhelming vote in the House today for basically the principles that are incorporated in the Byrd-Warner…

That is right. Mr. President, their voices, the people's voices, were heard through this House vote today.

I, frankly, would vote for it, if the next President were to come and ask for that and made a strong case. I really think the sky is not falling in, I say to my distinguished friend. We have carefully provided in this piece of legislation…

How interesting it is that two good friends and two colleagues can be on opposite side of an issue at this point in time. Circumstances have changed. I draw the Senator's attention to page 565 of the bill where it says: Except as provided…

Mr. President, in the course of the deliberations before the Senate Appropriations Committee on this measure, the distinguished senior Senator from West Virginia, Mr. Byrd--former majority leader of the Senate; one who has served in the…