THAT'S WHAT THE CONSTITUTION SAYS. WE DECLARE WAR, NOT THE
           PRESIDENT. AND WE ARE ENTERING INTO A WAR. WE TALK ABOUT 4,000
           TROOPS. YOU'LL HAVE 4,000 TROOPS THERE, 4,000 TROOPS ON THE
           WAY, 4,000 TROOPS PREPARING AND 4,000 MORE TROOPS SUPPORTING
           THEM. WE'RE GOING TO TAKE 16,000 TROOPS. WE'RE ALREADY FACING
           SERIOUS READINESS PROBLEMS. RECRUITING SHORTFALLS, LACK OF
           SPARE PARTS AND A HIGH OP RAILTING TEMPO. WE SIMPLY CAN'T

           CONTINUE TO ASK OUR MILITARY TO DO MORE FOR LESS. MR.
           PRESIDENT, LET ME CONCLUDE BY SAYING THIS. I ABHOR THE
           BLOODSHED IN KOSOVO. AS MUCH SYMPATHY AS I HAVE FOR THOSE
           VICTIMS, WE MUST REMEMBER THAT THE FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF
           YUGOSLAVIA IS A FOREIGN NATION, A SOVEREIGN NATION. WE CAN
           PROVIDE SAFE HAVEN FOR THOSE REFUGEES AS THEY EXIT KOSOVO. WE
           DON'T NEED TO GO TO WAR. THROUGHOUT THE COLD WAR, WE FOUGHT TO

           PROTECT THE RIGHTS OF SOVEREIGN NATIONS, AND IN THE GULF WAR WE
           SENT AMERICAN SOLDIERS TO WAR TO TURN BACK THE UNLAWFUL AND
           IMMORAL INVASION OF THE SOVEREIGN NATION OF KUWAIT. GEORGE BUSH
           SOUGHT TO DEFEND A SOVEREIGN NATION AFTER IT HAD BEEN ATTACKED,
           AND HE ME BEFORE CONGRESS TO SEEK THAT AUTHORIZATION. HE CAME
           TO THIS CONGRESS, AND HE BARELY GOT IT. HE BARELY GOT IT, MR.
           PRESIDENT. HE BARELY GOT AUTHORIZATION TO DO IT. JUST A FEW
           VOTES, FOUR OR FIVE, IN 1991. AND IN THAT CASE THE NATION OF

           IRAQ ATTACKED AND CONQUERED -- TOOK OVER -- THE SOVEREIGN
           NATION OF KUWAIT. HE TOOK A RISK BECAUSE HE BELIEVED THAT THE
           AMERICAN PEOPLE -- THE AMERICAN PEOPLE -- SHOULD COMMENT ON
           WHETHER OR NOT WE WOULD GO TO WAR. AND HERE WE ARE PREPARING TO
           ATTACK A SOVEREIGN NATION, AND THE ADMINISTRATION AT THIS VERY
           MINUTE IS TRYING TO AVOID THIS VOTE. MAY HAVE DONE SO, FOR ALL
           I KNOW. THERE WAS A MEETING IN THE WHITE HOUSE THAT JUST
           CONCLUDED MOMENTS AGO. THIS IS A TERRIBLY DIFFICULT TIME FOR

           ALL OF US. BUT HAVING BEEN IN THE VIETNAM WAR AND WATCHING
           POLITICIANS STANDING HERE ON THE FLOOR, COULDN'T DECIDE WHETHER
           THEY WANTED TO SUPPORT THE TROOPS OR NOT, DAY AFTER DAY, MONTH
           AFTER MONTH, YEAR AFTER YEAR; I DON'T WANT TO SEE US GET
           EMBROILED IN ANOTHER CONFLICT THAT THE AMERICAN PEOPLE ARE
           GOING TO LOSE THEIR TASTE FOR AFTER WE START LOSING THOSE YOUNG
           MEN AND WOMEN. I JUST CAME BACK FROM A FOUR-DAY TRIP AROUND THE
           COUNTRY, IN LOUISIANA, IN ALABAMA, IN COLORADO, TALKING TO THE

           TROOPS. THEY'RE THE BEST. THEY ARE THE BEST, AND THEY CAN
           HANDLE IT. BUT THEY SHOULD NOT BE ASKED TO DO SOMETHING THAT IS
           NOT IN THE NATIONAL SECURITY INTEREST OF THIS COUNTRY, AND THEY
           ARE GOING TO BE ASKED TO DO IT IF WE GO INTO KOSOVO. MR.
           PRESIDENT, I URGE MY COLLEAGUES TO CAREFULLY THINK ABOUT THE
           IMPLICATIONS OF WHAT WE'RE ABOUT TO DO AT ABOUT
           
           2:00 OR SO THIS AFTERNOON, AND I URGE MY COLLEAGUES TO SUPPORT

           -- TO SUPPORT -- THE SMITH AMENDMENT. THANK YOU, MR. PRESIDENT.
           I YIELD THE FLOOR.
           
           I SUGGEST THE ABSENCE OF A QUORUM.
           

           THE PRESIDING OFFICER: THE CLERK WILL CALL THE ROLL.
           
           
           
           QUORUM CALL:
           

           A SENATOR: MR. PRESIDENT?
           
           

           THE PRESIDING OFFICER: THE CHAIR RECOGNIZES THE SENATOR FROM
           NEBRASKA.
           

           MR. HAGEL: THANK YOU, MR. PRESIDENT. MR. PRESIDENT, I WOULD ASK
           THE QUORUM CALL BE DISPENSED WITH.
           

           THE PRESIDING OFFICER: WITHOUT OBJECTION, SO ORDERED.
           

           MR. HAGEL: MR. PRESIDENT, I WOULD FURTHER ASK THAT I BE GRANTED
           TO SPEAK UP TO FIVE MINUTES, YIELDING TIME FROM THE DEMOCRATIC
           SIDE.
           

           THE PRESIDING OFFICER: WITHOUT OBJECTION, SO ORDERED.
           

           MR. HAGEL: THANK YOU, MR. PRESIDENT. MR. PRESIDENT, I RISE
           TODAY TO ADDRESS MY THOUGHTS TO THE SITUATN IN KOSOVO. THIS IS
           A VERY COMPLICATE AND DANGEROUS ISSUE. THERE ARE NO GOOD
           ALTERNATIVES. THERE ARE NO GOOD OPTIONS. THERE ARE NO GOOD
           LUTIONS. I HAVE LISTENED WITH GREAT INTEREST AND GREAT RESPECT
           TO MY COLLEAGUES ON BOTH SIDES OF THE AISLE AND BOTH SIDES OF
           THE ISSUE, AND PERSPECTIVES HAVE BEEN IMPORTANT. THEY HAVE BEEN

           ENLIGHTENING. THE THREADS OF WHO WE ARE AS HUMAN BEINGS, IN
           AMERICA'S CASE, AS LEADERS OF THE WORLD, AS LEADERS OF NATO ARE
           INTERTWINED IN THIS VERY COMPLICATED MORASS THAT WE CALL THE
           KOSOVO ISSUE. WITH THAT SAID, I DON'T BELIEVE AMERICA CAN STAND
           BY AND NOT BE PART OF A UNIFIED NATO RESPONSE TO THE CONTINUED
           SLAUGHTER IN THE BALKANS. AND I SAY THAT MAINLY, MR. PRESIDENT,

           FOR THREE REASONS. FIRST, THE VERY REAL POTENTIAL FOR THIS
           CRISIS WIDENING AND DEEPENING IS IMMEDIATE, AND THERE WILL BE
           CONSEQUENCES. IF THIS GOES UNCHECKED AND UNSTOPPED, THERE IS
           THE REAL RISK OF PULLING IN OTHER NATIONS INTO AN ALREADY VERY
           DANGEROUS AND COMPLICATED SITUATION. AND I BELIEVE, MR.
           PRESIDENT, IF THIS GOES UNCHECKED AND UNSTOPPED, WE RUN THE

           VERY REAL RISK OF THE SOUTHERN FLANK OF NATO COMING UNHINGED.
           WE ARE ON THE BORDER NOW OF MACEDONIA, MACEDONIA BEING ON THE
           BORDER OF GREECE. NUMBER TWO, THE HUMANITARIAN DISASTER THAT
           WOULD RESULT IF NATO STOOD BY AND DID NOTHING WOULD BE IMMENSE.
           THE CONSEQUENCES OF THAT HUMANITARIAN DISASTER WOULD MOVE UP

           INTO WESTERN EUROPE, WOULD SEE NATIONS TAKING ISSUE
{END: 1999/03/23 TIME: 12-15 , Tue.  106TH SENATE, FIRST SESSION}