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“UNANIMOUS CONSENT REQUESTS--S. 1022 AND S. 1023” mentioning the U.S. Dept of State was published in the Senate section on pages S4133-S4134 on March 29, 2007.
The publication is reproduced in full below:
UNANIMOUS CONSENT REQUESTS--S. 1022 AND S. 1023
Mr. CHAMBLISS. Mr. President, I rise today to delineate exactly why I voted against this supplemental. We are in some very difficult and complex times in the world today, and certainly the situation in Iraq is right at the forefront.
Americans have always stood tall when someone tries to interrupt our ability to exercise our rights of freedom, and right now we are fighting a global war on terrorism, with Iraq being at the center of it. For individuals in this body to think we can micromanage a military conflict from the floor of the Senate or the House of Representatives is simply wrong.
We have military leadership on the ground in Iraq. That leadership is recommending against imposing timelines. We have civilian leaders who have significant military experience, both from the State Department level as well as the Pentagon level. These leaders have testified before the Senate Armed Services Committee, and every single one of those individuals, whether they were Republican or Democrat, has said imposing timelines is not the way to go. Every military officer who has come to testify before the Senate Armed Services Committee has said imposing timelines for withdrawal from Iraq will simply embolden the enemy. The enemy will lay in wait until we remove ourselves from Iraq and then all genocide will break loose in Iraq.
The Baker-Hamilton commission--which so many people have relied upon--clearly stated that imposing timelines for withdrawal in Iraq is not the way to go. This vote today is simply the wrong signal to send to an enemy. The message needs to be that we are going to take you out; that we are not going to let you impose yourself on freedom and democracy. This vote today simply does not do that.
I very strongly disagree with the provisions in this supplemental relative to the withdrawal of troops from Iraq, and that is the reason I did vote against this supplemental we so desperately need to fund our troops, to fund the operation in Iraq, as well as to take care of some other measures. One of those other measures included in this supplemental is critically important to my State, and it has to do with the SCHIP program, the State Children's Health Insurance Program, which was designed to help uninsured children across America.
Unfortunately, it has gotten into the arena now of not only providing coverage for children but also coverage for some adults. Frankly, I don't agree with that, but I don't have a problem with it in this supplemental. We will deal with that issue in the reauthorization of this program. We do have a provision in the supplemental that would cover the shortfall for the SCHIP program, which in Georgia we refer to as PeachCare. It would have provided the money to fund a shortfall in SCHIP between now and the end of the fiscal year for States such as mine that are going to experience this shortfall. Georgia happens to be the first of 14 States that is going to have this shortfall, and we have had to take measures--and our legislature, thank goodness, has done that--to make up this shortfall. In the interim, between now and the time this bill is going to come back to this body for reconsideration after being vetoed by the President, Georgia's taxpayers are going to have to fund a greater portion of the SCHIP program than they should have to. So I have filed a bill today that is going to take care of that. It is going to provide immediate funding for the shortfall in Georgia, as well as all of the other shortfall States in the country today that, while they may not experience a shortfall as we speak, it is coming within the next 30 to 60 to 90 days to 13 other States.
On behalf of Senator Isakson and myself, I would ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the immediate consideration of S. 1022, introduced earlier today; that the bill be read a third time and passed; that the motion to reconsider be laid upon the table; and that any statements relating to the bill be printed in the Record.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there objection?
Mr. MENENDEZ. Mr. President, unfortunately, I must object to the Senator's request. We passed money for the shortfall in the supplemental and we should not extend the program at the expense of the current coverage.
I look forward to working with the Senator from Georgia on reauthorization that preserves the program and the coverage that is needed, and toward that end, I ask unanimous consent that my bill dealing with SCHIP, introduced earlier today, S. 1023, be considered, read a third time, passed, and the motion to reconsider be laid on the table.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. First, the Chair notes the objection of the Senator from New Jersey.
Is there objection to the motion of the Senator from New Jersey?
Mr. DeMINT. I object.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Objection of the Senator from South Carolina is heard.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from South Carolina is recognized.
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