Does The Senate Majority Remember There's A War On?

CNSNews.com ^ | June 24, 2002 | Paul M. Weyrich

[Stand Watch Listen]

President George W. Bush and other top officials of the nation, in the wake of September 11th, kept telling us that we should return to normal. We did, and for my money we went a little too far in getting back to normal. It may not be obvious, but there is a war on.

We have heard constantly from the president's opponents that they are with him on the war. They disagree with him on domestic issues, but by golly when it comes to the war, they stand with their Commander-in-Chief.

Indeed, Democratic political consultants have advised their party that the way they can win in November is to be supportive of the war effort and to then focus on domestic issues for the campaign.

Well, the time has come for the opposition to prove to the president and the nation that they do indeed stand with him on the war. They should pass forthwith the Defense Appropriations Bill. That is the one piece of legislation that the president and the country can't live without at this time.

In a non-war year, it would be possible to just lumber along with a Continuing Resolution. That would enable the government to spend at the same level as last year. That has often been done and while it presents problems to the armed services, still no great harm to the nation has occurred by requiring the Defense Department to operate at last year's spending levels for a few months, until the final legislation is passed.

But that will not fly with a war on. We have billions of dollars in extra expenditures that are needed to keep the momentum going in all the different places where our armed forces are engaged. There is no more important piece of business that Congress has to deal with than the Defense Appropriations Bill.

The Majority Leadership in the Senate says that the homeland security legislation takes priority. No, it does not. It would be nice if Congress could create this new cabinet department by September 11th, but there is nothing compelling which suggests that this legislation has to be passed by that date. Moreover, the consolidation of all these departments is raising more questions each day.

It wouldn't hurt if Congress took its time and examined how this new department will actually work. There is the danger that these various departments will be consolidated but their previous structures will be left in place and we will end up with double the size of government because the old order will be permitted to grow back, arguably to do functions not directly related to homeland security.

So if Congress takes a little more time to figure out who is going to do what and how, the world will not come to an end.

The Majority Leadership is even suggesting that prescription drugs and so-called "hate crimes" legislation should be considered ahead of Defense Appropriations. With a war on, that is outrageous and it calls into question their sincerity in backing the president.

There are other appropriations bills that have also not been passed. Fine. Roll them into a Continuing Resolution if need be. Congress can even return for a lame duck session
after the election if necessary to take care of those bills. The Defense Appropriations bill is a very different animal under the present circumstances.

The President has leaned over backwards to be co-operative with his opponents in the Congress. It is hard to recall any precedent in modern times for what the president has tried to do to change the climate in Washington. His opposition has not repaid him in kind.

Now is the moment for the President to make it clear to the Congress and the nation that he must have this Defense Appropriations Bill and he must have it now. If that is done, then it will be time for the Congress to stand with the president and prove that they do indeed support what the president is doing with the war.

If they pass the bill then they will have some credibility when they argue over taxes or prescription drugs or Social Security come fall. If they fail to do so then it will be fair to conclude that they are just giving lip service to the welfare of their country and they should not be taken seriously when they argue domestic issues.

We have begun to behave so normally it would be tempting to excuse politics as usual. We need to be reminded in clear terms that there is indeed a war on. What happens to the Defense Appropriations Bill will demonstrate just who understands that and who does not.

(Paul M. Weyrich is President of the Free Congress Foundation.)
Free Congress Foundation

[TatieBug]

No DASHOLE doesn't remember nor does he care! It's pretty scary to think they just might get away with bogging down the Senate time with perscription drugs...AGAIN and AGAIN...since that's the only way they can try to make the R's look mean to the seniors. Can't anybody begin to see through this? We must get Homeland Defense front and center! Bush has gone over and above to try to ease tensions as that's his way but they just don't budge...what will it take...keep those cards and letters rollin into the D Senators!

[The Shootist]

War is Peace

[cgk]

No, they don't remember because they didn't DECLARE IT. Therefore, it doesn't exist.

Mrs K