Mr. WELDON of Pennsylvania. Mr. Chairman, I offer an amendment.
The CHAIRMAN. The Clerk will designate the amendment.
The text of the amendment is as follows:
Amendment No. 41 offered by Mr. Weldon of Pennsylvania:
At the end of title XII (page 379, after line 19), insert the following new section:
SEC. 1205. PRESIDENTIAL CERTIFICATIONS CONCERNING DETARGETING OF RUSSIAN INTERCONTINENTAL BALLISTIC MISSILES.
(a) Required Certifications: Not later than January 1, 1998, the President shall submit to Congress a report containing a certification by the President of each of the following:
(1) Whether it is possible for the United States to verify by technical means that a Russian ICBM is or is not targeted at a site in the United States.
(2) The length of time it would take for a Russian ICBM formerly, but no longer, targeted at a site in the United States to be retargeted at a site in the United States.
(3) Whether a Russian ICBM that was formerly, but is no longer, targeted at a site in the United States would be automatically retargeted at a site in the United States in the event of an accidental launch of such missile.
(b) Russian ICBMs Defined: For purposes of subsection (a), the term `Russian ICBM' means an intercontinental ballistic missile of the Russian Federation.
The CHAIRMAN. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from Pennsylvania [Mr. Weldon] and a Member opposed each will control 5 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Pennsylvania [Mr. Weldon].
Mr. WELDON of Pennsylvania. Mr. Chairman, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
(Mr. WELDON of Pennsylvania asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)
Mr. WELDON of Pennsylvania. Mr. Chairman, I rise to support this amendment, which may seem unimportant to some, but which is perhaps in my opinion one of the most important statements that this body will make in this bill this year.
Mr. Chairman, as all of us know, the funding level for what our military needs are is largely determined by the threat that is perceived by the American people and by Members of Congress. So if the American people perceive that there is no threat, then in fact they want us to cut defense spending. If they in fact think there is an emerging threat, then they respond and say increase defense spending.
Now, our colleagues are going around saying well, the American people are satisfied; we are spending too much on defense.
Mr. Chairman, my question is, why would they think that? Well, Mr. Chairman, my amendment gets right to the heart of why they think that, because this President, over the last 5 years, has used the bully pulpit to drive home a message that I seriously question, and let me get at the heart of my amendment.
On 130 occasions, actually it is 130 and counting, this President has made the statement; so it is not just once, three times in this pulpit, at universities across the country, in 36 of our States, to women's groups, to environmental groups, on college campuses, he has said, and I quote: There are no longer Russian missiles pointed at America's children.
Now, he has made this statement not one time, 130 times; and his chief advisers in the security operation and the Vice President have made that contention 22 more times in public speeches. So the President is clearly trying to get the point across to America, do not worry; as the Commander in Chief, I certify to you that there are no Russian missiles pointed at America's children.
Mr. Chairman, in testimony before my subcommittee, Bruce Blair, a former targeting officer, said that one can retarget a Russian missile in 10 seconds. Ed Bradley on CBS News, `60 Minutes' interviewed General Sergev who in fact headed up strategic command and space for Russia and who now is the defense minister.
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He has said there is no way to verify whether or not they are targeting their missiles at our children, just like they cannot verify ours. But yet the President continues to make this statement, that there are no missiles pointed at our children, so all of our constituents back home in our districts think, well, if the Commander in Chief said they are no longer pointing their missiles at us, that must be true.
My amendment is very simple, Mr. Chairman. It requires the President to certify to the Congress that in fact there are no missiles pointed at America; that in fact we have a way of verifying that, and also what the time would be to retarget a missile, even if we did know.
Why is this so important? Because when the top leaders of this country on 152 occasions on every major media network in every major media outlet tell the stories in our cities and towns that we no longer have a threat, they respond. They criticize us when we say that we need to deal with that threat.
This amendment is very simple. It says, Mr. President, certify what you are saying. You said from this pulpit on three occasions that you are confident there are no missiles pointed at America's kids. This amendment says, certify that, put that in writing, and verify that for this Congress. If you cannot do that, Mr. President, you had better stop misinforming the American people.
Nothing is more fundamental to this debate, because that speech, given 130 times by the President, 22 times by the Vice President, by the heads of security for this administration, has misled the American people. The President has a chance to rectify it. All he has to do is give us an official certification that in fact he can certify that there are no Russian missiles pointed at our children.
General Sergeyev from Russia says you cannot do that. Bruce Blair says you cannot do that. General Shalikashvili says you cannot do that. Secretary Perry told us you cannot do that. But yet the President has said it 130 times.
What we are saying in effect, Mr. Chairman, is, put up or shut up. If you cannot verify the statement that you are making to the American people about one of the most severe threats facing this country, then do not mislead the American people, because from the bully pulpit that drives the debate in this country, to have the American people believe that they no longer have to worry, that drives the debate on missile defense, it drives the debate on the threat, and it drives the debate on the systems that we want to fund.
I ask my colleagues to vote for this very simple amendment.
Mr. Chairman, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. DELLUMS. Mr. Chairman, I rise to claim the time in opposition to the amendment.
The CHAIRMAN. The gentleman from California [Mr. Dellums] is recognized for 5 minutes.
Mr. DELLUMS. Mr. Chairman, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Chairman, I would first like to say to my distinguished colleague, the gentleman from Pennsylvania [Mr. Weldon], I appreciate the gentleman's effort to offer this amendment. I share the gentleman's concern about the issue of targeting. I rise in opposition not to the substance of what my colleague is trying to do, but rather, on technical grounds.
My staff and I have attempted to work with the gentleman's staff in trying to achieve some accommodation on this matter on technical grounds. We would believe that a report, rather than certification, is much more in the realm of reality. Let me tell the gentleman what I am thinking and then he can respond.
I heard the gentleman's speech, but at some point this gets drafted into legislative language. Legislative language is very important. The gentleman mentioned, required certification. The President must certify. Now, what is the President's first certification, whether it is possible for the United States to verify by technical means that a Russian ICBM is or is not targeted at a site in the United States?
We can try to verify that it is possible or that it is not possible, but trying to verify whether it is possible, I would suggest that that is language and a technical change, that it is impossible to verify whether. You either certify that something is or it is not, but whether it is, I think is inappropriate language. I think that is technically flawed.
Second, how do we verify the length of time it would take for an ICBM, a Russian ICBM, formerly but no longer targeted at a site in the United States, to be retargeted at a site in the United States? How in the real world do you really certify that?
What I am saying is, I agree with the gentleman with respect to the substance of what he is trying to do. I have a technical concern that he raises a hurdle beyond which no one, that no one can jump.
In the real world, I respect the gentleman's sense of fairness and fair play. We do not want to set a hurdle that no one can cross and then say, gee, you cannot jump the hurdle. There is something inappropriate about that. We want to establish a hurdle that makes sense with the Government. We are trying to do something reasonable. I would think if we could move away from certification to report, that makes sense.
I would like to work with the gentleman, if this amendment goes forward, in the context of the conference with the other body to try to resolve these matters.
There is one other thing that I would like to see in the legislation. Additional efforts to achieve verifiability, efforts to achieve confidence in these matters, if we could put that in, it seems to me that would make sense. I am just raising a technical question, not a substantive issue.
I think we are talking about trying to verify some things we cannot verify. We ought to, in the legislative process, try to achieve things that are achievable, rather than to assert matters that we want to try to achieve that in the real world we know we cannot. I know the gentleman is not trying to play games in that regard. That is why I am prepared to give and take on that. How does he think about those things and what is his response?
Mr. WELDON of Pennsylvania. Mr. Chairman, will the gentleman yield?
Mr. DELLUMS. I yield to the gentleman from Pennsylvania.
Mr. WELDON of Pennsylvania. Mr. Chairman, I appreciate the gentleman and my friend for raising these issues. I pledge to work with him through the conference process.
I would not raise this issue if the President had made this statement only one or two times, and I have the actual citation for every time he has made the statement. Mr. Chairman, the President has raised this issue specifically 130 times. The Vice President and his staff have raised it 22 times.
There is a very deliberate effort on the part of the administration to make this same statement, which the gentleman, I think, agrees with me on, we cannot verify it, but yet the President continues to make this statement. And that drives the mood and the feeling of my constituents, because they think, well, if the Commander in Chief says this, it must be true.
I understand the gentleman's concern with the wording, and I would say he is probably correct, no wording will probably satisfy this, because in the end he knows what the President is going to come back and say. We asked DOD to do a report last year on this same issue. They came back and said to us in a report, you cannot verify it.
My point is, even though DOD in a report certified that to us, the President, between last year's bill and this year, has made that statement time and time again across the country. I have no other recourse. I would like to go to the President and say, Mr. President, please stop saying this, not just because it is not true, but you send the wrong message.
As the gentleman knows, I am not an alarmist. I have spent a lot of time working with Russia. But I would like to be frank and candid and open and honest with them. I will confront them on this issue, but I think when the President makes this statement, in the context of the number of times he has made it since, it is wrong, but I will pledge to work with the gentleman through the conference process.
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Mr. DELLUMS. Mr. Chairman, I appreciate the gentleman's candor.
Mr. WELDON. Mr. Chairman, I include for the Record the following:
President Clinton has assured the American people on at least 130 separate occasions that Russian nuclear missiles no longer threaten the United States. On dozens of those occasions--including his October 6, 1996 debate with Senator Bob Dole--he said that no nuclear missiles of any kind threaten America. The following quotes are excerpted from his speeches, interviews, and radio addresses, as downloaded from the `White House Virtual Library' on the World Wide Web and other electronic databases.
1. `I was proud to go to Russia and sign an agreement where we agreed that for the first time in decades we would no longer even point our missiles at each other.'--President Clinton, Remarks to the Citizens of Atlanta, May 3, 1994.
2. `* * * there are no nuclear missiles pointed at us from the Soviet Union [sic], but there are other countries trying to develop nuclear programs.'--President Clinton, Remarks at the Small Business Person of the Year Announcement, Old Executive Office Building, May 4, 1994.
3. `And now, for the first time, our nuclear missiles are no longer targeted at Russia, nor theirs ours [sic].'--President Clinton, Remarks on CNN Telecast, `A Global Forum with President Clinton,' May 4, 1994.
4. `* * * the nuclear arsenal in Russia is no longer pointed at the United States, nor are our missiles pointed at them.'--President Clinton, Remarks to the People of Warwick, Rhode Island, May 9, 1994.
5. `* * * the United States and Russia at last no longer aim their nuclear weapons at each other.'--President Clinton, Speech at the U.S. Naval Academy Graduation Ceremony, May 25, 1994.
6. `* * * for the first time since the dawn of the atomic age, the United States and Russia no longer have nuclear missiles pointed at each other.'--President Clinton, Remarks at Swearing-In Ceremony for the President's Council on Physical Fitness and Sports, Rose Garden, May 31, 1994.
7. `We are reducing nuclear stockpiles, and America and Russia no longer aim their nuclear missiles at each other.'--President Clinton, Address to the National Assembly, Paris, France, June 7, 1994.
8. `For the first time since World War II * * * Russian and American missiles no longer target each other's people. Three of the four nuclear members of the former Soviet Union have agreed to remove all nuclear weapons from their soil.'--President Clinton, Address to the 49th Session of the United Nations General Assembly, September 26, 1994.
9. `Our missiles no longer target each other's people for destruction; instead they are being dismantled.'--President Clinton, Remarks at arrival ceremony for Russian President Boris Yeltsin, South Lawn, the White House, September 27, 1994.
10. `We've got Russian missiles that are no longer pointed at the United States for the first time since World War II.'--President Clinton, Radio interview with Eileen Ratner, October 7, 1994.
11. `* * * Russian President Boris Yeltsin came to further the partnership between our two nations so well
expressed by the fact that now Russian and U.S. missiles are no longer pointed at each other's people, and we are working to reduce the nuclear threat even more.'--President Clinton, Address to the Nation, The Oval Office, October 10, 1994.
12. `. . . for the first time the missiles of Russia are no longer pointed at the American people. . . .'--President Clinton, Speech to the Citizens of the Bridgeport Area, Stratford, Connecticut, October 15, 1994.
13. `The United States and Russian missiles missiles are no longer targeted at each other.'--President Clinton, Saturday Radio Address, October 15, 1994.
14. `Russian missiles are no longer pointed at the United States.'--President Clinton, Speech to the International Association of Chiefs of Police, Albuquerque, New Mexico, October 17, 1994.
15. `I know that this country is a safer and more secure place because Russian missiles aren't pointing at us and we're making peace in Haiti, the Middle East, Northern Ireland.'--President Clinton, Interview with WLIB radio, New York, October 18, 1994.
16. `We also clearly are working to make the world a safer and a more democratic and a freer place. For the first time since the dawn of the nuclear age, Russian missiles are no longer pointed at the United States.'--President Clinton, Remarks to the Governors Leadership Conference on the Future of the Economy, New York, October 19, 1994.
17. `Is the fact that Russian missiles are not pointed at your children for the first time since the dawn of the nuclear age an abnormal thing? I think that's pretty good.'--President Clinton, Remarks at dinner honoring Kathleen Brown, San Francisco, October 22, 1994.
18. `I wanted you to be safer. And that's why I'm so proud of the fact that these little children are the first generation of Americans since the dawn of nuclear power that do not have Russian missiles pointing at them. I'm proud of that.'--President Clinton, Remarks at the Washington State Coordinated Campaign Rally, Seattle, October 23, 1994.
19. `...we've had the success in no Russian missiles are pointed at American children for the first time.'--President Clinton, Interview, Cleveland Plain Dealer, October 24, 1994.
20. `For the first time since nuclear weapons were developed, no Russian missiles are pointed at the children of Ohio and the United States this year.'--President Clinton, Reception honoring Congressman Thomas Sawyer, Akron, Ohio, October 24, 1994.
21. `Russian missiles aren't pointed at Americans for the first time since the beginning of the nuclear age.'--President Clinton, Interview, KYW radio, Philadelphia, from Pittsburgh, October 31, 1994.
22. `For the first time since nuclear weapons came about, there are no Russian missiles pointed at our people.'--President Clinton, Interview, WDIV-TV, Detroit, October 31, 1994.
23. `The Russian missiles aren't pointing at us for the first time since we've had nuclear weapons.'--President Clinton, Interview, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, October 31, 1994.
24. `. . . we've increased trade and reduced the nuclear threat-for the first time since the dawn of the nuclear age, no Russian missiles are pointing at your children or grandchildren.'--President Clinton, speech to Senior Citizens, Portuguese Social Club, Pawtucket, Rhode Island,
November 2, 1994.
25. `Here's what the Contract [With America] says--now, pay attention. The contract says, vote for the Republicans, put us in charge in Washington, and here is what we will do. We'll give everybody a tax cut, but mostly people in the upper-income groups--they'll get 70 percent of it. We will increase defense; we will bring back Star Wars; and we will balance the budget. Well, how much does that cost? A trillion dollars. How are we going to pay for it? We'll tell you after the elections. (Laughter.) . . . We [in the administration] have reduced the nuclear threat. For the first time since nuclear weapons were developed, there are no missiles pointed at the children of Iowa and the United States.'--President Clinton, Remarks to the People of Des Moines, Iowa, November 3, 1994.
26. `And for the first time since the dawn of the nuclear age there are no Russian missiles pointed at the children of Iowa. This is a great country.'--President Clinton, Remarks at Reception for Democratic Candidates, Des Moines, November 3, 1994.
27. `Here's what they [the Republicans] promise . . . we're going to increase defense and we're going to bring back Star Wars. And then we're going to balance the budget. (Laughter). And how much does that cost? . . . I want you to think about this--we're also moving forward overseas. No Russian missiles are pointed at the children of Minnesota and the United States for the first time since the dawn of the nuclear age.'--President Clinton, Duluth Campaign rally, Duluth, Minnesota, November 4, 1994.
28. `I think it makes a difference that for the first time since the dawn of the nuclear age, there are no Russian nuclear missiles pointed at these children here.'--President Clinton, `Rally for Victory,' Oakland, California, November 5, 1994.
29. `And we're a lot closer toward having a safer, more democratic, more free world. Russian missiles aren't pointing at us . . .'--President Clinton, Interview with Larry King, CNN, November 6, 1994.
30. `. . . there are no Russian missiles pointed at these children for the first time since the dawn of the nuclear age . . .'--President Clinton, Speech at the Delaware Democrat Rally, Wilmington, Delaware, November 7, 1994.
31. `So I think it matters that for the first time since the dawn of the nuclear age, there are no Russian missiles pointed at these children here.'--President Clinton, Speech at `Get Out the Vote' rally, Flint, Michigan, November 7, 1994.
32. `. . . for the first time since the drawn of the nuclear age there are no Russian missiles pointed at the people of the United States.'--President Clinton, Speech on the 75th anniversary of the Edmund J. Walsh School of Foreign Policy, Georgetown University, Washington, D.C. November 10, 1994.
33. `For the first time since the dawn of the nuclear age, not Russian missiles are pointed at Americans.'--President Clinton, Radio Address to the Nation, Elmendorf AFB, Anchorage, Alaska, November 12, 1994.
34. `. . . getting the nuclear agreement between Russia and Ukraine which led to no Russian missiles pointed at the United States for the first time since the dawn of the nuclear age.'--President Clinton, Remarks at Press Conference, Jakarta, Indonesia, November 15, 1994.
35. `For the first time since the dawn of the nuclear age, no Russian missiles are pointed at the children of the United States.'--President Clinton, Remarks to U.S: Pacific Business Community Members and Leaders.
November 16, 1994.
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36. `. . . if you look at the fact that in Russia for the first time since nuclear weapons came on the face of the earth, there are no Russian missiles pointed at American children, you'd have to say we're on the move.'--President Clinton, Remarks to Military Personnel and Families at Hickam Air Force Base, Honolulu, Hawaii, November 16, 1994.
37. `This is the first Thanksgiving since the dawn of the nuclear age when parents can tuck their children into bed at night knowing that no Russian missiles are pointed at the children of the United States.'--President Clinton, Radio Address from Camp David, November 26, 1994.
38. `This is the first State of the Union address ever delivered since the beginning of the Cold War when not a single Russian missile is pointed at the children of America.'--President Clinton, State of the Union address, January 24, 1995.
39. `There are no Russian missiles pointed at America now for the first time since the dawn of the nuclear age.'--President Clinton, Interview with Tom Brokaw, NBC Nightly News, January 26, 1995.
40. `As a result of an agreement President Yeltsin and I reached, for the first time in a generation Russian missiles are not pointed at our cities or our citizens. . . . [Per the terms of START I] Both our countries are dismantling the weapons as fast as we can. And thanks to a far-reaching verification system, including on-site inspections which began in Russia and the United States today, each of us knows exactly what the other is doing.'--President Clinton, Remarks to the Nixon Center for Peace and Freedom Policy Conference, Washington, D.C., March 1, 1995.
41. `And for the first time since the dawn of the Nuclear Age, there are no nuclear missiles pointed at the children of the United States of America.'--President Clinton, Address to the Faculty and Students of Hillsborough Community College, Tampa, Florida, March 30, 1995.
42. `And for the first time since the dawn of the nuclear age, there are no nuclear missiles pointed at the children of the United States today.'--President Clinton, Remarks to the Florida State Legislature, Tallahassee, Florida, March 30, 1995.
43. `I am proud of the fact that since I've been President there are no Russian missiles pointed at the children of the United States for the first time since the dawn of the nuclear age.'--President Clinton, Remarks at the Dean B. Ellis Library Dedication, Arkansas State University, Jonesboro, Arkansas, April 3, 1995.
44. `The second thing that we have to pay attention to is the security of our people--our security from attack from abroad, and our security from within. I'm proud of the fact that since I have been president, for the first time since the dawn of the nuclear age there are no Russian missiles pointed at the children of the United States of America.'--President Clinton, Remarks to the National Building and Construction Trades Department Conference, Washington, D.C., April 5, 1995.
45. `The American people are marching toward more security because there are no Russian missiles pointed at the children of our country for the first time since the dawn of the nuclear age.'--President Clinton, Remarks to the American Society of Newspaper Editors, Dallas, Texas, April 7, 1995.
46.`For the first time since the dawn of the nuclear age, there are no Russian missiles pointed at the children of the United States of America.'--President
Clinton, Remarks to California Democratic Party, Sacramento, California, April 8, 1995.
47. `. . . this is the first time since the dawn of the nuclear age when no Russian missiles are pointed at the children of America. . . .'--President Clinton, Remarks at Luncheon with the Jewish Federation, Beverly Hills, California, April 9, 1995.
48. `There are nuclear weapons--large numbers of them now--being destroyed in Russia, weapons from Russian and the states of the former Soviet Union that had them before. And we are destroying weapons. For the first time, there are no Russian nuclear missiles pointed at the United States.'--President Clinton, Press Conference, East Room, The White House, April 18, 1995.
49. `For the first time since the dawn of the nuclear age, there are no Russian missiles pointed at America's children. And those nuclear weapons are being destroyed every day.'--President Clinton, Address to the Iowa State Legislature, State Capitol, Des Moines, April 25, 1995.
50. `. . . no Russian missiles pointed at the people of the United States for the first time since the dawn of the nuclear age.'--President Clinton, Remarks to Students at Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa, April 25, 1995.
51. `Oh, we knew so clearly when we had the Soviet Union, the Cold War, and the massive nuclear threat. Today, no Soviet Union, no Cold War, and for the first time since the dawn of the Nuclear Age, no Russian missiles are pointed at the children of the United States.'--President Clinton, Remarks at World Jewish Congress Dinner, New York, April 30, 1995.
52. `. . . for the first time since the dawn of the nuclear age there are no Russian missiles pointing at the American people.'--President Clinton, Remarks to the White House Conference on Aging, Washington, D.C., May 3, 1995.
53. `Some of you may not know this, but because of the agreement we made last year between the United States and Russia, for the first time since the dawn of the nuclear age, there are no Russian missiles pointed at the citizens of the United States.'--President Clinton, Speech to AIPAC Policy Conference, Washington, D.C., May 7, 1995.
54. `For the first time since the dawn of the nuclear age, no Russian missiles are pointed at our children.'--President Clinton, Remarks at V-E Day Celebration, Fort Myer, Virginia, May 8, 1995.
55. `I am very proud to say that for the first time since the dawn of the nuclear age, no Russian missiles are pointed at the people of the United States.'--President Clinton, Remarks at Commencement Ceremony at Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan, May 8, 1995.
56. `I am proud that for the first time since the dawn of the nuclear age, no Russian missiles are pointed at the children of America. And now that I am here, I might paraphrase what your Foreign Minister told me in Washington last month--I am also proud that no American missiles are pointed at you or me for the first time since the dawn of the nuclear age.'--President Clinton, Remarks to the Students of Moscow State University, Moscow, Russian Federation, May 10, 1995.
57. `. . . for the first time since the dawn of the nuclear age, no Russian missiles are pointed at the people of the United States of America.'--President Clinton, Remarks at a Memorial Day ceremony, Arlington, Virginia, May 29, 1995.
58. `. . . at the end of the Cold War, the first thing we have to do is to finish the work of removing the
nuclear threat. In the last two years we can say for the first time that there are no nuclear missiles pointed at the United States. We are destroying parts of our nuclear arsenal and so are the Russians.'--President Clinton, Telephone interview with Colorado Springs Gazette, May 30, 1995.
59. `We are dramatically reducing the nuclear threat. for the first time since the dawn of the nuclear age, there are no Russian missiles pointed at the people of the United States.'--President Clinton, Remarks at U.S. Air Force Academy Graduation Ceremony, Colorado Springs, May 31, 1995.
60. `I am very proud of the fact that in the last two years, for the first time since the dawn of the nuclear age, there are no Russian missiles pointed at the people of the United States of America.'--President Clinton, Remarks at the Dartmouth College Commencement, Hanover, New Hampshire, June 11, 1995.
61. `One of the things that I am proudest of is that during our administration, for the first time since the dawn of the nuclear age, there are no Russian missiles pointed at the people of the United States. So we're celebrating.'--President Clinton, Remarks at Chicago Presidential Gala, Chicago, June 29, 1995.
62. `The Cold War is over. That means we don't have to worry about nuclear annihilation. For the first time since the dawn of the nuclear age, there are no Russian missiles pointed at Americans, no American missiles pointed at Russians.'--President Clinton, Remarks to the 1995 Annual Convention of the American Association of Physicians From India, Chicago, June 30, 1995.
63. `. . . agreement with Russia that now mean that both our nations no longer target our missiles at each other.'--President Clinton, Announcement of Comprehensive Nuclear Weapons Test Ban, Washington, D.C., August 11, 1995.
64. `I'm proud of the fact that there are no Russian missiles pointed at this country for the first time since the dawn of the Nuclear Age, since our administration came in.'--President Clinton, Remarks at Clinton-Gore Fundraiser, Mayflower Hotel, Washington, D.C., September 7, 1995.
65. `We don't now fear a bomb dropping on us from the Soviet Union. I am proud to say that since I've been president, for the first time since the dawn of the nuclear age there are no Russian missiles pointed at the people of the United States.'--President Clinton, Remarks at the Pennsylvania Presidential Gala, Philadelphia, September 18, 1995.
66. `I'm proud of the fact that there are no Russian missiles pointed at our kids for the first time since the dawn of the nuclear age.'--President Clinton, Speech at Southern California Presidential Gala, Los Angeles, California, September 21, 1995.
67. `. . . there are no Russian missiles pointed at our people . . .'--President Clinton, Interview with the San Diego Union-Tribune, en route to San Diego, California, September 22, 1995.
68. `. . . there are no missiles pointed at the people of the United States since the dawn of the nuclear age.'--President Clinton, Remarks at 25th Anniversary Dinner of the Congressional Black Caucus, Washington, D.C., September 23, 1995.
69. `. . . `for the first time since the dawn of the nuclear age there are now no foreign missiles pointed at
the people of the United States of America.'--President Clinton, Remarks to the Hispanic Caucus Institute Board and Members, Washington, D.C., September 27, 1995.
70. `Russian nuclear missiles are no longer pointed at our citizens and there are no longer American missiles pointed at their citizens.'--President Clinton, Speech to Freedom House, Washington, D.C., October 6, 1995.
71. `And America has been gratified to be a part of making peace in the Middle East, progress in Northern Ireland, the cease-fire in Bosnia, making sure that for the first time since the dawn of the nuclear age there aren't any missiles pointed at Americans or their children tonight.'--President Clinton, Speech to the Business Council, Williamsburg Inn, Williamsburg, Virginia, October 13, 1995.
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72. `. . . and I tell you there are no Russian missiles pointed at the people of the United States for the first time since the dawn of the nuclear age because of the things that we've been doing. . . .'--President Clinton, Remarks at Presidential Gala Luncheon, Meridien Hotel, Dallas, Texas, October 16, 1995.
73. `There are no Russian missiles pointed at anyone in America for the first time since the dawn of the nuclear age.'--President Clinton, Remarks at Presidential Gala Dinner, Westin Galleria Hotel, Houston, Texas, October 17, 1995.
74. `. . . America is safer tonight because we didn't give up our leadership, because we are in a situation where we're destroying nuclear missiles more rapidly. And for the first time since the dawn of the nuclear age, there is not a single, solitary nuclear missile pointed at an American child tonight. Not one. Not one. Not a single one.'--President Clinton, Remarks at Iowa Jefferson-Jackson Dinner, Des Moines, October 20, 1995.
75. `The United States has made a real contribution to the march of freedom, democracy and peace, in accelerating the dismantling of our nuclear weapons so that now, for the first time since the dawn of the nuclear age, there's not a single nuclear missile pointed at a single American citizen.'--President Clinton, Remarks at Dedication of the National Czech and Slovak Museum, Cedar Rapids, Iowa, October 21, 1995.
76. `For the first time since the dawn of the nuclear age, there's not a single solitary nuclear missile pointed at the people of the United States of America. And I'm proud of that.'--President Clinton, Remarks to the AFL-CIO Convention, New York, October 23, 1995.
77. `We can be very thankful that on this Veterans Day, for their first time since the dawn of the nuclear era, there are no Russian missiles pointed at the children of America.'--President Clinton, Remarks at Wreath-Laying Ceremony, Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, November 11, 1995.
78. `For the first time since the dawn of the Nuclear Age, there is not a single nuclear missile pointed at an American child.'--Remarks to the Democratic Leadership Council, Washington, D.C., November 13, 1995.
79. `For the very first time since the dawn of the Nuclear Age, there is not a single Russian missile pointed at an American child.'--President Clinton, Remarks in satellite feed to Florida Democratic Party Convention, Little Rock, Arkansas, December 10, 1995.
80. `I am proud of the fact there are no Russian missiles pointed at any Americans during this administration for the first time since the end of the Cold War.'--President
Clinton, Dinner for the National Democratic Club, Capital Hilton Hotel, Washington, January 9, 1996.
81. `For the first time since the dawn of the nuclear age, there is not a single, solitary nuclear missile pointed at an American child, and I am proud of that.'--President Clinton, Remarks at Clinton-Gore Luncheon, Opryland Hotel, Nashville, Tennessee, January 12, 1996.
82. `I am proud of the fact that, with the leadership of the Vice President, for the first time since the dawn of the nuclear age, there is not a single nuclear missile pointed at an American child today.'--President Clinton, To Workers of the Peterbilt Truck Plant, Nashville, January 12, 1996.
83. `For the first time since the dawn of the nuclear age--for the first time since the dawn of the nuclear age--there is not a single Russian missile pointed at America's children.'--President Clinton, State of the Union address, January 23, 1996.
84. `. . . for the first time since the dawn of the nuclear age, there are no Russian missiles pointed at our people.'--President Clinton, Statement on Senate Ratification of the START II Treaty, January 26, 1996.
85. `You look at the fact that we now have almost 180 nations committed not to get involved in the nuclear arms race, and the fact that the Russians and others have detargeted their nuclear missiles so that now there are no more nuclear missiles pointed at any American homes for the first time since the dawn of the nuclear age.'--President Clinton, Remarks to the People of the Salem Area, Salem, New Hampshire, February 2, 1996.
86. `. . . for the first time in the last two-and-a-half years, for the first time since the dawn of the Nuclear Age, there is not a single nuclear missile pointed at an American city, an American family, an American child. That is not being done any more.'--President Clinton, Remarks to Students, Parents and Teachers of the Concord Schools Community, Concord, New Hampshire, February 2, 1996.
87. `. . . people see that there are no Russian missiles pointed at our children for the first time since the dawn of the nuclear age. . . .'--President Clinton, Remarks at Louisiana Economic Development Brunch, Washington, D.C., February 9, 1996.
88. `I'm grateful that there are no nuclear missiles pointed at the United States any more.'--President Clinton, Remarks to the Iowa City Community, Iowa, February 10, 1996.
89. `. . . let's look at the march of the world toward peace after the Cold War. There are no nuclear missiles pointed at the people of the United States.'--President Clinton, Remarks to the People of Des Moines, February 11, 1996.
90. `There are no more nuclear missiles pointed at any children in the United States. I'm proud of that.'--President Clinton, Remarks at Presidential Gala, Sheraton New York, New York City, February 15, 1996.
91. `I asked you to give me a chance to try to give America a more secure future and a more peaceful, more democratic world. And the fact that there are not nuclear missiles pointed at any American children for the first time since the dawn of the nuclear age is evidence of that commitment.'--President Clinton, Remarks to the People of Southeast New Hampshire, Rochester, New Hampshire, February 17, 1996.
92. `We won the Cold War, and there are no missiles pointed at the United States or any of its people
tonight.'--President Clinton, Speech to the people of Manchester, New Hampshire, February 17, 1996.
93. `More than anything else I am grateful that now there is not a single nuclear weapon pointed at any American citizen.'--President Clinton, Remarks to the Community in Keene, New Hampshire, February 17, 1996.
94. `We won the Cold War. There are no missiles pointed at America's children.'--President Clinton, Telephone speech to the National Emergency Management Association, February 26, 1996.
95. `. . . I am proud of the fact that there are no Russian missiles pointed at the United States.'--President Clinton, Speech at Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee Dinner, St. Regis Hotel, New York City, March 11, 1996.
96. `There's not a single nuclear warhead pointed at an American citizen today, for the first time since the dawn of the nuclear age, and I am proud of that.'--President Clinton, Remarks at Dedication Ceremony of the New Nashville Wharf, Port of New Orleans, March 18, 1996.
97. `Today, there are no Russian missiles pointed at our cities and citizens.'--President Clinton, Address to Members of the University of Central Oklahoma Community, April 5, 1996.
98. `Because of my agreement with President Yeltsin, for the first time since the dawn of the nuclear age, no Russian missiles are targeted at United States cities.'--President Clinton, News Conference in Moscow, Russia, April 20, 1996.
99. `. . . Russian and American missiles are not pointed at each other's cities or citizens.'--President Clinton, News Conference with Russian President Boris Yeltsin, Moscow, Russia, April 21, 1996.
100. `. . . for the first time since the dawn of the nuclear age there is not a single, solitary nuclear missile pointed at an American child tonight. And I am proud of that and you should be proud of that.'--President Clinton, Remarks to a Democratic Reception at the Franklin Institute, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, April 26, 1996.
101. `There are no nuclear missiles pointed at America's children for the first time since the dawn of the nuclear age.'--President Clinton, Speech to the Democratic National Dinner, Coral Gables, Florida, April 29, 1996.
102. `. . . there are no Russian missiles pointed at our cities or our citizens.'--President Clinton, Commencement address to the U.S. Coast Guard Academy, May 22, 1996.
103. `I have made reducing the nuclear threat one of my highest priorities. As a result, for the first time since the dawn of the nuclear age, there are no Russian missiles pointed at our people.'--President Clinton, Statement on the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty, June 28, 1996.
104. `I'm proud of the fact that there are no nuclear missiles pointed at the United States for the first time since the dawn of the nuclear age.'--President Clinton, Speech to the Northern California Democratic National Committee Gala, San Francisco, July 23, 1996.
105. `Today not a single Russian missile is pointed at our citizens or cities.'--President Clinton, Speech at the George Washington University, Washington, D.C., August 5,
1996.
106. `If the test is, no nuclear missiles pointed at the American people for the first time since the dawn of the nuclear age, we're better off.'--President Clinton, Speech to the Saxophone Club, Armand Hammer Museum of Art, Santa Monica, California, August 9, 1996.
107. `We've got a more peaceful world where there are no nuclear missiles pointed at the people of the United States since the dawn of the nuclear age.'--President Clinton, Remarks to the Citizens of Ashland, Kentucky, August 25, 1996.
108. `. . . for the first time since the dawn of the nuclear age, on this night, this beautiful night, there is not a single nuclear missile pointed at a child in the United States of America.'--President Clinton, Remarks to the Citizens of Toledo, Ohio, August 26, 1996.
109. `I am proud to say that tonight there is not a single Russian nuclear missile pointed at an American child.'--President Clinton, Speech accepting his nomination to run for a second term, Democratic National Committee Convention, Chicago, August 29, 1996.
110. `We finally succeed in removing most of the nuclear weapons from any place within the old Soviet Union. There are no nuclear missiles pointed at the children of the United States tonight for the first time since the dawn of the nuclear age.'--President Clinton, Remarks to the Citizens of St. Louis, Missouri, September 10, 1996.
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111. `. . . today no Russian missiles are pointed at our cities or our citizens.'--President Clinton, Remarks to reporters upon departure from Kansas City International Airport, September 10, 1996.
112. `. . . for the first time since the dawn of the nuclear age in the last four years, there's not a single nuclear missile pointed at the children of America.'--President Clinton, Speech to the Community of the Sun City Area, Sun City, Arizona, September 11, 1996.
113. `I'm proud of the fact that there are no nuclear missiles pointed at America's children since the dawn of the nuclear age. . . .'--President Clinton, Speech to the Rancho Cucamonga Community, Rancho Cucamonga, California, September 12, 1996.
114. `Today, there are no Russian missiles pointed at America, and no American missiles pointed at Russia.'--President Clinton, Speech to the 51st General Assembly of the United Nations, New York, September 24, 1996.
115. `There are no Russian missiles pointed at the children of the United States.'--President Clinton, Remarks to the Citizens of Freehold, New Jersey, September 24, 1996.
116. `There are no Russian missiles pointed at America for the first time since the dawn of the nuclear age.'--President Clinton, Speech to the Citizens of Fort Worth, Texas, September 27, 1996.
117. `There are no nuclear missiles pointed at the children of the United States tonight and have not been in our administration for the first time since the dawn of the nuclear age.'--President Clinton, Debate with Senator Bob Dole, Hartford Connecticut, October 6, 1996.
118. `. . . we have reduced the nuclear danger to Americans, and today there are no Russian nuclear missiles targeted at our children.'--President
Clinton, Response to Readers' Questions, USA Today, October 8, 1996.
119. `Today, no Russian missiles are pointed at America's children.'--President Clinton, Remarks on Fox Network's Free Campaign Air Time, October 12, 1996.
120. `. . . today not a single Russian missile targets America. We are cutting our nuclear arsenals by two-thirds.'--President Clinton, Speech to the People of the Detroit Area, Detroit, Michigan, October 22, 1996.
121. `. . . today, as we stand here in Macon, Georgia, there are no Russian missiles targeted at the United States of America.'--President Clinton, Speech to the People of the Macon Area, Macon, Georgia, October 25, 1996.
122. `. . . there are no Russian missiles targeted at the young people of the United States of America.'--President Clinton, Speech to the People of the Atlanta Area, Atlanta, Georgia, October 25, 1996.
123. `You just think--just think about this world we're moving into--the Cold War in the background, no Russian missiles pointed at the children of the United States for the first time since the dawn of the nuclear age.'--President Clinton, Speech to the People of the Chicago Area, Chicago, Illinois, October 28, 1996.
124. `But we are standing up for peace and freedom and there's not a single Russian missile pointed at an American child tonight in part because of what we're doing.'--President Clinton, Speech to the People of the Denver Area, Denver, Colorado, October 30, 1996.
125. `America is stronger today than it was four years ago. No Russian missiles are pointed at our children today, for the first time since the dawn of the nuclear age, and we're moving in the right direction there.'--President Clinton, Speech to the People of the Las Vegas Area, Las Vegas, Nevada, October 31, 1996.
126. `I know that I've been criticized for some of the things that I've tried to do, but I know that there are no Russian missiles pointed at the children of America for the first time since the dawn of the cold war.'--President Clinton, Remarks at Santa Barbara City College, Santa Barbara, California, November 1, 1996.
127. `Today there's not a single Russian nuclear missile pointed at an American child.'--President Clinton, Remarks on Dateline NBC's `Presidential Face-Off,' November 1, 1996.
128. `If I were a Republican president--after all the rhetoric they've used--with . . . no Russian missiles pointed at our kids, by the way; and a stronger America with a stronger military, they'd be saying it's morning in America.'--President Clinton, Remarks to the Citizens of San Antonio, Texas, November 2, 1996.
129. `. . . there are no Russian missiles pointed at any American children tonight for the first time since the dawn of the nuclear age.'--President Clinton, Speech to the People of the Springfield Area, Springfield, Massachusetts, November 3, 1996.
130. `. . . we must move strongly against new threats to our security. . . . With Russia, we dramatically cut nuclear arsenals and we stopped targeting each other's citizens.'--President Clinton, State of the Union Address, February 4, 1997.
Compiled by the American Foreign Policy Council, 1521 16th Street NW, Washington, DC 20036 USA.
`Today there's not a single Russian nuclear missile pointed at an American child.'--President Clinton, Remarks by President Clinton on Dateline NBC's `Presidential Face-Off', November 1, 1996
`If I were a Republican President--after all the rhetoric they've used--with . . . no Russian missiles pointed at our kids, by the way; and a stronger America with a stronger military, they'd be saying it's morning in America.'--President Clinton, Remarks to the Citizens of San Antonio, Texas, November 2, 1996
`Less than three weeks ago, for the first time in almost fifty years, nuclear missiles were no longer targeted on American cities.'--Vice President Gore, Commencement Speech at Harvard University, June 9, 1994
`We've seen . . . the taking of Russian missiles off alert so that for the first time in my lifetime no Russian missiles are targeted on American soil.'--Vice President Gore, Interview with Tim Russert on `Meet the Press', September 4, 1994
`Today, Russian missiles are no longer targeted at America's cities or homes.'--Vice President Gore, Remarks at U.S. Military Academy at West Point, October 17, 1995
`And our strength at home has led to renewed respect abroad: nuclear missiles no longer pointed at our cities . . .'--Vice President Gore, Speech to the Democratic National Convention, Chicago, Illinois, August 28, 1996
`Our rhetoric must not outpace reality. When it does, we risk creating a climate of disillusion like the one that descended upon us in the 1920s . . . As a result of our engagement Russian missiles no longer target American cities or citizens.'--Anthony Lake, Remarks in `Woodrow Wilson Speech', as quoted in Department of State Dispatch, December 5, 1994
`. . . without that relationship, the Presidents, Clinton and Yeltsin, would not have been
able to negotiate the agreement which now results in there not being American and Russian missiles targeted at each other.'--Anthony Lake, Statements at White House Press Briefing, May 11, 1995
`Today, American cities and American citizens no longer live under direct targeting of Russian missiles.'--Anthony Lake, Speech at George Washington University, March 8, 1996
`Today, because of our steady engagement America's cities and America's families are no longer targeted by Russian missiles.'--Anthony Lake, Speech to the U.S./Russia Business Council, Washington, DC, April 1, 1996
`Today, because of our engagement with Russia and the new independent states, America's cities and families are no longer targeted by Russia's missiles.'--Anthony Lake, Remarks at Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy, April 25, 1996
`Because of our steady engagement with Russia and the new independent states, no Russian missiles are targeted at America's cities or citizens.'--Anthony Lake, Speech to the Chicago Council on Foreign Relations, May 24, 1996
`Then: Russia's missiles were targeted at American cities and citizens; now: their detargeting has eliminated the risk to us of an accidental launch.'--Anthony Lake, Speech at the Institute for the Study of Diplomacy, Georgetown University, Washington, DC, October 7, 1996
`Russian missiles are no longer targeted on us.'--Warren Christopher, Speech on Year End Review of U.S. Foreign Policy as quoted in Department of State Dispatch, January 2, 1995
`. . . we need to remember the tremendous advantage there is in no longer having Russian or Soviet missiles targeted on the United States.'--Warren Christopher, Interview with Associated Press, May 5, 1995
`Our cooperation has produced a number of things for the american people--most dramatically, the reduction in our nuclear arsenals and the absence of any nuclear missiles
being targeted at the United States.'--Warren Christopher, Remarks with Russian Foreign Minister Primakov, Helsinki, Finland, February 10, 1996
`Today, Russian missiles are no longer targeted on our cities.'--Warren Christopher, Statement to the House International Relations Committee, July 31, 1996
`Russia's nuclear missiles are no longer aimed at us, nor are our missiles targeted on them'--William Perry, Commentary Piece in Los Angeles Times, May 10, 1995
`Because of President Clinton's agreement with President Yeltsin, Russian missiles no longer target American cities.'--Samuel Berger, Remarks at the Wilson Center, June 18, 1996
`. . . we don't have Russian strategic intercontinental missiles aimed at the United States any more.'--Michael McCurry, Remarks at Press Briefing, March 10, 1995
Secretary of State Madeline Albright--Madeline Albright, Statements Before House International Relations Committee, ??? February 12, 1996
Ed Bradley: Is there verification on both sides?
General Sergeyev: No, we don't have these kind of systems of verification or control. For the first time, we do it on total confidence to one another.
Ed Bradley: So, we take your word, you take our word?
General Sergeyev: Yes.
Ed Bradley: This is a Russian topal being test fired, able to reach its old U.S. targets in just 30 minutes. We're told that they're no longer aimed at America, but how much comfort can we take from that?
How long will it take to re-target?
General Sergeyev: The same period of time it will take the Americans to do it. Same time.
Ed Bradley: Minutes? Hours?
`It depends on the missile,' he told us, but for most, only a matter of minutes.
General Sergeyev: Yes, we can return it all back to the way it was.
The CHAIRMAN. The question is on the amendment offered by the gentleman from Pennsylvania [Mr. Weldon].
The question was taken; and the Chairman announced that the noes appeared to have it.
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Mr. WELDON of Pennsylvania. Mr. Chairman, I demand a recorded vote, and pending that, I make the point of order that a quorum is not present.
The CHAIRMAN. Pursuant to House Resolution 169, further proceedings on the amendment offered by the gentleman from Pennsylvania [Mr. Weldon] will be postponed.