In his speech this evening, the President sought to reassure the American people and speak to their concerns for peace and prosperity at home and America's role in the world. The President clearly recognizes the problems facing our economy and the trepidation felt by millions of working families for their economic well-being as unemployment grows nationally, state and local services are cut, and our economy flounders. Unfortunately, the President's proposals would continue the failed policies that led our economy into recession and brought back deficit spending. The past two years have shown that we cannot "tax cut" our way to better and safer schools, quality health care for our veterans, a comprehensive and balanced national energy policy, or prescription drug cost relief for seniors.

This Administration needs to get its policies in sync with its rhetoric. While the President speaks of a compassionate agenda for education, health care, prescription drug coverage, and help for working families, his Administration continues to push for deep cuts in federal support for social services, education, and homeland security to finance more tax cuts. What our economy needs is greater fiscal discipline and a commitment to make the investments necessary to create jobs and jump start our economy.

I welcome the President's hydrogen fuel cell initiative. In the Senate, I have led the effort to promote the development of hydrogen as an economically renewable energy source in sufficient quantities to reduce our dependence on conventional fuels. Hydrogen, which is a zero pollution and domestically produced fuel, can help us resolve our energy problems and reduce our dependence on oil imports. Research and development of fuel cell technology will allow the introduction of hydrogen in both the transportation and electricity sectors.

Regarding Iraq, it is imperative that the President and his Administration lay out a clear, specific, and compelling rationale for military action. The President began that dialogue with the American people this evening, but in the coming days and weeks, he has to explain why military action is necessary and why efforts to disarm Iraq peacefully should be abandoned.

I continue to be wary of putting American forces at risk in a war in Iraq. Our first priority should be the war on terrorism and capturing Osama bin Laden. In Afghanistan and Iraq, the Administration has yet to articulate a clear post-war exit strategy. Just as it appears likely that we will be in Afghanistan for a long period, I am concerned that our troops will be tied down in an army of occupation in Iraq for an equally long period. We should only go to war with Iraq if we have strong multilateral support for such action, and if United Nations weapons inspectors demonstrate that Iraq is continuing to develop weapons of mass destruction and refuses to disband that program under United Nations inspection.

Events have shown that we cannot trust Saddam Hussein or North Korean dictator Kim Jung Il. In dealing with the Soviet Union, President Reagan said it was essential to "trust but verify." With regard to Saddam Hussein and Kim Jung Il, I would say "do not trust but insist on verifying ... again ... and again." Working through the United Nations and providing it with evidence of Iraqi and North Korean violations and giving it the time to do its job, I think we still have the opportunity to ensure compliance with U.N. resolutions and international agreements and maintain international consensus in dealing with these difficult situations.

Only after we exhaust all of these alternative means should we engage in the use of force, and if we do, it is imperative that we do so with an effective exit and post-war strategy. For we must not lose sight of the fact that thousands of our sons and daughters stand ready in the Gulf to defend our great nation, and we must ensure that their mission is clear and our support for them is unequivocal.