For Immediate Release:

Friday, September 20, 2002

"President Bush has asked the Congress for broad authority to take military action in Iraq and potentially elsewhere in the Middle East.

As Saddam Hussein is a brutal dictator who may have or may develop weapons of mass destruction and who has used them in the past, we may ultimately have no choice but to take action in Iraq. Today, we have choices and I continue to encourage the President to work with our allies and the United Nations.

We all want to work with the President to address threats posed by Saddam Hussein and to win the war on terrorism. But the draft resolution, as it is currently written, is too broad. We can do better and I expect the Congress to work with the President to draft a resolution, which addresses the concerns of the American people.

Some of those concerns I have heard from my constituents include:

What other tools are at our disposal to ensure that Saddam no longer poses a threat to our interests, and have those tools been exhausted?

If we are to send troops, who is going to stand with us, who will help us rebuild Iraq, and how will we get out?

How would a war in Iraq impact the Middle East and the war on terrorism?
It is important to be cautious because the stakes couldn't be higher. And our actions today will have long-term consequences for the U.S. and the world."