‘I might suggest that one sure way of strengthening our fight against al Qaeda and other terrorists would be for the Democratic leadership in the House to stop blocking a vote on the bipartisan, Senate-passed FISA bill’



Washington, D.C.—U.S. Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell delivered the following remarks on the Senate floor Wednesday:



“In a few minutes we’ll have a procedural vote on another bill by the Junior Senator from Wisconsin, a bill that would direct the administration to produce in 60 days a new global strategy for defeating Al Qaeda. But first, a word about the first Feingold bill, which dictates withdrawal.



“Last year's bold decision to launch a counterinsurgency plan under General Petraeus has renewed our hopes for a unified Iraq that can govern, defend, and sustain itself as an ally in the war on terror. Our men and women in uniform have protected the Iraqi people, scattered Al Qaeda, deterred militias, and helped create an environment that has led to progress not only at the tactical level, but in government and reconciliation. And we owe all of them a great debt.



“In September, General Petraeus outlined his plan for bringing these men and women back after a job well done and for transitioning our mission to one of partnership and overwatch. This reduction in forces has already begun, and the Iraqi people are preparing for provincial elections in October. Due to the success of the Petraeus Plan, Sunnis now serving as Sons of Iraq and defending their own nation will now have a real stake in those elections.



“When General Petraeus and Ambassador Crocker return in April, we should listen to their recommendations to ensure that the hard-earned gains of the surge are maintained. But one thing is already clear from the successes we’ve recently seen: Congress needs to stop considering this war in fits and starts and through piecemeal debates. We need to understand that our interests in the Persian Gulf and Iraq are longstanding, and will not vanish just because we have a presidential election in November. We can’t wish the dangers away.



“And this leads me to the Second Feingold bill, calling for a new strategy in defeating Al Qaeda. We deal with global strategies and long range plans through the National Security Strategy, the National Military Strategy, the Quadrennial Defense Review, and through the annual defense legislation.



“If the Senator from Wisconsin wanted to know how our global strategy to combat Al Qaeda fits into the context of these reports and reviews, he might have asked the administration to produce such a document in the annual defense authorization act.



“Also, I might suggest that one sure way of strengthening our fight against Al Qaeda and other terrorists would be for the Democratic leadership in the House to stop blocking a vote on the bipartisan, Senate-passed FISA bill.



“It would be irresponsible to cut off funds for troops in the field. We will not pass a bill that does so. But we welcome the debate on the Al Qaeda report, because we are ready to provide all of the resources required to defeat Al Qaeda, to include: quick passage of the Defense Appropriations Supplemental, full funding of the 2009 Defense Appropriations Act, and passage of a FISA bill that will allow our intelligence community to hunt terrorists.



“We must also consider the full cost of our nation’s global commitments and our need to modernize our ground, air and naval forces. We should also give the administration ample time to complete this study, which should serve as sound guidance for the incoming administration.



“We welcome a debate on how best to hunt Al Qaeda and defend the nation, and if we are to get on this bill, we will be debating amendments that make this report more meaningful.”



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