James Sensenbrenner, April 4, 2003

Since September 11, 2001, our nation has been at war against terrorism. As a result of the events of that fateful Tuesday, America has had to re-evaluate the way it perceives the world, and the way it is perceived by the world. What we learned from that day, and are still learning, is that there are people in the world who dislike our way of life here, and they are willing to take innocent civilian lives to make their point. Unfortunately, one of the results of this has been that we are now forced to be vigilant in protecting ourselves from people who want to do us harm -- and it is a big part of the reason why we are currently at war with Iraq.

Over the past few decades, Saddam Hussein has demonstrated a frightening callousness toward the lives of his people, and of those around Iraq. In recent months, the US has accumulated evidence to raise more concerns about this dictator’s plans for America, and the world. In his speeches before the United Nations, Secretary of State Colin Powell has provided information on some of the specific issues of concern the US has with Iraq, including taped conversations between officers in Iraq’s elite military unit, the Republican Guard.

The President tried to work with the United Nations and the rest of the world to diplomatically encourage Saddam Hussein to comply with the resolutions relative to Iraq, dating back to those established after the Persian Gulf War. But Mr. Hussein refused to cooperate. This raised real concerns about what he might do with, or to whom he might sell, the chemical weapons and weapons of mass destruction known to be in his possession. Clearly, waiting around to find out what Mr. Hussein would do with these terror weapons was one risk we couldn’t afford to take. We don’t need another September 11th type attack. Consequently, on Wednesday March 19, President Bush issued the order to commence military operations in Iraq -- and I supported this decision.

Two weeks later, I continue to support our actions and troops in Iraq, which is why on Thursday April 3, I voted in favor of H.R. 1559, the Wartime Supplemental Appropriations plan, which passed the House overwhelmingly by a vote of 414 to 12.

This legislation includes money for "first responders," America’s first line of defense. These are the people who live and work in our community who are trained and committed to saving lives and limiting casualties in the event of a terrorist attack. They include the local police, firefighters, emergency medical professionals, and even our neighbors.

H.R.1559 also provides more funding for Homeland Security and for the recently created Department of Homeland Security. Some of these funds will be used for border and port security, as well as increased guards and security measures at airports. Counter-terrorism money for agencies such as the Federal Bureau of Investigation and US Marshals Service is also included in the bill, as is funding for the Centers for Disease Control to assist states with vaccination programs, and research of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS).

Now that the House has passed this bill, it will conference with the Senate to resolve the differences between the two bodies. I hope this process doesn’t get bogged down with politics. This is an important bill. It is important for our nation because it will help protect our loved ones from attack, and it is important to the men and women in Iraq who are fighting for freedom -- our freedom to live a life free of fear from terrorist attacks, and freedom for the Iraqi people from a brutal dictator’s regime.

James Sensenbrenner, Jr., is a Republican Member of Congress representing the Fifth Congressional District of Wisconsin. He chairs the House Judiciary Committee.