[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 89 (Thursday, June 24, 2004)]
[Senate]
[Pages S7395-S7397]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
MIDDLE EAST PEACE PROCESS
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report the resolution by title.
[[Page S7396]]
The assistant legislative clerk read as follows:
A resolution (S. Res. 393) expressing the sense of the
Senate in support of United States policy in the Middle East
peace process.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there objection?
Mr. BYRD. Mr. President, I remove my reservation.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
Mr. REID. Mr. President, I ask for the yeas and nays.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there a sufficient second?
There is a sufficient second.
The question is on agreeing to the resolution. The clerk will call
the roll.
The assistant legislative clerk called the roll.
Mr. McCONNELL. I announce that the Senator from Indiana (Mr. Lugar)
is necessarily absent.
Mr. REID. I announce that the Senator from Massachusetts (Mr. Kerry)
is necessarily absent.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Are there any other Senators in the Chamber
desiring to vote?
The result was announced--yeas 95, nays 3, as follows:
[Rollcall Vote No. 151 Leg.]
YEAS--95
Akaka
Alexander
Allard
Allen
Baucus
Bayh
Bennett
Biden
Bingaman
Bond
Boxer
Breaux
Brownback
Bunning
Burns
Campbell
Cantwell
Carper
Chafee
Chambliss
Clinton
Cochran
Coleman
Collins
Conrad
Cornyn
Corzine
Craig
Crapo
Daschle
Dayton
DeWine
Dodd
Dole
Domenici
Dorgan
Durbin
Edwards
Ensign
Enzi
Feingold
Feinstein
Fitzgerald
Frist
Graham (FL)
Graham (SC)
Grassley
Gregg
Hagel
Harkin
Hatch
Hollings
Hutchison
Inhofe
Inouye
Johnson
Kennedy
Kohl
Kyl
Landrieu
Lautenberg
Leahy
Levin
Lieberman
Lincoln
Lott
McCain
McConnell
Mikulski
Miller
Murkowski
Murray
Nelson (FL)
Nelson (NE)
Nickles
Pryor
Reed
Reid
Roberts
Rockefeller
Santorum
Sarbanes
Schumer
Sessions
Shelby
Smith
Snowe
Specter
Stabenow
Stevens
Talent
Thomas
Voinovich
Warner
Wyden
NAYS--3
Byrd
Jeffords
Sununu
NOT VOTING--2
Kerry
Lugar
The resolution (S. Res. 393) was agreed to.
The preamble was agreed to.
The resolution, with its preamble, reads as follows:
S. Res. 393
Whereas the Road Map, endorsed by the United States,
Israel, the Palestinian Authority, the European Union,
Russia, and the United Nations, remains a realistic and
widely recognized plan for making progress toward peace;
Whereas, on April 14, 2004, President Bush welcomed the
plan of Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon to remove certain
military installations and all settlements from Gaza, and
certain military installations and settlements from the West
Bank;
Whereas under the Road Map, Palestinians must undertake an
immediate cessation of armed activity and all acts of
violence against Israelis anywhere, all Palestinian
institutions, organizations, and individuals must end
incitement against Israel, the Palestinian leadership must
act decisively against terror (including sustained, targeted,
and effective operations to stop terrorism and dismantle
terrorist capabilities and infrastructure), and Palestinians
must undertake a comprehensive and fundamental political
reform that includes a strong parliamentary democracy and an
empowered prime minister;
Whereas Prime Minister Sharon noted Israel's
responsibilities under the Road Map include limitations on
the growth of settlements, removal of unauthorized outposts,
and steps to increase, to the extent permitted by security
needs, freedom of movement for Palestinians not engaged in
terrorism;
Whereas there likely will be no security for Israelis or
Palestinians until they and all states join together to fight
terrorism and dismantle terrorist organizations;
Whereas the United States remains committed to Israel's
security, and well-being as a Jewish State, including secure,
recognized, and defensible borders, and to preserving and
strengthening Israel's capability to deter enemies and defend
itself against any threat;
Whereas Israel has the right to defend itself against
terrorism, including to take actions against terrorist
organizations that threaten Israel's citizens;
Whereas, after Israel withdraws from Gaza and parts of the
West Bank, existing arrangements regarding control of
airspace, territorial waters, and land passages relating to
the West Bank and Gaza are planned to continue;
Whereas, as part of a final peace settlement, Israel must
have secure and recognized borders, which should emerge from
negotiations between the parties in accordance with United
Nations Security Council Resolutions 242 and 338;
Whereas, in light of realities on the ground, including
already existing major Israeli population centers, it is
unrealistic to expect that the outcome of final status
negotiations will be a full and complete return to the
armistice lines of 1949, but realistic to expect that any
final status agreement will only be achieved on the basis of
mutually agreed changes that reflect these realities;
Whereas Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon has stated:
``the barrier being erected by Israel is a security rather
than political barrier, is temporary rather than permanent,
and should therefore not prejudice any final status issues
including final borders, and its route should take into
account, consistent with security needs, its impact on
Palestinian communities'';
Whereas an agreed just, fair, and realistic framework for a
solution to the Palestinian refugee issue as part of any
final status agreement will need to be found through the
establishment of a Palestinian state, and the settling of
Palestinian refugees there, rather than in Israel;
Whereas the United States supports the establishment of a
Palestinian state that is viable, contiguous, sovereign, and
independent, so that the Palestinian people can build their
own future;
Whereas the United States will join with others in the
international community to assist in fostering the
development of Palestinian democratic political institutions
and new leadership committed to those institutions, the
reconstruction of civic institutions, the growth of a free
and prosperous economy, and the building of capable security
institutions dedicated to maintaining law and order and
dismantling terrorist organizations; and
Whereas in order to promote a lasting peace, all states
must oppose terrorism, support the emergence of a peaceful
and democratic Palestine, and state clearly that they will
live in peace with Israel: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That the Senate--
(1) endorses the above-mentioned principles and practices
of United States policy in the Middle East, and ongoing
actions to make progress toward realizing the vision of two
states living side by side in peace and security, as a real
contribution toward peace, and as important steps under the
Road Map;
(2) reaffirms its commitment to a vision of two states,
Israel and Palestine, living side by side in peace and
security as the key to peace; and
(3) supports efforts to continue working with others in the
international community, to build the capacity and will of
Palestinian institutions to fight terrorism, dismantle
terrorist organizations, and prevent the areas from which
Israel has withdrawn from posing a threat to the security of
Israel.
Mr. CHAFEE. Mr. President, in the world of diplomacy, some things are
better left unsaid. For that reason, I would have preferred that
President Bush not send the April 14, 2004 letter to Prime Minister
Sharon.
Nevertheless, I gave my qualified support to S. Res. 393 because
Israeli withdrawal from Gaza has the potential to jumpstart the
Israeli-Palestinian peace process. There have been too many missed
opportunities already. It would be a shame to miss another one.
My vote for S. Res. 393 is subject to two understandings. First,
Prime Minister Sharon's disengagement plan should not be a substitute
for bilateral negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians; and
second, all final status issues should be mutually agreed upon by both
parties.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The majority leader is recognized.
Mr. FRIST. Mr. President, after the following judge vote, we are
scheduled to consider another five additional judges this evening. Of
the ones after this one--looking at those five--the next two are
circuit judges, to be followed by three district judges.
It has been cleared on this side to have voice votes on all of those
five judges.
I ask the ranking member of the Judiciary Committee if we could, out
of consideration of the many different schedules tonight, voice vote
the remaining nominations after the next rollcall vote.
Mr. LEAHY. Well, Mr. President, in response to my friend from
Tennessee, normally I would say: Have rollcall votes. I also know with
the Defense authorization bill we had some very late night schedules.
This is pushing up against the Fourth of July recess. I think the
Senator from Tennessee, the Senator from South Dakota, and the
respective whips have the hardest jobs
[[Page S7397]]
in the world trying to please everybody.
I will tell my friend from Tennessee, if that would make his life
easier, I would be happy to accommodate him.
Mr. FRIST. Mr. President, I very much appreciate that.
On behalf of our colleagues, I thank the Senator.
Mr. LEAHY. I say to the majority leader, he has made a few other
people happy.
Mr. President, is it my understanding on the first one there is a
rollcall vote?
The PRESIDING OFFICER. No rollcall vote has yet been ordered.
____________________