June 9, 1970
Page 18911
Mr. MUSKIE. Mr. President, I would like to express my appreciation to the distinguished majority leader for the speech which he has made this afternoon and the discussion which it has stimulated on the floor of the Senate. I think the speech and the discussion have been very useful to us in generating understanding of what is meant, intended, and likely to be the effect of the Cooper-Church amendment, as well as the Byrd-Griffin modification of that amendment.
What disturbs us here, as the distinguished majority leader has pointed out, is not the intention of the President, nor his intention to end the war, nor his hopes for the policies he has shaped to achieve that objective. What concerns us rather is that forces are at work in Southeast Asia, and other forces have been unleashed by the Cambodian incursion which can shape our policies in ways we do not intend.
On April 20 the President announced the further withdrawal of 150,000 American troops to be implemented within the 12 months following. In his speech making that announcement the President gave us no indication that he anticipated, or that there were under consideration, additional actions that might be necessary in order to implement that goal within that 12-month period. Yet 10 days later, on April 30, the President announced to the country his Cambodian decision. I have to assume, and the President's speech of last week argued on the side of that assumption, that events developed between April 20 and April 30 requiring the Cambodian venture.
In the same way, forces beyond our control, beyond the control of the President, events unanticipated by us and the President, may modify the President's present intention about withdrawal from Cambodia before July 1 and, indeed, about the withdrawal of 50,000 troops in October or 150,000 troops, in all, by next May.
This is what I think concerns the sponsors of the Cooper-Church amendment, and it is what concerns the distinguished majority leader, as I understand his speech this afternoon with respect to the Byrd-Griffin amendment.
We are in the grip of forces beyond our control. When I say we are in the grip of forces beyond our control I speak of more than our military involvement in Southeast Asia or our hopes for disengagement. We are in the grip of forces beyond our control in terms of the impact of this war upon our own country;
There is a great deal of discussion going on, discussion in which the majority leader has participated, about the dangers involved in our present economic and financial situation.
I notice in the New York Times the other day the reporting of a speech by Mr. David Rockefeller in Brooklyn, N.Y., on the state of our economy and what should be done in order to stabilize it.
He expressed the belief that the decline in the stock market reflected a deep concern about many more things than just the economy.
He is quoted as saying:
I think there is a lack of confidence, a concern in the country on where we're going and how we're getting there, as well as some concern about the economy, too.
He continued:
I think it is a general malaise, a worry as to what's going to happen in the war, in the world.
It is this general crisis in confidence which I think was in part sparked by the unexpected decision of the President to move into Cambodia. I think what is necessary to meet that crisis is some clearcut action by the President, hopefully an action joined in by Congress, to reassure the country that our objective is disengagement from the war in Southeast Asia, not in some indefinite future, but within a foreseeable time frame.
Cambodia has raised doubts that our policies, whatever our intentions, are likely to result in total disengagement from Southeast Asia. I think to the extent the Cooper-Church amendment, if it is enacted, reassures the country that the Congress and the President join in an effort to disengage in Southeast Asia, it will have a beneficent effect upon the climate of confidence in the country as to our policies in Southeast Asia and their intended objective.
The distinguished Senator from Arkansas (Mr. FULBRIGHT) touched on this in his response to the speech made by the distinguished majority leader. I think it is an important point.
I thank the Senator for yielding.