I remember how proud I was to serve my country in World War II, and I remember how proud I was of the support of Americans, and I remember how proud I am now to a Member of this body. I know how important it is that we support the troops, and I remind my colleagues over here, we all, everyone in this room, supports our troops without exception. WE have honest differences about the policies or how we got where we are. WE are not permitted to discuss those under this gag rule.

What this body should do, and I remember how proud I was of the different meaningful debates which we had here, where there was opportunity to amend, to discuss, to have a 5-minute rule, to have a motion to re-commit, so that a national policy bringing us together could be forged in a proper legislative forum and a proper legislative fashion.

We are told, either expressly or implicitly, by the administration, and by people on that side of the aisle, that there is something unpatriotic about questioning the behavior of this administration or the policies or the way they are being conducted. Let me not answer that yet. But let me give you the answer that Teddy Roosevelt, a great patriot, a Republican, a wonderful President, had to say: "To announce that there must be no criticism of the President, or that we are to stand by the President, right or wrong, is not only unpatriotic and servile, but it is morally treasonable to the American people." Listen to that. That is what we are supposed to do.

We are not supposed to be a congregation of yes men and lickspittles. We are supposed to be the voice of the people and to hammer out the policies of this Nation in an honorable and open fashion. That is not happening today.