Image courtesy of Library of Congress
A two-term Congressman from Texas, George H. W. Bush served as Director of the Central Intelligence Agency before becoming Vice President and eventually President.
On this date, President
George H. W. Bush addressed a
Joint Session of Congress to explain the U.S. response to Iraq’s invasion of Kuwait six
weeks earlier. With a large U.S. military buildup already under way in the
region, the President outlined a series of goals: the unconditional withdrawal
of Iraqi forces, the restoration of the Kuwaiti government, the promotion of
regional “security and stability,” and the safety of U.S. citizens in Kuwait
and Iraq. “Iraq will not be permitted to annex Kuwait,” Bush said. “That’s not
a threat, or a boast, that’s just the way it’s going to be.” Bush also told the
audience that included Representatives, Senators, and diplomats, including the
Iraqi ambassador: “Out of these troubled times . . . a new world order . . .
can emerge: A new era—freer
from the threat of terror, stronger in the pursuit of justice, and more secure
in the quest for peace.” He used the looming crisis to urge Congress to approve
a stalled budget agreement and to support a program for domestic oil
exploration and production. The address, especially those portions pertaining
to Iraq, was largely well received by House Members.
Majority Leader Richard Gephardt of Missouri, reflecting broad public support for the President’s
position, said: “Here at home, the sense of unity and the absence of widespread
opposition to this action in the Persian Gulf testify to our powerful,
instinctive feeling that this is a cause worth standing and fighting for.” In
early 1991, by a vote of 250 to 183, the House passed the Persian Gulf
Resolution authorizing President Bush to use force against the Iraqi military.