Lawmakers 10/27/1983
Lawmakers 10/27/1983
Lawmakers 10/27/1983
Lawmakers 10/27/1983
Cokie Roberts introduces a report on the invasion of Grenada, which inspired in Congress bewilderment, ridicule of Reagan s anti-Communist excesses, and frustration at lack of influence.
Lawmakers 10/27/1983
Representative Sala Burton (D - California) I feel I am in fantasy-land. I cannot believe that a huge country like ours, is asked by a small little country and a few others to invade this tiny place, Grenada, and that we went in there and really invaded. I don t believe what I am hearing.
Lawmakers 10/27/1983
Representative Clay Shaw (R - Florida) I have no reservations whatsoever. I think that the administration acted quite properly. I think their judgment, in my opinion, was complete. It took in to consideration all the dangers and they acted in a very responsible manner.
Lawmakers 10/27/1983
Representative Michael Barnes (D - Maryland) An awful lot of members of Congress before 9:00 this morning, did not know where Grenada was. I ve had a good many Congressmen this morning ask me how to pronounce the name of this country that we just invaded.
Lawmakers 10/27/1983
Representative Mervin Dymally (D - California) I believe I know a little bit about it
Lawmakers 10/27/1983
Sailboats in harbor in Grenada.
Lawmakers 10/27/1983
Aerial of beaches in Grenada.
Lawmakers 10/27/1983
Grenadian women working in an open market near the docks, sorting Nutmeg and other spices and fruits.
Lawmakers 10/27/1983
In Grenada women working in a spice warehouse with women doing sorting work.
Lawmakers 10/27/1983
Boats on the coast. Colorful homes on shore.
Lawmakers 10/27/1983
Grenada troops riding armored vehicles and marching.
Lawmakers 10/27/1983
03/10/1983 President Ronald Reagan giving press conference with large map of Caribbean basin next to him. It isn't nutmeg that's at stake in the Caribbean and Central America; it is the United States national security.
Lawmakers 10/27/1983
3/23/1983 President Ronald Reagan in Oval Office for TV address. Still photos from Spy plane photo showing alleged Soviet military installation in Grenada. On the small island of Grenada, at the southern end of the Caribbean chain, the Cubans, with Soviet financing and backing, are in the process of building an airfield with a 10,000-foot runway. Grenada doesn't even have an air force. The Soviet-Cuban militarization of Grenada, in short, can only be seen as power projection into the region.
Lawmakers 10/27/1983
Graphic showing Grenada on a map of Caribbean (zoom in to Grenada)
Lawmakers 10/27/1983
DO NOT USE still photo of assassinated Grenadian prime minister.
Lawmakers 10/27/1983
10/25/1983 President Ronald Reagan, Early this morning, forces from six Caribbean democracies and the United States began a landing or landings on the island of Grenada in the Eastern Caribbean.
Lawmakers 10/27/1983
US Marines packing up to ship out to Grenada, approaching transport ships.
Lawmakers 10/27/1983
Representative Mike Synar (D -Oklahoma) The first information we had about the invasion came on the news when the President addressed the nation at about 9:00 Eastern Standard Time this morning.
Lawmakers 10/27/1983
10/26/1983 Representative Bob Livingston (R - Louisiana) in House debate, Yes, the critics are already attacking the mission in Grenada. Calling the President trigger happy and condemning him for his attack on the peaceful and well-intentioned leaders of that Caribbean island. Well, Mr. Speaker, those leaders were murderers and terrorists prompted by the peaceful People s Republic of Cuba and the peaceful People's Republic of the Soviet Union.
Lawmakers 10/27/1983
Representative Geraldine Ferraro (D - New York) in debate, The over-riding question now is do we have any foreign policy guiding us or are we just lurching from disaster to disaster - from military intervention to military intervention.
Lawmakers 10/27/1983
Representative C.W. Bill Young (R - Florida) in debate We talk about sending messages here in the House all the time. Well, we sent a message to the terrorists of the world. We sent a message to Fidel Castro and those who would Communize the entire Western Hemisphere. We sent them a message yesterday, It ain t gonna happen.
Lawmakers 10/27/1983
Representative Dante Fascell (D - Florida) in office, If the United States is going to commit our armed forces to serious situation of hostility then it s quite clear to me that the Congress ought to be involved in the decision making process or at least have some input. And not always be in the position of being told after the fact where the Congress s choices are extremely limited.
Lawmakers 10/27/1983
Senate Committee hearing. Kenneth Dam, Deputy Secretary of State, testifying judgment of the President was to consult the bipartisan leadership of both Houses, which he did. Senator Claiborne Pell (D - Rhode Island) I believe the Minority Leader of the Senate was there. He stated that he felt he s been informed , but was not being consulted . And that s the point I m making. Kenneth Dam, Deputy Secretary of State, Well, I think that that of course is a question of interpretation. I don t want to make to disagree with his assessment of what he thought was involved. The War Powers Resolution does recognize that there are situations in which consultation has to be limited or may indeed be impossible because it talks about consultation when possible. And we believe that we did consult to the maximum degree constituent with the safeguarding of American lives both military and civilian. And Senator Claiborne Pell (D - Rhode Island), Well, we would have to - again, we are at the point where we have to agree to disagree. There s a world of difference between being consulted , being asked if you think this is wise or not or being informed, saying we are doing this at 5 am tomorrow.
Lawmakers 10/27/1983
Representative Mervin Dymally (D - California) Oh yeah, they needed this one (Grenada). They needed to have a victory. They just had to have this one and what better place to go in - defenseless Grenada with the Cubans and the Russians there. This makes for a good front page story.
Lawmakers 10/27/1983
Americans returning from Grenada kisses the ground after getting off an airplane.
Lawmakers 10/27/1983
Senator Nancy Kassenbaum (R - Kansas) (I have found it very interesting as far a constituent response) it s never been supportive of keeping the Marines in Lebanon. And yet there seems to be fairly strong support for our going into Grenada.
Lawmakers 10/27/1983
Protesters holding signs protesting US invasion of Grenada marching in front of White House.
Lawmakers 10/27/1983
Senator Nancy Kassenbaum (R - Kansas) Women are more sensitive to that and to worrying about a heightened militarism or adventurism around the world. And I don t know. We don t know yet of course how that will - if the Marines come home in a week and all has gone well, two weeks from now nobody will really remember.
Lawmakers 10/27/1983
Representative Carroll Campbell (R - South Carolina) The President did not act from a political standpoint. He acted from a security standpoint. And when you do that, you oft times have to just ignore the domestic political considerations.
Lawmakers 10/27/1983
Representative Bill Alexander (D - Arkansas) If the President s policy in Grenada is justified, it will be successful. It will be the foreign policy success that he needs. However, if this policy in Grenada is not justified, it will be a foreign policy disaster that will drum this President out of office.
Lawmakers 10/27/1983
Paul Duke, Linda Wertheimer, and Cokie Roberts discussion of Congress' reaction to foreign policy changes. Paul Duke opines that "bipartisanship" is dead on foreign policy. Democrats feel that calls for "unity" excuse Reagan from any checks on his conduct of foreign affairs. Lebanon is a more complex issue than Grenada, with no obvious way to withdraw. Discussion of President Reagan s increasing penchant for military action without consulting Congress and Reagan s recklessness in antagonizing Soviet Union.