The “World’s Greatest Deliberative Body” and the Decision to Invade Iraq: The Rhetoric of Senatorial Debate on Senate Joint Resolution 46

摘要

On the issue of the Iraq invasion, many in the public view President George W. Bush as the primary actor in its execution. Yet Bush explicitly sought congressional approval before employing military force against the country and elevated Congress’ role in the Iraq crisis. A plethora of academic research exists on how Bush persuaded the public into supporting the invasion. However, a dearth of scholarship exists on how Congress, specifically the Senate, deliberated on this decision. As a chamber often labeled as the “World’s Greatest Deliberative Body,” as well as having constitutionally-unique responsibilities in matters of foreign affairs, this study investigates the 107th Senate’s debate on the 2002 resolution titled “Senate Joint Resolution 46” (Humphrey, 1959). The debate spanned 14 days from its introduction on October 2nd to its signing by President George W. Bush on October 16th. The Senate dedicated five days—October 4th, October 7th, October 8th, October 9th, and October 10th—to debate.