Political Quotes

John Ensign: everything that the Senator from New Mexico asked, this amendment doesn't take away any of that. The full $20 billion…

On the recordOctober 16, 2003
everything that the Senator from New Mexico asked, this amendment doesn't take away any of that. The full $20 billion stays within this amendment. The difference is, do we give it all in a grant and does that strengthen the President's hand or do we give half of it in a grant and half of it in a loan? We believe if you give half in a loan, the President's hand is strengthened on getting other countries that are owed money from the previous Saddam Hussein regime to forgive that debt. I make no apologies for the American people to say, if France, Germany, and Russia can be paid back, then we should be paid back. I hope all of the debt is forgiven. I think that is best for Iraq. But if the rest of the countries don't forgive their debt, then the American taxpayer should be paid back.
Said by
John Ensign

Editor's note · Context

Discussing an amendment related to financial aid for Iraq.

Share

More from John Ensign

Mar 10, 2011

I wish to talk about gasoline prices and energy. Just a few years ago, this Nation was in the middle of an energy crisis not unlike the one we are in today. Back then Nevadans were confronted with record prices at the gas pump, and this…

govinfo.gov
Dec 21, 2010

Just to address the one point on the clarification in the resolution of ratification, it has been said that our resolution of ratification clarifies and we should not need this language in the definition. Here is the problem I have…

govinfo.gov
Dec 2, 2010

I rise today to address a new and very serious threat to our national security. In July of this year, the organization known as WikiLeaks, led by an Australian citizen named Julian Assange, published 90,000 classified intelligence…

govinfo.gov