Liz Saville Roberts: “I say to the Senator, you brought something up that I think is very important. As you look at the various countries that…”

“I say to the Senator, you brought something up that I think is very important. As you look at the various countries that form up EADS and Airbus and that will participate in this joint effort, which is subsidized, even though we have a WTO case against them, what happens if these countries do not agree, as the Senator has pointed out, with our appropriate policy in regard to the war against terrorism or any other endeavor? The example I would like to make is: Look at the amount of money these countries, in their gross domestic product, give to defense. The answer is almost zero. Look at the amount of investment they give to NATO, where we are now fighting al-Qaida in Afghanistan. A few countries will fight with us. Note the word I said: 'fight.' As to other countries that are now receiving this contract, despite the fact they are subsidizing their own product, they are not fighting in Afghanistan. They are not contributing to NATO in a positive way. Some of them are there, but they do not enter into the battle. Now, here we are, with the American taxpayer paying for the security of Europe and Europe really not facing up to the task of funding and participating in NATO to the extent they can. Yet, in regard to our national security with this particular purchase--and if you do not have tankers, you do not have global reach, you cannot go anywhere, you have access denial, and you cannot even fight the war in regard to Afghanistan or any future place.”