Political Quotes

“I rise in support of the 2nd degree Amendment offered by the Senator from Kentucky. Without the McConnell Amendment, I find that I must oppose the underlying Amendment offered by the Senator from Kansas. Although I think that many of the goals and objectives of Senator Brownback's Amendment are worthwhile--I too believe in establishing a policy of greater U.S. engagement with the countries of the Caucasus and Central Asia--I find that I must oppose this Amendment because it contains a fatal flaw: I do not think that Congress should get rid of Section 907 of the Freedom Support Act, which this Amendment does, so long as Azerbaijan continues its decade-long blockade of Armenia and Karabakh. The McConnell Amendment, which retains Section 907, would fix this flaw. Expanding Azerbaijan's eligibility for assistance from the United States without seeking progress on the resolution of this issue runs the risk of legitimizing precisely the sort of behavior which the United States, on the cusp of a new century, must seek to discourage. Azerbaijan is already eligible for U.S. humanitarian assistance, as well as funds for democracy building and many trade benefits. All that Azerbaijan has to do under Section 907 to be eligible for the full range of U.S. assistance is to 'take demonstrable steps to cease all blockades against Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh.' In other words, all it has to do is end hostilities, end an act of war, and seek to settle this dispute peacefully.”