Political Quotes

“Mr. President, I am on the floor today to speak to resolutions upon which we will begin voting today regarding arms sales proposed by the administration to the United Arab Emirates. I am on the floor today to ask my colleagues to support these resolutions of disapproval upon two grounds: one, the protection of congressional prerogative and, two, a question of U.S. national security. First, let me cover the question of congressional prerogative. We have traditionally debated arms sales here on occasion, and the reason why we don't have constant debates in this body on arms sales, the reason why we don't have resolutions on every sale that is noticed by the administration, is because we have built into our practice an ability for the Senate to consult with the administration beforehand on a bipartisan basis. Over the years, since the passage of the law allowing for Congress to have a role in the sale of arms to foreign nations, administration after administration, Republican and Democrat, has observed a period of consultation with Congress in which the administration comes to the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, comes to the House Foreign Relations Committee, presents the reasons for the sale, and then addresses concerns raised, often in a bipartisan manner, by Republicans and Democrats.…”