Chris Coons: “I thank my colleague from Connecticut--who has been determined, engaged, and thoughtful--for his wise words today and…”

“I thank my colleague from Connecticut--who has been determined, engaged, and thoughtful--for his wise words today and for his persistence and his efforts in making sure that our colleagues on both sides of the aisle are aware of alarming developments in the region and continuing to do everything we can in a responsible and bipartisan way to support Israel's security through the MOU, which he has referenced and on which he led a letter about the importance of a prompt and supportive renegotiation of that MOU, and calling attention to Russia's destabilizing actions. As Senator Blumenthal just referenced, recent reports convey that Iran is reporting that Russia has already delivered parts of this S-300 weapons system--a defense system, they claim, but a weapons system that would significantly change the regional balance of power. I again thank my colleague from Connecticut for being shoulder-to- shoulder with me on the floor today and in the months and years behind us and the months and years ahead of us because it will be a longstanding challenge to keep the Members of this body and folks in Washington focused on the very real threat to America's security and Israel's security that is presented by Iran and its actions. As Senator Blumenthal mentioned, when it comes to countering Iranian aggression in the Middle East, a number of Russia's recent actions do threaten to do more harm than good.…”