Joe Biden

If the categories all come out of the State Department budget, then let's say let's freeze the State Department budget. Nothing can go up in the State Department budget, period. Freeze it, just like we are going to freeze it here. Why not…

This in no way limits our ability to give aid or assistance to any other country in NATO. So we are going to say that you three guys can come in, but we are going to promise that we are never going to give you assistance, but we will maybe…

If the Senator will yield. He wants written into law in the passage of the amendment to the Washington treaty a commitment that the United States national budget will now and forever not exceed 25 percent of all the money we decide to…

We are so accustomed to other committees stealing our jurisdiction that it was a slip of the tongue.

Wouldn't the Senator acknowledge the example he just gave has nothing to do with any commitment that is being undertaken by the expansion of NATO now? It is unrelated. We may or may not through the program which the opponents of expansion…

I see. I am trying to define--I mean, I am trying to get a clearer picture of what the Senator means by ``urgent.'' He is not suggesting it requires there be a Russian division breathing down the throat, making threats to come across the…

I ask, would the Senator not acknowledge when we expanded to bring in Greece and Turkey, expanded to bring in Spain, there was also no emergency?

But we never did. We never did. Twice before we didn't, not until after the fact, not until after they were no longer an independent nation. We never did. I believe--I hope we would, too. But understand it from their perspective. We never…

I will let him finish his statement and I will respond and point out why, in my view, there is not the least bit of inconsistency between wanting to see Russia as a democratic nation and expanding NATO.

What does that quote have to do with anything? What does it have to do with anything relating to whether or not we should expand NATO? How is it inconsistent with expansion of NATO?

Once again, Mr. President, as often occurs here, we are presented with Hobson's choices. As I said, I have strongly supported and continue to support the school construction initiatives of Senator Moseley-Braun, but her amendment should…

I am finished. It seems to me this iron ring is no ring at all, the notion that Kaliningrad is somehow going to be isolated relating to expansion. It is already isolated because of the place called Lithuania. The only answer to the lack of…

Between the invasion of Warsaw and the invasion of a former East German city, Dresden, what is the substantive difference?

The Senator is of the view it shouldn't be on anything, so I hope when he settles this he can settle that too so we can fund the United Nations and have the IMF moneys, too.

I understand his desire but I don't understand his right. I understand the desire not to deal with all those amendments but I never thought that was a right--although it would be nice if it were a right--and while he is doing this, if he…

Let the Record reflect that I will not engage the Senator now, but I totally disagree with that argument and that statement that we are signing a ``blank check.'' It is nowhere near a blank check. But I will be happy, again, to engage at…

As the Committee on Foreign Relations launches its series of hearings, I would like briefly to recapitulate why I believe NATO enlargement is in the best interest of the United States. Europe remains a vital area of interest for the United…

In reviewing the history of our policy in Bosnia, I feel like an odd variant of a worker on a decision tree who, instead of taking the best choice available to him, was forced to take the second best one in almost every instance where he…

The Lugar amendment does not have one single penny more in it than this bill. We do pay all of our allies the arrearages that we owe them with the bill in the way it is drawn up. The administration has supported this compromise we have…

Absolutely correct, but I was making the point in response to the question will there be enough money to pay our allies in the first 2 years? And the answer is yes because of the $575 million out of this bill and roughly $134 million that…

You find it in acknowledgments. It does not have to be in the bill. They owe us $107 million for peacekeeping and $27 million for tax equalization. That is money the administration has to use to meet its obligations.

I get $107 million from the money the United Nations acknowledges they owe the United States for peacekeeping, and I get $27 million for money that the United Nations owes the United States for tax equalization.

How would the Senator's amendment pay our allies any more money than our mark, than this legislation does?

What is happening now, as I understand what the Senator is saying, is a very talented, hopefully ambitious, Foreign Service officer who may very well want the opportunity to have those positions filled--for example, the economic consular…

I think the point my friend makes is a valid one. I don't think it was our intention to have this blanket exemption. As I understand the Senator's amendment--and, obviously, the chairman is checking this out himself for his position--from…