Political Quotes

“Mr. President, dominant in the news--on which I have expected there to be more coverage--is a matter that I think is of great urgency to the country, global security, and peace--that being the tensions that are rising in the Middle East. I have heard a few of my colleagues speak on the floor about it today, and I have seen a lot of press report on it, some of it absurd and some of it on point. I understand some of it. I thought there should have been more information provided to all of the Members. I am pleased to see that more will be available next week when we return. This is an item I have been talking about for a couple of weeks--of the urgent threat, potentially, that now exists from Iran against the United States, particularly in Iraq but throughout the Persian Gulf region. First, let me talk about the threat. To understand the threat, it is important to understand how Iran operates. Iran is an Islamic republic, meaning it has a political branch of its government--a President, a Foreign Minister, and a parliamentary body. Then it has a Supreme Leader, who ultimately governs the country. In essence, his commands overrule the political branches. That is why they call him the Supreme Leader. He is a religious figure. As part of that, it has an armed services--an army, a navy, and an air force--that protects the country, theoretically.…”