Matt Gaetz: “I would point out, Mr. Speaker, to the gentleman that if he is looking for a more effective way to insult the President…”

“I would point out, Mr. Speaker, to the gentleman that if he is looking for a more effective way to insult the President of Israel, he need look no further than the remarks of some of his own colleagues in the recent days, which I would deem far more insulting than this policy debate about how to have an effective sanctions regime. No one here is arguing for sanctions relief vis-a-vis these individuals. What we are saying is that the National Emergencies Act is a very ineffective, inefficient way to administer a sanctions regime. We do have specific authorities with the Magnitsky Act, with the National Emergencies Act vis-a-vis counterterrorism. Treasury has these authorities. State has these authorities. Most importantly, Congress has the authority to impose sanctions. If you believe that there are people who should be the subject of sanctions by the United States Government, we are the board of directors of the most powerful country on the planet Earth. We can introduce those bills, vote for them, and we can fulfill our constitutional authority. What I am asking the Congress to do is to repeal a 2004 emergency vis-a-vis Syria when Syria doesn't look anything like it did in 2004. Mr.…”