Austin Scott: “On the issue of China and our lending, we are now in debt to China well over $350 billion. Now just to show you why this…”

“On the issue of China and our lending, we are now in debt to China well over $350 billion. Now just to show you why this debt in the hands of foreign governments is such a threat to our national security, just this example. China is now engaged with Iran in building a, supposedly building, a gas pipeline from China to Iran. The United States, in its efforts to tighten certain screws, economic and political, on Iran, in addition to the saber rattling we are doing, has begun to ask China if they would desist from that relationship. To this point, China has stonewalled; and in large measure it is because we don't have the leverage. If you owe me $360 billion, that weakens my position. The other area, in terms of our national security, is the situation in Iran as we are dealing with it, because that is in the news now. There are all kinds of questions and issues now of whether or not we are going to attack Iran, which is why we have got to hurry up and get our resolution passed and make sure that the President understands what article I, section 8 of our Constitution gives the Congress the extreme role, the exclusive role in determining the funding and the declaration of war in that regard.”