Political Quotes

“I am reserving the right to object. I want to speak today on behalf of my amendment, Risch No. 4794, which is not included on that list, which I have introduced with cosponsors Senators Portman, Cruz, Barrasso, Johnson, Cotton, Daines, and Wicker. This amendment is the Senate companion to bipartisan language that already is included in the House-passed NDAA which would sanction Nord Stream 2, Putin's premier energy weapon against Ukraine and Europe. The timing could not be more important. Ukraine stands on the brink of an invasion, and Europe is in the throes of an energy crisis created by Russia. There is a reason Ukraine's President Zelensky tweeted an urgent request last week regarding this amendment, which said: [A]ll friends of Ukraine and Europe in the US Senate [should] back this amendment. We are now seeing the consequences of the administration's decision to waive mandatory PEESA sanctions and refusal to impose CAATSA sanctions. Russia has deliberately cut gas transmission to Europe through Ukraine and is using high energy prices to pressure the EU into approving Nord Stream 2 as quickly as possible. Putin has publicly stated as such. Meanwhile, Russian forces have built up along the border of Ukraine in preparation for what could be a full-scale invasion, just as they did to the Crimea.…”