Political Quotes

“Mr. President, today, we will vote on whether or not to admit North Macedonia into NATO. I, for one, think we already have enough dead weight in NATO and that adding North Macedonia to NATO adds absolutely nothing to our collective security. In his farewell address, George Washington stated: ``It is our true policy to steer clear of permanent alliance with any portion of the foreign world.'' This was echoed by Thomas Jefferson in his inaugural address, who wished for ``peace, commerce, and honest friendship with all nations . . . entangling alliances with none.'' As we watch the most recent developments in Syria unfold, it is a good moment to remember the guidance that Washington and Jefferson attempted to pass along. Turkey, a nation that we have been locked in a permanent alliance with since the Cold War, has launched an offensive, a war of choice, by further invading Syria. While they are clearly acting in their own self-interest, their actions place our Nation one mistake or one small incident away from a hot war with at least one major global power. Does it make sense for American men and women to potentially have to defend Turkey over their war of choice? I believe that when Jefferson spoke of entangling alliances, one could not pick a better example than how we have expanded NATO. Since 2004, we have expanded NATO ever closer to the border of Russia.…”