John Kerry

I do think it makes sense to keep the threat of force on the table.

If we're going to give up a long-held American position that we should not talk to Iran... then our partners... ought to be with us.

We've got to negotiate from a position of strength.

I think what President Obama has been trying to do... has been fairly impressive.

I do think that leaves diplomacy as our best option.

We could not have successfully prosecuted BCCI without the expertise and assistance of Senator Kerry

Our preference is engagement. Our preference is not to have confrontation of any kind, through sanctions or otherwise.

Iran's leaders must comply with the international community's requirements that its nuclear program is strictly for peaceful purposes.

It is important for Iran to understand that.

I believe President Obama is 100 percent correct to open the door to direct talks with Iran.

Obviously, there are obstacles in our path as we pursue a new policy, but there are huge opportunities, and I want to emphasize the opportunities.

Let me just say that faced with a crowded field, the foreign policy challenges, we're here today to discuss one of the most complicated and important to all of us, and that is the question of how to engage with Iran and to prevent it from…

In the long term, the best way to eliminate piracy and extremism in and around Somalia is to help establish stability, the rule of law, and functional inclusive governance there.

It seems to me that actually, there is no law whatsoever that would prevent--

These attacks have claimed innocent lives and they've imposed a very significant financial cost on companies engaged in shipping.

Many people were not even aware of modern piracy; they thought of it largely as being contained to Southeast Asia.

Thank you very much. This hearing will come to order.

The simple solution to this problem would be for the President to honor the Constitution and seek the prior approval of Congress.

The 1973 War Powers Resolution is an imperfect solution. However, it does retain Congress's critical role in this decisionmaking process.

Mr. President, you must consult.

This is not a legislative committee. You're not authorizing money. You are consulting with the President--that's your sole purpose--on the question of going to war.

I would make the point, Senator Kerry, that many people would argue that the President could do, anyway, some of the things that are listed in here as exemptions;

Under the Constitution, Congress has the power 'to declare war.' It is not ambiguous in any way.

The resolution, which today's witnesses recommend repealing, has been controversial ever since it was enacted over President Nixon's veto.

Uncertainty over Congress's role in two successive wars--Korea and then Vietnam--led to the passage of the War Powers Resolution in 1973.