John Kerry

I appreciate it, Congressman. I don't want to leave any misinterpretation with respect to that.

If anybody were to attack us, this Congress, in my view, would respond, would authorize the full force and fury of our very capable military.

I can't give you a guarantee about the outcome in Syria as a whole, but I can give you a guarantee that the United States of America can make it clear to Assad that it is going to cost him to use chemical weapons and we can have an impact…

Yes, the President's policy is that Assad must go and there should be a regime change.

So that is why, miracle of miracles, I am in support of the President's call for action in Syria.

In the absence of doing this, there will be a grant of impunity to Bashar al-Assad for the use of these weapons.

It will embolden North Korea and embolden Iran with respect to activities that will directly threaten the United States and our allies.

I believe that is a cheap line by some people to garner headlines and not a serious discussion of what is going on in Syria.

And I do believe the world is watching. And the day the United States does not act is not just a day that Bashar al-Assad knows it is open season for chemical weapons, but also the day Kim Jong Un knows that, and most ominously, the day…

If we don't vote to do this Assad will interpret from you that he is free to go and do this any day he wants to.

We don't want to do that. That is why the President has said no boots on the ground.

The United States of America is joining with other countries in upholding an international standard that 184 nations have joined into.

Bashar al-Assad put us in this position when he chose to gas his own people.

This resolution is about Syria and holding Assad accountable, but it is also about Iran.

If Congress votes down a limited authorization, then to Iran's leaders our red line against their development of nuclear weapons is meaningless.

I believe America's credibility is on the line in Syria.

There is a real moderate opposition that exists.

I just don't agree that a majority are al-Qaeda and the bad guys. That is not true.

I do not want to see those images in the United States. And that is my grave concern.

Who is going to fill that vacuum? Are the rebel forces, the extremists, going to take over not only the government but these weapons?

We saw what the Arab Spring has brought us, and it is not good.

I might even put it at 100 percent.

We don't deserve to drag this into yet another Benghazi discussion when the real issue here is whether or not the Congress is going to stand up for international norms.

I think it would be helpful to you, as you were asking the question, because I am very concerned about the foundation of your question, the premise of it.

I know Mike Rogers, in particular, in one conversation, talked about, you know, the need to not have the display of your--you know, you have a group of people you are opposed to, and you are sort of fighting the Congress and fighting with…