Political Quotes

“I rise in support of the National Defense Authorization Act, NDAA, for Fiscal Year 2013. I wish to commend Senator Levin and Senator McCain for their leadership in bringing this legislation to the floor. The Senate has passed the NDAA every year for over one-half century. Senators Levin and McCain have played a key role on NDAA over the past several years, and I am grateful for their dedication and concern for the men and women of our Armed Forces and the defense of the Nation. I am pleased that NDAA, as amended, includes three of my amendments, including a sense of the Senate resolution regarding conflict-induced displacements in Afghanistan. As Afghan refugees are being pushed into faster repatriation, they are often forced into returning to a country where they have little or no hope. In particular, Pakistan, which has hosted Afghan refugees for more than 30 years, plans to cancel refugee status for the 3 million Afghans at the end of this year. Forcing these refugees back into Afghanistan would only exacerbate the crisis for a country that is still struggling with an ongoing insurgency, an economy dependent on U.S. foreign assistance, and the impending withdraw of NATO troops in 2014. According to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, UNHCR, more than 5.7 million refugees have returned to Afghanistan since 2002, increasing the population of the country by approximately 25 percent.…”