Political Quotes

“Mr. President, I rise in opposition to S.J. Res. 117, the motion to proceed. And I rise as the chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee to relate to our colleagues why I am against this resolution and how we got to this vote. This body passed aid to Ukraine by a 79-to-18 bipartisan vote. It approved the necessary funding for Ukraine to be able to defend itself against Mr. Putin's aggression--Russia's aggression--and it allowed us with our coalition partners to be able to have a unified front against Russia's attempt to change borders by force. That legislation included the authority to the President to forgive and cancel debt. That is what President Biden did under the authority given to him by a 79-to-18 vote in this body. The President executed that authority and, yes, the Senate has the opportunity by a resolution to override that. But I would urge my colleagues to remember why we voted by a 79-to-18 vote on this floor to help Ukraine. Ukraine is the frontline in our defense for democracy. No one believes that Russia would stop if Ukraine were to fall with just Ukraine. We know that Russia has its eyes on Moldova and Georgia. We know the Baltic countries are very much in the eye of Russia. Poland is concerned, and Europe is concerned. It is in our national security interest to make sure that Russia's aggression in Ukraine is stopped and Ukraine's sovereignty is protected. Now, Russia is not alone in this.…”