Ben Cardin actually said...

"the more fundamental point is that China has already made a commitment; made a commitment to avoid and refrain from provocative actions that complicate these issues or make it more difficult to resolv..."

"I think that the foot-dragging on the code of conduct is a problem, and that is something that we shine a light on and encourage the parties, and particularly China, to get serious about resolving."

"if we were to ratify it, we might be able to use that mechanism more effectively with China."

"I do believe that the United States has been a leader in maritime security issues."