Political Quotes

“Mr. President, I understand that shortly we will be considering a motion to discharge S.J. Res. 51 from the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and I take this time to urge my colleagues to vote against that motion to discharge. I understand the concerns of my colleague from Kentucky about ensuring that Congress exercises the appropriate role in authorizing the use of military force. I appreciate the Senator's longstanding interest in these important matters. I value having what I believe are critically important debates about when and under what authorities U.S. troops serve abroad. Decisions about authorizing the use of military force are among the most solemn duties we have in this body. But here, the decision is not so simple as the Senator from Kentucky presents it. The Middle East is unstable right now. I don't have to remind my colleagues about that. ISIS's territorial caliphate might have been defeated, but it remains a threat to Syrians, Iraqis, and to U.S. interests. Now is not the time to withdraw from the region, but that is what this joint resolution would do without weighing the consequences, without a plan. Think about what impact it would have. Think about what it would do to the resolve of our NATO allies and Kurdish partners fighting ISIS alongside the United States. We are not there alone; we are part of a coalition. Will they stick it out if we don't? Think about how this would hurt the Syrian people. Without U.S.…”