Chris Van Hollen: “as the late Senator John McCain once wrote, ``We are a country with a conscience. We have long believed moral concerns…”

“as the late Senator John McCain once wrote, ``We are a country with a conscience. We have long believed moral concerns must be an essential part of our foreign policy, not a departure from it.'' He believed, as I do, that human rights and the rule of law are the cornerstones of a just and free society. More than any President before him, however, President Trump has shirked our Nation's values. This is especially true in his engagement abroad; across the globe, President Trump has embraced autocrats and derided our democratic allies. The Kingdom of Bahrain is no exception to this disturbing trend. Just 2 months into his tenure, President Trump lifted all human rights conditions on a multibillion dollar sale of American fighter jets to Bahrain, imposed by President Obama. President Trump has attached no human rights conditions to any successive arms sale to Bahrain, including the arms identified in S.J. Res. 65. The message President Trump has sent is clear: Bahrain has a green light to act with total impunity against its citizens. The Trump administration's decision coincided with an intensified government campaign against civil society and peaceful political opposition.…”