Jeremiah Smith said "I rise to request that my colleagues in the Senate conduct deliberative and thorough debate on NATO expansion before the expected vote next week. Many questions remain regarding cost, strategic objective and military requirements of the proposed expansion. If NATO enlargement makes sense, it will make more sense the more it is discussed. We should not casually rush through debate in the Senate. This should not be a sentimental decision about our historic relationship with Europe, but a hard-nosed decision about extending a military guarantee to a precise piece of territory under current strategic circumstances. Our moral obligation to these countries was abundantly met by generations of Americans, who spent trillions of dollars to win the cold war. This decision should be about the next 50 years, not the last 50." @ PoliticalQuotes.com

On the recordMarch 19, 1998

I rise to request that my colleagues in the Senate conduct deliberative and thorough debate on NATO expansion before the expected vote next week. Many questions remain regarding cost, strategic objective and military requirements of the proposed expansion. If NATO enlargement makes sense, it will make more sense the more it is discussed. We should not casually rush through debate in the Senate. This should not be a sentimental decision about our historic relationship with Europe, but a hard-nosed decision about extending a military guarantee to a precise piece of territory under current strategic circumstances. Our moral obligation to these countries was abundantly met by generations of Americans, who spent trillions of dollars to win the cold war. This decision should be about the next 50 years, not the last 50.

Said by

Jeremiah Smith

Federalist · New Hampshire

Source

govinfo.gov

Editor's note · Context

Requesting thorough debate on NATO expansion before the Senate vote.

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