Bob Menendez: “I rise in opposition. Senator Paul's amendment is entirely unnecessary, but worse than that, it is dangerous. There is…”

“I rise in opposition. Senator Paul's amendment is entirely unnecessary, but worse than that, it is dangerous. There is no question that, like any other treaty, the NATO treaty does not supersede the Constitution. However, specifically calling out article 5 of the North Atlantic treaty here erroneously implies that there is a tension between it and the Constitution. This sends a damaging message about the U.S. commitment to the alliance at a time when support for NATO is as critical as ever given Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Further, by only referencing the NATO treaty, Senator Paul's amendment erroneously implies that other treaties may supersede the Constitution--a proposition that no Senator would accept. Because Senator Paul's amendment is both unnecessary and harmful at a critical time of our engagement in Ukraine, I urge all Senators to vote against it. I reserve the balance of the time. The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Kentucky.”