Political Quotes

“needless to say, I have great admiration for the Senator from South Carolina and consider him a friend, but our problem with Turkey--and I know my colleague has asked me several times: What are we doing about Turkey? And I know it was meant in the context of sanctions, which I obviously do support for a variety of reasons--violations of CAATSA, purchase of the S-400, what they did in Syria, and the list goes on and on. But in our desire to see Turkey become that which we would want it to be, which it is not, under President Erdogan, we continue to become enablers of the types of actions that are undemocratic. More journalists are jailed in Turkey than in any other place in the world. Imagine that--a NATO ally. More lawyers are jailed in Turkey than in any other place in the world. And the simple recognition of a historical fact--the simple recognition of a historical fact of the Ottoman Empire and the cruel persecution of the Armenian people cannot be recognized by the U.S. Senate the way the House of Representatives recognized it in an overwhelmingly bipartisan vote? Are we so afraid to stand up to history and the truth? Are we so afraid about Turkey? Who is the superpower? Who is the superpower? I am beginning to wonder because every time Turkey threatens to do something, we cower. Well, as far as I am concerned, they don't get to dictate the views of the Congress of the United States. They don't get to dictate the views of this Senate.…”