Political Quotes

“Mr. President, that money the Senator referred to was money that was already existing and it was at a critical time. The United States and Egypt have a longstanding security relationship that is vital to the stability of the Middle East and the security of the region. Our aid to Egypt is tied directly to the Camp David Accord which has acted to stabilize the Middle East and has helped to serve America and Israel's security for the past 35 years. It is vital and it can't be put at risk. We also have significant interests in Egypt in countering terrorism, addressing the deteriorating security in the Sinai, and maintaining preferential access to the Suez Canal. We cannot give the Egyptian leaders a blank check, but we also cannot have a collapse of the Egyptian economy which Israel would face the immediate consequences of. This is the type of amendment that does not consider the checks and balances necessary and the complexities of the issue, which we will handle in the committee. I urge my colleagues to vote against the amendment. The PRESIDING OFFICER. The question is on agreeing to the amendment.”