Political Quotes

“reserving the right to object--and I appreciate my friend--I do consider him my friend--and colleague and his concern, which we mutually share on this issue. But this legislation was introduced 7 days ago--7 days ago. Most of our colleagues have not even had a chance to read it. The Foreign Relations Committee, which I have the privilege of chairing, has not reviewed or marked up this bill since it just got referred to us. And to my knowledge, my colleague has not made any effort to engage the committee. Especially in light of its sweeping and mandatory nature and the lack of any waiver--even if a waiver were in our national interest--members with expertise in foreign affairs need to have the opportunity to scrutinize the bill. Regular order allows us to refine legislation. It ensures we avoid unintended consequences, and that is needed here. As chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee, I take the threat of Mexican drug trafficking organizations seriously. During my 30 years in Congress, I have made significant efforts to combat drug trafficking in Mexico, Latin America, the Caribbean, and around the world. Given the potential impact of this legislation, I would just ask my colleague the following questions for his consideration--these are the questions I ask myself as I am looking at his request: The U.S. Congress has developed a framework of sanctions specifically to target drug traffickers. It is called the Kingpin Act.…”