Bob Menendez

Do not make the same mistake we did. You know, we kissed the Americans good-bye, and we need them today.

Do not bluff the Americans. The Americans were willing to stay in Iraq. We told them we did not want them.

Without continued international military and economic support, Afghanistan risks falling back into civil war.

I don't believe that there can be any serious doubt that the Afghan people want American and NATO forces to stay and recognize that the BSA is a necessary prerequisite.

Prolonged delay in concluding the BSA... can only diminish the prospect that these pledges will be fully met.

I see little chance that the BSA will not be eventually concluded.

I do not believe that there can be any serious doubt that the Afghan people want the United States and NATO forces to stay.

Let me reiterate, finally, that the United States has no intention in interfering in the election process.

I am also deeply concerned about the disenfranchisement of women, especially in rural areas.

President Karzai has, in my view, unwisely decided to gamble with the lives of millions of his citizens with a delay in signing the Bilateral Security Agreement.

This brinksmanship is unwarranted and, frankly, insulting to the sacrifices made by the United States military and taxpayers.

The longer this uncertainty about the future international commitment to Afghanistan continues, the more anxiety will increase.

Simply put, at some point the United States has to ask if we should let our long-term interests and our substantial investments in Afghanistan be determined by a lame-duck President.

Ask the thousands of Afghans who participated in the Loya Jirga last month and overwhelmingly called for Afghanistan to sign the BSA.

He argued that it was harsh sanctions that have brought Iran to the negotiating table in the first place.

New Jersey is the pharmaceutical capital of the Nation and the world, medicine cabinet to the world.

To use the President's words exactly, 'What are we waiting for?'

It is common sense, in my mind, given the current economic circumstances, that we should remove barriers to foreign investment in the United States.

I appreciate this opportunity to join Senator Booker in introducing a gentleman from Montclair, New Jersey, to be our next Homeland Security Secretary.

My memory is seared by the fact of the 700 New Jerseyians who lost their life on that fateful September day.

I had legislation last year to deal with this. I am going to reintroduce it again.

Full recovery is not a reality for the people of New Jersey. There are many people who are hurting, Mr. Chairman, and they continue to languish.

If, as I regrettably suspect, political transition will not be on the table in any meaningful way any time soon, then our diplomatic effort... has to focus on persuading Teheran and Moscow to get their client out of the business of war…

I would conclude by pleading that we not avert our gaze from the humanitarian catastrophe that is unfolding before us.

Mr. Assad seems to have concluded that he can do anything he likes provided he does it without chemicals.