On the recordFebruary 2, 2017
One final point: I want to take a moment to mention Ukraine. Yesterday Rex Tillerson was sworn in as Secretary of State. In addition to dealing with the fallout from the President's first engagements with Australia and Mexico, I want to call the Secretary's attention to the situation in Ukraine. Since President Trump's call with Mr. Putin last weekend, there has been a significant increase in violence. I hope Secretary Tillerson will ensure that there is a strong statement from the Trump administration condemning these escalatory actions by the Russians. I also hope my Republican counterparts will start doing what they did last year every time this happened: Come to the floor and demand that the Senate act on tough sanctions against Russia. As I have said before, Russia remains a strategic threat to our Nation, and countering them needs to remain a deeply bipartisan effort. Mr. President, I yield the floor. ____________________
