Political Quotes

“I thank the gentleman from Washington for yielding time to me, and I rise in support of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2015. As the ranking member on the Foreign Affairs Committee, I would like to thank Chairman McKeon and Ranking Member Smith for working with Chairman Royce and me in a productive manner on many of the international provisions contained in title 12 of this legislation. The State Department and other civilian foreign affairs agencies work side by side with the U.S. military in protecting the national security of the United States, and it is very important that our two committees do the same. Mr. Speaker, this NDAA underscores the complex challenges and dangers we confront around the world, in the Middle East, South Asia, Europe, Africa, and East Asia. There are many important provisions in this bill, but I would like to take a moment to highlight section 1209, which would reauthorize the Pentagon's train-and-equip program for the moderate, vetted Syrian opposition. For far too long, the moderate opposition in Syria has been waiting for our support. They are now fighting a three-front war against the Assad regime, ISIL, and the al Qaeda-backed Nusra front. To defeat ISIL and create the conditions necessary for a political transition in Syria, we need the moderate opposition to serve as ``boots on the ground'' in Syria.…”