Political Quotes

“Mr. Chairman, I am pleased to support this amendment. There has been some misinformation out there about what this amendment would actually do, so let me just clear up a few things. This measure is a prohibition on the United States deploying a short- or intermediate-range ground-launched ballistic or cruise missile system--just the United States. It has nothing to do with any other country. We want to prevent an arms race. We want to push back on the President's careless and reckless approach to Russia. The INF Treaty has been a cornerstone of arms control for 30 years. Yes, we are clear about the threat Russia poses. Yes, Russia has violated this treaty again and again, which threatens transatlantic security and stability. This is no surprise, coming from Vladimir Putin. But we have to use every diplomatic tool at our disposal to try to salvage the treaty. Instead, the administration followed Putin's lead and walked away, and now Russia will feel totally unconstrained to start another arms race. So I know that the relationship with Putin and all kinds of things that Putin does, we have to be very, very wary about it, and I just think what the gentlewoman is doing is a commonsense approach to this. The United States can go back at any time and change our policy. And when it comes to Russia and Putin, we don't trust them. Trust and verify. I thank the gentlewoman for yielding.”