Political Quotes

“Mr. Chairman, I yield myself as much time as I may consume. Mr. Chairman, my friend on the other side of the aisle just said that all four witnesses at our April 2 hearing in the Foreign Affairs Committee expressed agreement that President Obama should have submitted the Paris accord to the Senate for ratification. I was there and chaired the hearing. I didn't hear that. Let me tell you that, first of all, we were proud to welcome a distinguished panel of national security leaders, including former military officials. They offered detailed descriptions of the risks that climate change poses to our national security. They talked about how climate change acts as a threat multiplier and a source of international conflict, how it makes individuals more vulnerable to recruitment by violent extremist organizations, how it is increasing great power competition and tensions in places like the Arctic, and how it is the driver of extreme weather and natural disasters that require dangerous and expensive military responses. More to my point, there was a fleeting question about whether any witness disagreed with the statement that President Obama should have submitted the Paris Agreement to the Senate for ratification. The only response, I believe, came from one retired admiral, who simply said, ``military, not political,'' meaning he is not the right guy to ask, nor were any of the other witnesses, so they all sat in silence.…”