Political Quotes

“I thank the gentleman for yielding me the time. Mr. Chairman, I rise in strong support of three measures I offered that are part of this and a later en bloc amendment. First is an amendment I coauthored with the Committee on Foreign Affairs chairman, Ed Royce. For more than 4 years, the Assad regime has rained down terror on its own citizens in the form of barrel bombs in Syria. Thousands upon thousands of Syrians have abandoned their homes and spilled across the border into Lebanon, Turkey, and Jordan. They are begging the world for help. While it wouldn't nearly solve this problem, a no-fly zone or a safe zone would provide a glimmer of hope for these people. Our amendment would require the Pentagon leaders to take a hard look at the feasibility of establishing a no-fly zone. My second amendment would require the Pentagon to report to Congress on the way reductions in U.S. military readiness in Europe would affect NATO's core mission of collective defense. This report would be required before any reduction in Europe takes place. I view Vladimir Putin's aggression as the greatest threat to European security since World War II. Today, NATO's article 5 must remain a credible deterrent. My amendment takes a step in that direction. Finally, I offered legislation to make sure U.S. training programs for Afghan National Security Forces include training on the protection of human rights.…”