Political Quotes

“I stand tonight in support of the amendment of Senator Paul to provide limitations on the amount and scope of foreign aid the United States sends abroad. This is not a decision I have reached quickly, nor is it an issue I take lightly. I appreciate that, as some of my colleagues have pointed out, conditions already exist on some of the foreign aid we send to Pakistan, Egypt, Libya, and Yemen. I respectfully submit, however, that these conditions are not producing the desired result nor are they yet fully enforced. For example, is Pakistan cooperating with the United States on countering terrorism efforts and preventing terrorists from basing or operating in Pakistan, as is already required in section 7046 of Public Law 112-74? Are the programs and activities we support in Afghanistan sustainable, as is also required by section 7046? If the answer to these and to other questions regarding this aid could possibly be no, then we have an obligation to the American people to at least review this aid and inspect every single dollar we send abroad to ensure that the billions of dollars we send to Pakistan, to Egypt, and to Libya are well spent. I support this amendment, if for no other reason than to begin the debate on the merit of sending billions of American dollars abroad each and every year. When will we stop sending this kind of money to nations that harbor terrorists and imprison those who, like Dr. Afridi, would defend our interests?…”