Ted Poe: “I thank the chairman for the time, and I also thank the chairman and the ranking member for bringing this legislation to…”

“I thank the chairman for the time, and I also thank the chairman and the ranking member for bringing this legislation to the floor in a very speedy and efficient manner. I will also say I have great respect for my friend from California (Mr. Rohrabacher). He knows a lot about foreign affairs, but we disagree on what the evidence shows in this particular matter. Mr. Speaker, Mark Twain once said that, ``History doesn't repeat itself, but it does rhyme.'' Well, Russia is quite the poet these days. In 2008, Russia invaded Georgia and confiscated one-third of that Nation's territory. The world watched, complained a little bit. The world moved on. There were no consequences. And the Russians, Mr. Speaker, are still there. Again, second verse, same as the first. The ``Napoleon of Siberia'' has invaded Ukraine and seized Crimea. Putin is bent on establishing a Soviet-style empire and allegedly uniting Russian-speaking people throughout the world. Well, who knows who his next target will be. It could be our friends in Moldova, the rest of Ukraine, or Estonia. Russia has been able to maintain dominance over the region because of its vast energy sources, especially natural gas. Six countries in Europe rely 100 percent on Russia for their natural gas. Russia uses gas as a political and economic weapon to manipulate these countries. I was in Ukraine in winter when Russia turned off the gas for political reasons. It was cold. It was dark.…”