Political Quotes

“Instead, Republicans on the Oversight Committee remain obsessed with recycling tired and worn talking points in a cynical attempt to fire up the GOP base before the midterm elections this November. Unfortunately, the regression into crass demagoguery has real world consequences, Mr. Speaker. Our country's diplomatic corps cannot operate effectively if we lock them in fortresses and prevent them from engaging in foreign nations because there might be a risk. The reality is that striking the right balance between necessary security and effective diplomacy is an inherently complex and daunting challenge for our foreign service every day, everywhere. As Ambassador Pickering and Admiral Mullen accurately stated in their review report: No diplomatic presence is without risk, and the total elimination of risk is a nonstarter for U.S. diplomacy. In closing, I would ask my colleagues on the other side of the aisle: Why do they not trust the judgment of this Chamber's foremost military expert, the chairman of the Armed Services Committee, who pronounced himself ``satisfied that where the troops were, how quickly the thing all happened, and how quickly it dissipated, we probably couldn't have done more than we did''? The SPEAKER pro tempore. The time of the gentleman has expired.”