Floor Statements

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent to speak for up to 5 minutes before the previously scheduled recess.

Mr. President, I am going to talk for a minute about H. Con. Res. 86, the item of business that is before the U.S. Senate this morning.

This is a House concurrent resolution, which states, in operative part:

Congress directs the President to remove United States

Armed Forces from hostilities against the Islamic Republic of

Iran.

I am going to urge everyone to vote no on this.

It is wrong on so many levels, starting with the fact that a concurrent resolution process, which this attempts to do, has been held unconstitutional by the U.S. Supreme Court. So whatever happens with this, it is going to have no effect. The President isn't going to pay any attention to it. That is one thing.

The second thing that is wrong with this is it directs him to remove U.S. Armed Forces from hostilities. There are no Armed Forces at this moment that are engaged in hostilities with Iran.

The third thing--and the most important thing--is that voting on this, whether it passes or fails, sends a message to Iran. If this passes, the Iranians are going to simply stand up and walk away from negotiations. They are going to say: This thing is over. The Congress has told the President of the United States: Leave us alone. We can do whatever we want to do.

And they will walk away.

If you think that is a good idea, you should vote for this. On the other hand, if you believe in what the President of the United States has done--and that is, bring the Iranians to the table to negotiate on items that they have refused to negotiate on for a long time in the past--and that he has used the Armed Forces of the United States to bring them to the table, then you should vote no on this.

Let diplomacy work. Give the President, give the Department of State, give the current administration the ability to, once again, give Iran the opportunity to do the right thing. Maybe they will. We don't know for sure yet because we have 50-some days left of the negotiations. But we ought to at least give that an opportunity to work.

I urge everyone to vote no on the resolution.

I yield the floor.

Mr. President, I have six requests for committees to meet during today's session of the Senate. They have the approval of the Majority and Minority Leaders.

Pursuant to Rule XXVI, paragraph 5(a), of the Standing Rules of the Senate, the following committees are authorized to meet during today's session of the Senate:

Mr. President, section 36(b) of the Arms Export Control Act requires that Congress receive prior notification of certain proposed arms sales as defined by that statute. Upon such notification, the Congress has 30 calendar days during which the sale may be reviewed. The provision stipulates that, in the Senate, the notification of proposed sales shall be sent to the chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

In keeping with the committee's intention to see that relevant information is still available to the full Senate, I ask unanimous consent to have printed in the Record the notifications that have been received. If the cover letter references a classified annex, then such an annex is available to all Senators in the office of the Foreign Relations Committee, room SD-423.

Mr. President, section 36(b) of the Arms Export Control Act requires that Congress receive prior notification of certain proposed arms sales as defined by that statute. Upon such notification, the Congress has 30 calendar days during which the sale may be reviewed. The provision stipulates that, in the Senate, the notification of proposed sales shall be sent to the chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

In keeping with the committee's intention to see that relevant information is still available to the full Senate, I ask unanimous consent to have printed in the Record the notifications that have been received. If the cover letter references a classified annex, then such an annex is available to all Senators in the office of the Foreign Relations Committee, room SD-423.

Mr. President, section 36(b) of the Arms Export Control Act requires that Congress receive prior notification of certain proposed arms sales as defined by that statute. Upon such notification, the Congress has 30 calendar days during which the sale may be reviewed. The provision stipulates that, in the Senate, the notification of proposed sales shall be sent to the chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

In keeping with the committee's intention to see that relevant information is still available to the full Senate, I ask unanimous consent to have printed in the Record the notifications that have been received. If the cover letter references a classified annex, then such an annex is available to all Senators in the office of the Foreign Relations Committee, room SD-423.

Mr. President, section 36(b) of the Arms Export Control Act requires that Congress receive prior notification of certain proposed arms sales as defined by that statute. Upon such notification, the Congress has 30 calendar days during which the sale may be reviewed. The provision stipulates that, in the Senate, the notification of proposed sales shall be sent to the chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

In keeping with the committee's intention to see that relevant information is still available to the full Senate, I ask unanimous consent to have printed in the Record the notifications that have been received. If the cover letter references a classified annex, then such an annex is available to all Senators in the office of the Foreign Relations Committee, room SD-423.

Mr. President, section 36(b) of the Arms Export Control Act requires that Congress receive prior notification of certain proposed arms sales as defined by that statute. Upon such notification, the Congress has 30 calendar days during which the sale may be reviewed. The provision stipulates that, in the Senate, the notification of proposed sales shall be sent to the chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

In keeping with the committee's intention to see that relevant information is still available to the full Senate, I ask unanimous consent to have printed in the Record the notifications that have been received. If the cover letter references a classified annex, then such an annex is available to all

Senators in the office of the Foreign Relations Committee, room SD-423.

Madam President, I am going to be very brief on this as I have given this speech I can't remember how many times before as the other side has attempted to help Iran and bring these resolutions forth that would stop the President from pushing back against Iran and the terrible things that they have done.

Specifically, on this one, like the others, this is what they are asking Congress to vote for. The operative language says:

[C]ongress hereby directs the President to remove the

United States Armed Forces from hostilities within or against

[Iran].

Well, there are a number of problems with this. First of all, the United States Armed Forces are not engaged in hostilities within or against Iran. They have been, but it has been over for some time. So there is not--it directs the President to do nothing in that respect because it is impossible to do something that is not going on--stop something that isn't going on.

But more importantly, I think, as we go forward with this, it is widely reported that an agreement has been reached between Iran and the administration, which is going to be signed here in the next few days.

If a miracle happened--a miracle happened--and this passed, got through the Senate, got through the House, and the President signed it, if that miracle happened, do you think Iran would sign the deal that has been negotiated? Of course not.

So, once again, what do we have? Nobody on this planet wanting to help Iran except for the 47 people on this side of the aisle. China is not helping. Russia is not helping. North Korea is not helping. Cuba is not helping. Venezuela is not helping. None of the autocracies, bad countries on this planet are helping. But you have 47 people here who are trying to help the Iranians.

So I was mistaken. When the war started, I came out on this floor, and I said in closing: Iran, nobody is coming to help you.

I was wrong. One entity is coming to help, and it is these 47 people over here. But the good news is, this is not going to pass. It is not well-taken. It is something that can't possibly happen because it is not going on. If it did happen, it would give tremendous aid and comfort to our enemy.

I would sincerely urge all Members of this body to vote no.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for the quorum call be rescinded.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the previously scheduled rollcall vote begin forthwith.

Mr. President, section 36(b) of the Arms Export Control Act requires that Congress receive prior notification of certain proposed arms sales as defined by that statue. Upon such notification, the Congress has 30 calendar days during which the sale may be reviewed. The provision stipulates that, in the Senate, the notification of proposed sales shall be sent to the chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

In keeping with the committee's intention to see that relevant information is still available to the full Senate, I ask unanimous consent to have printed tin the Record the notifications that have been received. If the cover letter references a classified annex, then such an annex is available to all Senators in the office of the Foreign Relations Committee, room SD-423.

Mr. President, section 36(b) of the Arms Export Control Act requires that Congress receive prior notification of certain proposed arms sales as defined by that statute. Upon such notification, the Congress has 30 calendar days during which the sale may be reviewed. The provision stipulates that, in the Senate, the notification of proposed sales shall be sent to the chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

In keeping with the committee's intention to see that relevant information is still available to the full Senate, I ask unanimous consent to have printed in the Record the notifications that have been received. If the cover letter references a classified annex, then such an annex is available to all Senators in the office of the Foreign Relations Committee, room SD-423.

Mr. President, section 36(b) of the Arms Export Control Act requires that Congress receive prior notification of certain proposed arms sales as defined by that statute. Upon such notification, the Congress has 30 calendar days during which the sale may be reviewed. The provision stipulates that, in the Senate, the notification of proposed sales shall be sent to the chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

In keeping with the committee's intention to see that relevant information is still available to the full Senate, I ask unanimous consent to have printed in the Record the notifications that have been received. If the cover letter references a classified annex, then such an annex is available to all Senators in the office of the Foreign Relations Committee, room SD-423.

Mr. President, section 36(b) of the Arms Export Control Act requires that Congress receive prior notification of certain proposed arms sales as defined by that statute. Upon such notification, the Congress has 30 calendar days during which the sale may be reviewed. The provision stipulates that, in the Senate, the notification of proposed sales shall be sent to the chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

In keeping with the committee's intention to see that relevant information is still available to the full Senate, I ask unanimous consent to have printed in the Record the notifications that have been received. If the cover letter references a classified annex, then such an annex is available to all Senators in the office of the Foreign Relations Committee, room SD-423.

Mr. President, section 36(b) of the Arms Export Control Act requires that Congress receive prior notification of certain proposed arms sales as defined by that statute. Upon such notification, the Congress has 30 calendar days during which the sale may be reviewed. The provision stipulates that, in the Senate, the notification of proposed sales shall be sent to the chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

In keeping with the committee's intention to see that relevant information is still available to the full Senate, I ask unanimous consent to have printed in the Record the notifications that have been received. If the cover letter references a classified annex, then such an annex is available to all Senators in the office of the Foreign Relations Committee, room SD-423.