Water Resources Development Act of 2016

Floor Speech

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Mrs. ERNST. Mr. President, I thank the Senator very much. It is an honor to join my freshmen colleagues on the floor of the U.S. Senate to talk about our failing national security strategy.

This past weekend, we all bowed our heads in remembrance of the nearly 3,000 brave souls we lost on September 11, 2001. The response to those horrific attacks was not as our Islamic extremist enemies had hoped. America did not falter. We bonded together and we fought back. We fought back.

The response to 9/11 was a comprehensive one, with an object as clear as its name--the global war on terror. From places like Sub-Saharan Africa, Afghanistan, and the Philippines, U.S. troops operating under Operation Enduring Freedom showed those responsible for 9/11 the true power of the United States of America. From combat operations in Somalia to advising missions in South America, there has long been a global and a comprehensive strategy to our response to 9/11. There was American leadership.

Today, the administration has dismantled that global strategy. There is no leadership. Their failure to develop a strategy in 2011 for the troop withdrawal in Iraq and their continued fight for lower troop numbers in Afghanistan, those are just a couple of examples that are the tip of the iceberg.

One of the most alarming things in this administration--one of the most alarming things they have done is not only ignore threats but also fuel those threats, just as they did with the Iran nuclear deal. The nuclear deal that this administration brokered with Iran is putting taxpayer dollars into the pockets of the largest State sponsor of terrorism.

Let's look at some of the recent headlines that are centered on Iran.

CNN: ``Iran continues to seek illicit nuclear technology.'' That is from CNN.

Reuters: ``Iran test-fired ballistic missiles,'' which is against international law.

The Wall Street Journal: ``Iran begins construction on second nuclear power plant.''

The New York Times: ``Russia sends bombers to Syria using base in Iran.''

And how about this alarming headline from the Wall Street Journal: ``The U.S. sent another $1.3 billion to Iran after hostages were released.''

Yet we continue to allow this. We are allowing this.

Just last weekend, Iran threatened to shoot down our Navy aircraft in the region. These are our men and women, and Iran is threatening to shoot them down. What is next, folks? These actions will only continue because this administration yields to their demands. From the start, I have spoken out against this deal with Iran, which not only threatens our safety but the safety of our ally Israel. It threatens us here at home as well.

As we remembered the victims of 9/11 this past weekend, I was reminded of Iran's link to Al Qaeda, the ones who carried out that horrific attack on our homeland 15 years ago. In 2011, the Treasury Department officially accused Iran. This is our Treasury Department. They accused Iran, as the Wall Street Journal report put it, ``of forging an alliance with Al Qaeda in a pact that allows the terrorist group to use Iranian soil as a transit point for moving money, arms, and fighters to its bases in Pakistan and Afghanistan.''

It is astounding that despite all of this, we continue to broker a deal with Iran. Before more of these dangerous acts continue, we should scrap this ill-advised deal and hold Iran accountable for all of their actions.

I say to Senator Daines, I am very, very proud that my Republican colleagues are joining me here on the floor today to recognize that our country needs leadership. We need leadership. I look forward to the thoughts from my friend on the Armed Services Committee, the Senator from South Dakota.

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