Executive Calendar

Floor Speech

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Mr. WARNER. Mr. President, it has been 2\1/2\ weeks since the President announced he was abruptly withdrawing U.S. forces from Syria--betraying our Kurdish allies and derailing the international fight against ISIS in Syria.

In the course of one tweet, this President blindsided our allies in the region--yes, the Kurds--but the Israelis and others as well. He blindsided our diplomats and blindsided our military from the top brass down to our forces who serve on the ground. Frankly, the only one who seemed to know that this was coming was the Turkish President, Mr. Erdogan.

As a result, brave men and women who have fought alongside the United States are now at risk of being slaughtered by Turkish forces. Already, Kurdish fighters and unarmed civilians have been killed by Turkish armed groups--militias. Already, hundreds of ISIS detainees have escaped from prison, and ISIS is being given the space and time to regroup.

Simply put, we may be witnessing one of the most significant counterterrorism setbacks in recent history.

With nowhere else to turn, the Kurds have aligned themselves with the Assad regime. That is good news for one of history's most brutal dictators--a man who gases his own people. It is also good news for his allies in Iran.

No one has, perhaps, benefited more from this disaster than Vladimir Putin. Just this week, Russia and Turkey agreed to a new joint strategy in Syria, green-lighting Russian and Syrian forces to clear the border region of any of our remaining Kurdish allies and, unfortunately, expanding Russia's footprint in the Middle East.

The truth is that I believe the President's sudden withdrawal from Syria without his having a plan and without there being serious consideration for our Kurdish allies is a disaster that may haunt our foreign policy for decades to come.

If this is how the United States treats its allies, how will anyone trust the United States on a going-forward basis?

Frankly, I fear most of the damage may have already been done. No tweet, no press conference, and no personal assurance from Erdogan or anyone else can rebuild the years of trust and progress that have been destroyed. The least we can do--and perhaps, unfortunately, the most we can do--is to make sure those Kurdish allies who served alongside U.S. forces as translators and in other military support roles are not left to die in Syria.

That is why I have introduced the Syrian Allies Protection Act. This legislation is similar to programs in the past which have granted special immigration visas to Iraqi and Afghan nationals who have served alongside U.S. forces. The truth is these Kurdish allies and their families are now at risk because of their work with U.S. forces. They are threatened not only by the Turkish incursion but also by freed ISIS fighters and Assad regime forces.

This legislation would provide permanent American residence to Syrian nationals who have worked for the U.S. Armed Forces for at least 6 months, who have obtained a favorable recommendation from a general or a flag officer in the chain of command, and who have passed a thorough background check and screening.

The legislation also directs the administration to evacuate eligible individuals to safety. If their lives are at risk by remaining in Syria, they can either be brought to the United States or to a third country while appropriate vetting takes place.

This legislation will not reverse what we did to our Kurdish allies, but it will show those who have worked with our military forces--in many cases, we have heard of translators and others whom the American forces left without having even said goodbye because they had to withdraw so quickly--that the American people appreciate the profound sacrifices they have made in their supporting U.S. forces in the fight against ISIS. It would at least remove part of the sting.

2625 and the Senate proceed to its immediate consideration; further, that the bill be considered read a third time and passed; and that the motion to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table with no intervening action or debate.

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Mr. WARNER. Mr. President, I disagree with my friend from Kentucky about what may or may not happen.

I believe that one thing we agree with him on is that we have not often had well-organized plans in the Middle East.

The unique thing about our alliance with the Kurds was that after trying in Iraq, Afghanistan, and other places around the region to find allies who would actually stand up and fight, in the Kurds, we found those allies, and they did a remarkable job dismantling ISIS.

Now, the prognostication of the Senator from Kentucky I don't agree with it, but time will tell. The one area, though, and what my legislation would have done and where I am disappointed we were not able to move forward on, is regardless of the changed circumstances that the Assad regime may have in terms of treating people with more respect or the Turkish militias, which we have already seen evidence of their killing of Kurdish fighters, the one group--the one group I think that it is probably safe to say will be the targets of both the Syrians, the Turks--the militias--will be those Kurdish individuals who worked directly for the U.S. military.

Even if the prognostication of the Senator from Kentucky plays out on a more macro basis, I don't think anyone with a straight face can say the Kurdish translators, who 2 weeks ago were working for the American forces, will not be victims of--whether it be Turkish, Syrian, Russian, or other--aggression.

I think it would have been the right thing. I am going to continue to try to find ways to bring this legislation to the floor. I know it will be broadly bipartisan supported. I hope we will have a chance to revisit this.

I don't think we can ever fully reverse the actions this President has taken, but at least in terms of these transfers--I am not talking about taking the whole Kurdish leadership--but these, generally, men who 2 weeks ago were working for the American military, I think we owe them a greater debt of obligation than to simply say good luck.

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Mr. WARNER. I will not belabor the point. I know my friend from Connecticut is here to raise another issue.

I don't agree with the analysis of the Senator from Kentucky. I hope he proves to be right. I would agree with him; sometimes our notion that we are going to find Thomas Jefferson to rebuild these countries has not proven to be the case.

This legislation I am proposing is not broad policy changing; it is simply saying let's look at a very limited universe of individuals who 2 weeks ago were working with the American military.

My fear is, at least in terms of how those translators and their families will be viewed by both the Turks and by the Assad forces, that they will not be viewed as Thomas Jeffersons, but they will be viewed as Benedict Arnolds, and my fear is their fate will be on our hands.

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