Foreign Policy

Floor Speech

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Mr. BARRASSO. Madam President, I come to the floor today following the U.S. airstrike in Iraq, the airstrike that killed Iranian's terrorist mastermind.

I fully support President Trump's decision. As Commander in Chief, I believe he had an obligation to do what he did to act when American lives were at stake. With the death of Iran's General Soleimani, the American people and people around the world are much safer.

This general was an emboldened, blood-thirsty terrorist. He was a killer. He has the blood of countless people around the world on his hands.

In the last 2 months, we have seen 11 attacks--11 attacks--on U.S. forces and bases, including the killing of an American citizen.

He became bolder and more aggressive in both his actions and his ambitions, and he was stepping up his attacks on Americans. In fact, General Soleimani was at war with the United States his entire career, and it was a military career. He was the commander of Iran's terrorist network.

In recent months, we watched as he personally directed brazen attacks on our Embassy and our personnel in Iraq. We knew that more attacks were coming, so the United States took action.

Soleimani's death makes America safer in the long run. Taking out this war criminal will help us avoid war in the future.

Let me be clear: I don't want war with Iran. The United States does not want war with Iran, but we know that appeasement does not work. The Obama administration's strategy of wishful thinking failed.

Soleimani's terrorist network was made more powerful by U.S. money. The Obama administration gave billions and billions of U.S. dollars as part of that Iran nuclear deal. What did they do with the money? They used the money to support terrorists around the world. Without a doubt, appeasement brought only failure. It made Iran stronger, and it hurt the United States and our allies.

We know that the winning strategy is peace through strength. We knew it through Ronald Reagan, and we know it today. Already, U.S. sanctions on Iran have been crushing and crippling. We must continue President Trump's maximum-pressure campaign. Now Iran knows the United States means what it says. We are prepared for retaliations, should they come.

This past weekend, Joe Biden actually said that Iran is in the driver's seat. Iran is not in the driver's seat; Iran is in the center of the bull's-eye.

U.S. forces will respond. We will respond to any future attacks on Americans or Americans' safety, and we will do it swiftly and with a punishing response.

It will be a grave mistake for Iran to further escalate tensions. Instead, what Iran ought to do is dial down its aggressive nature and posture.

The facts are these: General Soleimani was a blood-thirty terrorist. He had the blood of innocent civilians on his hands, and he would have killed many more if given the chance.

This general spent his entire career at war with the United States. He was responsible for the deaths of American soldiers--hundreds of deaths with IEDs--and for the maiming of American soldiers with roadside bombs. Thousands of Americans have been permanently disabled because of him.

Thankfully, the general's 20-year reign of terror has now ended, and there is broad condemnation all around the world over the mass destruction and the death that he caused. It is now time for Iran to take a step back, away from nuclear weapons, away from terrorism, away from aggressions, and to come to the table. It is time for them to discuss peace.

Thank you.

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Source