-9999

Floor Speech

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, the challenges facing America and our allies today are not an a la carte menu of projects we can address at our leisure. No. The most dangerous threats we face are all linked together--all linked together.

Take it from the author of the last administration's National Security Strategy. Russia, Iran, and China ``see the U.S. as weak and in decline'' and are willing ``to put aside their differences to collude against American interests.'' They are extraordinarily willing.

Finland is investigating a case of suspected sabotage by a Chinese ship against an undersea communications cable and gas line connecting the newest member of NATO to Estonia--one of the alliance's most stalwart backers of Ukraine.

Putin's Russia is reportedly helping Iran develop a space launch vehicle--a critical step toward building intercontinental ballistic missiles. In return, Iran isn't just sending Russia kamikaze drones to kill Ukrainians; it is helping build an entire drone factory--a drone factory--on Russian soil.

A Russia state energy company is reportedly providing China with highly enriched uranium. China is swarming social media platforms with pro-Hamas propaganda and protecting both Iran and Russia in the U.N. Security Council.

America doesn't have the luxury of facing these threats individually. Our ability to contend with complex, simultaneous threats is exactly what our adversaries are testing: a Russian war in Europe, Chinese aggression in Asia, Iran-backed terror in the Middle East, and a southern border that is dangerously lacking in credible enforcement. This is the reality we face right now. The Biden administration's supplemental request falls short of adequately addressing all of these linked threats.

Let me explain again what this moment actually requires.

In Europe, the administration needs to provide a clear strategy for a Ukrainian victory. That means prioritizing the lethal military capabilities Ukraine needs right now--no more half measures, no more hesitation.

As former Secretary of State Pompeo put it last week, Americans should be ``accelerating the flow of weapons and ammunition to Kyiv'' because abandoning Ukraine would bolster our adversaries.

We should be empowering Agency inspectors general to continue the unprecedented oversight and accountability work we have built into U.S. assistance since the beginning of Putin's escalation last year. We should continue to invest in expanding America's defense industrial base both to replace capabilities Ukraine is using with newer for our own use and to ramp up production of the ones Israel, Taiwan, and our Indo-Pacific allies and partners need.

In Israel's case, it is especially important that we take stringent measures to ensure no humanitarian assistance bound for the people of Gaza can be intercepted by Hamas terrorists.

I have said before, for any of this supplemental security funding to pass the Senate, we will also need to implement serious policy changes at the southern border. Senate Republicans will not rubberstamp the Biden administration's bailout for a problem it created. We are focused on policies to slow the flow--slow the flow--of illegal migration and secure the border.

America's strategic goals are crystal clear: degrade Russian military strength and prevent major war in Europe; reestablish credible deterrence against Iran and its terrorist networks; grow our defense industrial base to equip our military and our allies in the Indo- Pacific to raise the costs of Chinese aggression; and restore real border security right here at home. That is exactly what the Senate should be focused on.

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Source