Qatar
Floor Speech
BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT
Mr. SCHATZ. Madam President, I cannot believe I have to say this, but a President should not take a $400 million gift from a foreign country. It doesn't matter which President or what party. It doesn't matter which foreign country. It doesn't matter if there is or is not a legal justification. No President should take a $400 million gift from a foreign country.
I shouldn't have to explain why, but it is a high principle, literally enshrined in the Constitution because people whom we represent should know--not think but know--that their representatives are focused on them and this country only; that our loyalties are not divided; that our minds are not wandering elsewhere.
The emoluments clause in the Constitution--it is a fancy phrase but a simple idea: no foreign gifts. If a foreign government offers you anything but especially something worth close to half a billion dollars, the answer is, no, thank you. End of story. Very simple. End of story. I cannot take that. First of all, I cannot take that because I can't have divided loyalties. I am going into the region; I can't take a $400 million gift before I begin negotiations with you. But it is also explicitly prohibited by the U.S. Constitution.
And the gift in question is that the country of Qatar is going to literally provide a luxury aircraft--not just any luxury aircraft to the President of the United States but Air Force One. And why does this matter? Air Force One is not just a random luxury airplane. It is a symbol of and a projection of American power. It has flown 15 different Presidents. It carried President John F. Kennedy's body after his assassination and saw President Johnson be sworn in under unprecedented circumstances. It rushed George W. Bush back to Washington after the Twin Towers were struck. And just 2 years ago, it flew President Joe Biden to Europe for a secret trip to Ukraine during the war.
When people see Air Force One on TV, when they see it land in other countries--whether in London or Tokyo or Brazil--they immediately know that America has arrived. It represents not just the weight of the Presidency but America itself, generations of history and international leadership.
But in one fell swoop, Trump is selling out one of the most iconic symbols of American power that we have, and what people will now see is the most powerful man on Earth flying around in a plane paid for by a foreign government. It is disgusting. It is wildly corrupt. And just because they are doing the corruption in plain sight not does make it any less damning or sad or gross.
This week, several of my colleagues and I will be asking the Senate to vote to condemn this action. There should be 100 of us that agree on this fundamental principle: No President should take free stuff from a foreign government and certainly nothing worth $400 million.
BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT
Source