[Congressional Record Volume 158, Number 24 (Tuesday, February 14, 2012)]
[Senate]
[Pages S593-S594]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
Egypt
Mr. PAUL. Mr. President, some Senators are concerned that I may be
delaying a vote in the Senate. This is not true. I offered yesterday to
vote on my amendment with 10 minutes of discussion. I have offered to
vote immediately at any point in time.
I do think it is worth 10 minutes of our time and 10 minutes of
America's time to discuss the plight of U.S. citizens in Egypt. I don't
think 10 minutes is too much to ask to discuss, debate, and vote on
whether Egypt should continue to get aid from us while detaining our
citizens. Egypt is unlawfully preventing U.S. citizens from leaving
that country. I don't think 10 minutes is too much to ask. We have sent
over $60 billion in aid to Egypt over the years, and they now hold 19
U.S. citizens virtually hostage.
Will we ever learn? Will we ever learn we can't buy friendship?
Nineteen U.S. citizens who traveled to Egypt to help Egypt embrace
democracy, to help Egypt to have an elective government, to enjoy the
freedoms we enjoy and the success we enjoy having a democratic
government, those Americans are now being prevented from leaving Egypt.
Some of the prodemocracy workers are, in fact, seeking refuge in the
U.S. Embassy.
This is a tragedy and something we should make a clear and
unequivocal statement about. Does Egypt wish to be part of the
civilized world or do they wish to descend into the lawlessness of the
Third World? Some have argued we don't need these provisions, that
there are already provisions in place to prevent Egypt from getting
aid. Apparently, the Egyptians aren't listening, and they need to
listen very clearly.
The amendment I proposed will end all aid to Egypt--economic and
military. We give over $1.5 billion to Egypt every year, and we cannot
continue to give aid to a country that is illegally detaining our U.S.
citizens.
Some have said the provisions we already have will take care of this.
There are a couple problems. The Egyptians aren't hearing that message,
so the message needs to be louder and more firm. We will not tolerate
any country holding U.S. citizens as hostages or lawlessly. I think
Egypt needs to know America means business, and that is what this
debate is all about.
I don't think it is too much to ask the Senate to consider this
proposal on Egypt; let's spend 10 minutes and let's have a vote to send
a message to Egypt.
The question is, Will we ever learn? Will we ever learn we cannot buy
friendship? Will we ever learn we cannot create Democrats out of
authoritarians simply by buying them off? We have tried it. We have
sent billions of dollars to Africa and asked authoritarians who rape
and pillage and torture their own people, and we give them more money
trying to convince them to be democratic. It doesn't work.
We need to have a firmer hand and say there will be no more aid to
countries that detain U.S. citizens, that don't allow their citizens to
vote, and to countries that torture and rape and pillage their
population.
We have sent billions of dollars to Afghanistan, and it is an insult
to Americans--particularly to American soldiers--that the President of
Afghanistan has said if there were a war, he would side with Pakistan
against the United States.
Will we ever learn? We send money--billions of dollars--to these
countries, and apparently they still dislike us, disrespect us, and say
they will side with our enemies.
There are now officials in Pakistan, which has gotten billions of
dollars from us, saying Pakistan will side with Iran. Afghanistan is
telling us they will side with Pakistan. So Pakistan will side with
Iran, and what does the chump, the U.S. taxpayer, get? Send more money.
No. 1, we don't even have the money. We are borrowing the money from
China, and we are asked to send more money to people who disrespect us.
I think that is an insult that should end.
Will we ever learn? Will we ever learn we can't buy friendship? Will
we ever learn authoritarians, no matter how much money we give them,
will not become democratic? Egypt must be put on notice.
The President is not leading on this issue. Just a few weeks ago, the
President's Under Secretary of State, Robert Hormats, stated he wanted
to make sure the administration assured the Egyptians that we want to
provide them ``more immediate benefits.''
Do you think that maybe the President is sending the wrong message to
the Egyptians? They are detaining 19 U.S. citizens and preventing them
from coming home and U.S. citizens are holed up in our Embassy and the
administration says we need to make sure the benefits get there
immediately. The administration is bragging about sending more aid to
Egypt.
Just yesterday, the President came out with a new budget. Guess what.
There is $1.5 billion of taxpayer money to be sent to Egypt. What kind
of message are we sending them? I think the President is not leading
the country and is not exemplifying what most Americans would want;
that is, to send a clear and unequivocal message to Egypt that we will
not tolerate this behavior or subsidize this behavior.
Think of it. The American taxpayer is being asked to subsidize a
government that is detaining U.S. citizens. The American taxpayer is
being asked to subsidize Pakistan, that says they would side with Iran.
The American citizen, the American taxpayer, is being asked to
subsidize Afghanistan, that said they would side with Pakistan against
us. All the while we are running trillion-dollar deficits, borrowing
this money, and bankrupting our country.
The Egyptians need to be sent a clear and unequivocal message. I
think it is worth 10 minutes of the Senate's time to have a vote. I
think it is worth it for the 19 U.S. citizens. If it were my child in
Egypt working there for a prodemocracy group, I would want to think the
[[Page S594]]
Senate had 10 minutes of time. I would want to think the Senate can
spare 10 minutes of time to send the Egyptians a signal that we will
not tolerate this and they must let our citizens come home.
The United States will not and should not stand for the detention of
American citizens. The United States will not stand for imprisonment or
travel restrictions on its citizens, and the United States should not
send aid to a government that so casually accuses American citizens of
political crimes.
So while some will say I am holding up the business of the Senate, I
argue this is the business of the Senate; that foreign policy was
delegated--much of it--to the Senate, that we are abdicating our role,
and that we as the Senate should send a clear and unequivocal message
to Egypt. So I will continue to argue, despite much opposition, to have
a vote to send a signal to Egypt that we will not tolerate the
detention of U.S. citizens.
Mr. President, I yield the floor, and I suggest the absence of a
quorum.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.
The assistant legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from South Dakota.
Mr. JOHNSON of South Dakota. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent
that the order for the quorum call be rescinded.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
Mr. JOHNSON of South Dakota. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent
that I be allowed to speak in morning business.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
Mr. JOHNSON of South Dakota. Mr. President, I also ask unanimous
consent that following my statement, the Banking Committee's ranking
member be recognized, followed by Senator Menendez of New Jersey, and
that all time they consume be counted toward the postcloture time.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.