[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.