[Congressional Record Volume 159, Number 129 (Thursday, September 26, 2013)]
[House]
[Page H5838]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                             FOREIGN POLICY

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from 
California (Mr. Issa) for 5 minutes.
  Mr. ISSA. Mr. Speaker, as a proud Californian, I join Ms. Pelosi in 
congratulating Oracle Team USA. Ever since Dennis Conner brought the 
Cup to California, we, as Californians, are very proud of it.
  I didn't spend the weekend in San Francisco, though. I spent it in 
Libya and in Cairo, because, as we speak here today, the good things 
that are going on in America are often overshadowed by our poor foreign 
policy, our inattention to historic allies and obligations.
  Today, war is going on in the Sinai, and the Egyptian Army is 
fighting it while we debate whether or not to support their effort. We 
debate whether or not a coup that overthrew a dictator who was 
elected--a man who no sooner got his office then he began moving Egypt 
toward shari'a law, abolishing its form of balance, including its 
judiciary and its parliament. We continue to debate.
  The fact is we need allies in the region. Israel needs allies in the 
region. Egypt needs to protect borders from insurgency and terrorism to 
its south, in the Sinai, and along the Libyan border.
  More than ever, the Libyan border is a concern for all of us. It is a 
lawless area. The term ``Benghazi'' often is taken for the sad loss of 
four brave Americans at our consulate, but the truth is Benghazi is the 
next Afghanistan if we cannot engage and stop the terrorism that is 
going on there. It is a training ground for insurgents--one of many.
  So when many talk in foreign policy today about the Arab Spring, I'd 
like all Americans to understand, Mr. Speaker, the Arab Spring is, in 
fact, sulfur water spewing from mosques, from terrorist strongholds, 
from ideological extremists in the region. It is taking on a life of 
its own under this administration, and that life will end the secular 
life, the freedom of religion that many moderate Arab states have 
enjoyed for generations.
  Under President Morsi, we saw more than 50 Coptic churches burned; 
and in the days coming afterwards, even more by the Muslim Brotherhood, 
who somehow felt that one election based on one man, one vote, and one 
time would allow them to rule the largest Arab country forever as an 
Islamic state.

                              {time}  1030

  Mr. Speaker, I believe that all of my colleagues need to begin to 
look at the wrong direction we have taken. Stop celebrating an Arab 
Spring that really is about overthrowing allies who we have questions 
about whether or not they're heading toward a democratic state. But we 
have no doubt we have pushed them toward the rule of law, toward 
institutions, and toward being part of a world that denounces and 
renounces various bad activities.
  Mr. Speaker, I cannot stress strongly enough that if we continue to 
have a policy of leading from behind, of indecision, of asking this 
body to spank somebody slightly for using chemical weapons while not 
taking an affirmative action toward a government that would respect its 
people, and particularly minorities and Christians in the region, then 
we have no policy and we have no allies.
  Mr. Speaker, I take no pride in saying that when President Obama 
attempted to go into Syria, he did not get support from his own party 
nor my party nor virtually any of our historic allies for a reason. His 
plan was ill-conceived and led to no real positive change in Syria.
  For our allies in the region--for Jordan, for Lebanon, for Egypt, and 
for Israel--we must develop a consistent policy where our enemies fear 
us and our allies respect and count on us always. We don't have that 
today. I would call on all my colleagues to become more familiar with 
the Arab Spring and see the sulfur that comes up and is often mixed and 
misunderstood for drinking water.

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