[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 178 (Thursday, November 7, 2019)]
[Senate]
[Pages S6459-S6460]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
Unanimous Consent Request--S. 2755
Mr. SCHUMER. Madam President, it is now several weeks since the
President asked our troops to leave a critical sector in northern
Syria, and, subsequently, lots of things happened, including at least
100 and probably more ISIS prisoners escaping, an uncertainty as to who
is guarding the prisons where ISIS prisoners are kept, and a whole
strategy as to how to continue the fight against ISIS.
ISIS is not vanquished. ISIS is weakened but not vanquished, and we
all know ISIS can come back. We all know a small group thousands of
miles away can do untold damage in our homeland. Yet we still have no
plan, that we have heard, from the administration on how are we dealing
with ISIS; how are we dealing with the prisoners who escaped; how are
we dealing with the prisoners who are still incarcerated; and how are
we dealing with ISIS overall.
This is one of the greatest security threats America faces, and I
would hope we could pass this proposal, which simply demands that the
administration report to Congress on what their plan is to deal with
ISIS. It is that simple. That is the immediate danger.
I know my friend, the Senator from Florida, wants to talk about what
happened in the past. We can argue that all day long, but the immediate
danger is ISIS, the ISIS prisoners who have escaped, the ISIS prisoners
who are incarcerated, and the ISIS members who still are around. We
don't have a strategy, and it is one of the greatest failings of
foreign policy not only of this administration but of any
administration.
A resolution passed the House a while ago. It has laid fallow here.
All we are asking in this legislation is very simple: to require a
report on the strategy to secure the enduring defeat of the Islamic
State.
I hope we will not hear objection. I don't see how anyone could
object when the security of America is at risk and when ISIS is still a
danger. Every one of us could come up with an amendment to make it
better. We know we will not get it done if that happens.
I hope we can move this forward, and then we can debate other issues
that are not directly dispositive here because we have an immediate
crisis, and we need a report.
Madam President, I ask unanimous consent, as in legislative session,
that the Senate proceed to the immediate consideration of Calendar No.
281, S.
[[Page S6460]]
2755, a bill to require a report on the plan to secure the enduring
defeat of the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria; that the bill be
considered read a third time and passed; and the motion to reconsider
be considered made and laid upon the table with no intervening action
or debate.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there objection?
The Senator from Florida.
Mr. SCOTT of Florida. Madam President, reserving the right to object.
I thank the Democratic leader for his concerns about the defeat of
ISIS. If there is one thing I hope we can all agree on, it is that
Turkey is not our ally or friend right now. Turkey's invasion of Syria
is benefiting ISIS, Iran, and Russia, and hurting our great ally,
Israel.
The United States must stand up for our partners, the Kurds, who
helped us fight ISIS. I am hopeful the ceasefire will last, keeping
American soldiers and our partners, the Kurds, safe. Nobody wants our
men and women in uniform involved in unnecessary, extended military
conflicts.
Bringing our troops home is a goal we all share. In order to achieve
that goal, we need to have a fuller understanding of the crisis in
Syria and what got us there--with the hope our troops can finally come
home.
I also agree that the President should always be clear with Congress
on where all U.S. troops are located and the purpose of their
deployment. Unfortunately, my colleague's proposal would produce a
report that only tells a small part of the story.
In the name of transparency and a fuller understanding of how we got
here, I am proposing a modification to my colleague's bill to require a
report that includes information on President Obama's plan for Syria.
We didn't get here overnight. The Democratic leader knows that. He
said himself it took us 5 years to get here. So I think we all would
like to see what the strategy--or lack of strategy--was from the last
administration that put us in this position today. Let's get all the
facts on the table so lawmakers in Congress and Americans all across
the country can have all the information we need to keep Americans and
our allies safe.
Reserving the right to object, therefore, I ask that the Democratic
leader modify his request to include my amendment, which is at the
desk. I further ask that the amendment be considered and agreed to;
that the bill, as amended, be considered read a third time and passed;
and that the motions to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the
table.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Will the Democratic leader so modify his
request?
Mr. SCHUMER. Madam President, this is a diversion. We can all debate
history. Maybe Bush was to blame. Maybe Obama was to blame. Who knows.
Maybe Harry Truman was to blame when they set up CENTO. That is
something we can debate at a later time.
We have an immediate crisis. We need a report, and our Republican
colleagues keep finding ways so they can object so the President
doesn't have to answer. That is wrong. It risks the security of
America, and it is not what we should be doing.
So I object, and I urge us to pass the amendment without the
modification, which is still as valid as it was a few minutes ago.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The objection is heard on the modification.
Is there objection to the original request?
The Senator from Florida.
Mr. SCOTT of Florida. Madam President, reserving the right to object.
I am disappointed in yet another political stunt from the Democratic
leader. It is clear this is nothing but a political attack on the
President.
President Trump's goal is to bring American troops home and keep our
partners, the Kurds, safe and our ally, Israel, secure. The Democratic
leader is requesting information from President Trump but refuses to
join me in asking for information about the sequence of events and the
strategy under President Obama that led us to this point.
This is sad, but it is not surprising. It is just another charade in
a long list of political games. Americans deserve a safe Israel and a
safe Syria, so I stand today to object.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Objection is heard.
The Democratic leader.
Mr. SCHUMER. Madam President, if they are worried about an attack, it
is not on this President or a previous President. That is the political
stunt here, I would say to my friend in Florida. He knows what he is
doing. He is trying to stop this from happening. The attack we are
worried about is an attack by ISIS on the United States.
Whether you are a Democrat, Republican, liberal, or conservative, the
country needs a plan. All of the diversion, all of the games will not
prevent the American people from seeing that we need that, and it is
our job as Senators to push the administration to do it.
So I would have hoped we could have passed this amendment without the
diversionary, partisan proposal made by the Senator from Florida. I am
sorry we haven't been able to move the amendment. It is so wrong for
the safety of this country.
I yield the floor.
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