National Defense Authorization Act For Fiscal Year 2017

Floor Speech

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Mr. BARRASSO. Mr. President, like many people in this body, I was home last week in Wyoming honoring the sacrifice of America's veterans. Every day we see evidence of just how much America relies on our men and women in uniform to keep us safe, to keep us free, to fight for our freedoms, to fight for our safety. Every day we get fresh reminders that the world continues to be a very dangerous place.

So to me it is disturbing that the Democrats in Washington have done so much to slow down our efforts to provide for America's troops-- troops we need for our national defense. The National Defense Authorization Act that we are debating here sets important policies and priorities that have a great effect on our national security.

A strong American military is absolutely essential--essential as we need to address the world's dangers that we face overseas before they become direct threats here at home.

So when I consider legislation like this, I try to keep one thing in mind: If we want to make America safe and secure, then we need to provide the greatest possible security for our country while maintaining the greatest possible freedom for the American people and also at the same time improving America's standing in the world.

So when I look back over the past 7 years, I have to ask the Obama administration--ask of the Obama administration and ask all Americans and anyone listening in today--how the Obama administration's foreign policies have met the goals of greatest possible security, greatest possible freedom, and improving our standing in the world.

I just think that in far too many cases, in too many parts of the world, the only honest conclusion is that the policies of the Obama administration have actually failed. Now, I am not the only one that thinks so. I found it very interesting when you take a look at what former President Jimmy Carter has to say when he was asked about this. He said this about President Obama: ``I can't think of many nations in the world where we [the United States] have a better relationship now than we did when he [President Obama], took over.''

He went on to say that the United States' influence, prestige, and respect--think about this: influence, prestige and respect--in the world is probably lower now than it was 6 or 7 years ago. This is a former President of the United States, a Democratic President of the United States, Jimmy Carter.

So let's look at some examples. It has been more than 5 years since the start of the uprisings in Syria. In August of 2011, President Obama responded by calling on Bashar Assad to step aside. A few months later, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said that it was only ``a matter of time before the Assad regime would fail.'' Well, that was more than 4 years ago. Assad is still there. ``A matter of time,'' she said.

The Obama administration did not back up its words, and any meaningful support for the moderate opposition in Syria was not there. They did nothing. The President did nothing to enforce the so-called redline that he drew on Assad's use of chemical weapons against his people. Assad used the chemical weapons, and the President of the United States did nothing.

The administration's weak response in Syria essentially gave a green light for Assad to continue and a green light for Russia to come in and pump up and protect Assad. So I find it interesting when you take a look at what the President of the United States has done. If you go to the Washington Post for Tuesday, June 7, this was the headline:

Empty words, empty stomachs.

Syrian children continue to face starvation as another Obama administration promise falls by the wayside.

That is what we see with Barack Obama, another Obama administration promise falling by the wayside. Thousands and thousands and hundreds of thousands killed. The President's redline became a green light. So the invitation came for Russia to come in. They have done that.

Well, what else has Russia done over the past 7 years? Remember how the Obama administration launched its so-called Russian reset? President Obama was so intent on resetting the U.S. relations with the Kremlin that he showed a complete lack of resolve. He gave Russia one concession after another in the new START treaty. That was in 2010. He had only become President in 2009. In 2010, there was one concession after another.

President Obama showed Vladimir Putin that the American President, Barack Obama, could easily be pushed around. Under this treaty, America is cutting our nuclear arsenal while Russia is expanding theirs. It was allowed by the treaty. This is the President's ``best he could do.'' Russia responded to the reset. We remember Hillary Clinton there pressing the reset button. Russia responded to the reset of relations by sending troops into Ukraine, by annexing Crimea. Russia moved.

President Obama shows weakness, and Russia moves. Yes, Vladimir Putin is a thug. When President Obama shows weakness, Putin does the things that thugs do. But that is the Obama administration for you. The administration's policy on Russia has not provided the greatest possible security for America--not at all.

But let's look at Iran. Last week President Obama gave a very political speech at the graduation ceremony at the U.S. Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs.

He criticized Republicans for questioning the treaties he negotiates. To me, it seems more like capitulates rather than negotiates. While President Obama negotiated a major treaty with Iran over their illicit nuclear weapons program, he said it was this or war. He thought the treaty was so great he didn't want the Senate to have a chance to review it. That was it, his way or no.

In his State of the Union Address in January, he said that because of the nuclear deal with Iran, ``the world has avoided another war.'' These are President Obama's words.

This is complete fiction, complete fiction. The choice was never between his deal and another war. It was a choice between a bad deal and a better deal, and President Obama chose a bad deal.

As they say in the military, if you want it bad enough, you get it bad. And that is what we got, a lesson President Obama apparently never learned.

We have learned from an interview with one of the President's top advisers that this was something the administration knew all along. This adviser, Ben Rhodes, bragged about creating an echo chamber to help deceive--intentionally designed to deceive the American people about the agreement.

Let's go back. Before the nuclear deal, there was actually an international ban on Iran testing ballistic missile technology. A ban was in place. What is happening today? Well, Iran is right back to doing the tests.

I remember the administration promising the inspectors would get access to Iran's nuclear facilities. They said anywhere, anytime, 24/7. That is what Ben Rhodes said. It turns out it is more like 24 days, not 24/7. That is the kind of notice that now is needed prior to access.

So how is it working for Iran? Well, the Iranian economy is benefiting from access to $100 billion because the Obama administration gave them sanctions relief. What are they going to do with the money-- build roads, build hospitals, help educate the young? Don't count on it because even the President's National Security Advisor admits some of this money is going to be used by Iran to keep supporting terrorist groups. We see it. We know it--Hamas, Hezbollah, and the Houthis in Yemen.

President Obama wanted to get a deal with Iran so badly that he got a very bad deal, a bad deal--not for him--for the American people, for our country. The President and his foreign policy team were willing to say anything to sell this deal to the American people. The administration's policy in Iran has not provided the greatest possible security for America.

I could go on and on talking about more places around the world. Members of this body are fully aware. The American people are fully aware of the failures of this administration. There are so many places where America does not have a better relationship now than we did when President Obama came into office--just like Jimmy Carter said: ``I can't think of many nations in the world where we have a better relationship now than when [President Obama] took over.''

So President Obama is going to spend the rest of his time in office trying to create an echo chamber. He will try to convince people around the world that his foreign policy has been a success, but The Economist magazine recently noted America, under President Obama, has been a foreign policy--in their words--``pushover.''

As the Senate considers this vital national security legislation, the National Defense Authorization Act, I think it is important that we honestly evaluate what the President's record really is, and today the world is less safe, less secure, and less stable than it was 7 years ago. The President and all the people who have been a part of his foreign policy team over the years will say whatever it takes to try to hide and disguise the facts. It is time to block out the echo chamber. It is time to ignore the spin. We need to make sure we are providing the greatest possible security for America while maintaining the greatest possible freedom for the American people and improving America's standing in the world. That is our responsibility as a legislative body.

For decades upon decades, America has been the most powerful and respected Nation on the face of the Earth. Under President Obama, American power has declined and respect around the world has evaporated.

President Obama was given the Nobel Peace Prize in 2009. It was completely undeserved, and it deserves to be removed from him if something like this could actually be done. Unfortunately, it is not possible to revoke a Nobel Peace Prize. In this case it should be. That prize remains undeserved.

American men and women in uniform deserve better than what they have gotten from their Commander in Chief. It is now up to Congress to make sure they receive the support, the equipment, and the technology they need to protect our country and our citizens.

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