Congressional Record—Senate S7296
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S7296 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE December 9, 2020 I’m not sure what his Health and Human Mr. MENENDEZ. Mr. President, If we aren’t going to be willing to ask Services credentials are. It’s not like Alex today I am asking our colleagues to these questions, then we have to think Azar who used to work for pharma. stand up for two very important prin- about the magnitude of the sale with- With all due respect to the senior ciples. One is the congressional over- out caring about the consequences. Senator from Texas, working for the sight over arms sales abroad and, sec- I have heard a number of my col- pharmaceutical industry is not the ondly, to ensure that these sales, in leagues advocate in support of these only way to get experience in fact, promote and protect the long- sales because they believe it will help healthcare. Some might argue it is the term national security of the United our like-minded partners better pos- wrong kind of experience for an HHS States. ture against Iran. Now, no one is more Secretary. Colleagues, I wish we didn’t find our- clear-eyed in this Chamber or has pur- The truth is, Xavier Becerra is emi- selves in the position of having to dis- sued Iran and its threat of nuclear nently qualified. He worked in the cuss our concerns with this sale in this weapons more than I, and we are clear- House of Representatives for two dec- kind of forum. The United Arab Emir- eyed about the threat Iran continues to ades, always very involved in advanc- ates has, indeed, been an important pose to national security interests, but ing the healthcare of his constituents, partner in the fight against terrorism we have yet to understand exactly and he has a particularly long track and across the region and, I believe, what military threat the F–35s or record as an advocate of women’s will continue to do so. However, a sale armed drones will be addressing vis-a` - health. As the attorney general of Cali- of this magnitude requires the appro- vis Iran. Furthermore, according to the fornia, he became one of the foremost priate due diligence. Trump administration, as recently as For the past few decades, the execu- legal experts on our Nation’s last year, the UAE continued to host a tive branch has respected the congres- healthcare laws. number of companies that facilitated sional oversight of the arms sales proc- I must say, it is particularly rich for Iranian financial transactions in viola- ess, a critical piece of which is an in- this Republican majority to raise ‘‘con- tion of various U.S. sanctions. formal review period during which we cerns’’ about whether Biden Cabinet So Iran is a threat, but you are help- get answers to pressing questions. We nominees have every last pristine qual- ing it facilitate U.S. financial trans- have an opportunity to review sen- ification for their posts. Not so long actions. It is not that I have said so but sitive information so that, when sales ago, nearly every Republican in this that the Trump administration has come up for the formal notification, Chamber lined up to make an oil exec- said so. Meanwhile, over the past year, which is what we have before us now, utive the Secretary of State. I don’t re- Iran has ramped up its nuclear capa- we have a clearer path forward. Unfor- member too many Republican ‘‘con- bilities amidst American diplomatic tunately, in this case, the Trump ad- cerns’’ when President Trump nomi- fallout. ministration decided to simply ignore nated a retired neurosurgeon to be the So, if we really want to talk about congressional rights here and the re- Secretary of HUD or when he put Rick countering Iran, we need a comprehen- view process, formally notifying the Perry in charge of the Department of sive, diplomatic strategy. Arming part- sales of these complex weapons sys- ners with complex weapons systems Energy—an agency he wanted to abol- tems, along with other weaponry, to- that could take years to come online is ish before learning it maintained the taling $23 billion. Nation’s nuclear stockpile and that he Beyond obliterating the congres- not a serious strategy with which to would be in charge of it. If memory sional review process, the administra- confront the very real and timely serves, this Senate Republican major- tion also seems to have rushed through threats from Iran. ity confirmed a Secretary of Education the interagency review of a sale of this I have also heard some of our col- whose only qualification for the job magnitude. Whereas, a sale of this leagues argue that, if we do not sell was she used her inherited fortune to scope would normally merit months these weapons, the UAE will turn to try to privatize American schooling. and months of detailed deliberations China and Russia. Well, let’s be clear: Look, the country needs to move on between the Departments of Defense They already do. They already do. Our from the past 4 years, but Senate Re- and State, this sale was announced own Department of Defense’s inspector publicans can’t pretend like it never with more missing than a few dotted i’s general recently reported that the UAE happened. After the sordid caliber of and crossed t’s. may be funding the Russian mercenary nominees that this Republican major- I will go into more detail later before Wagner Group in Libya. U.N. reporting ity confirmed over the past 4 years, it we vote, but the bottom line is that implicates the UAE’s use of Chinese- will be impossible to take these com- there are many outstanding issues that manufactured drones, in violation of plaints about Biden’s nominees very se- are critical to U.S. national security the U.N. arms embargo, also in Libya. riously. that have not been addressed, includ- So, while I absolutely agree that we I yield the floor. ing, by way of example, the United have to counter Chinese and Russian I suggest the absence of a quorum. Arab Emirates’ present and future influence in the region, again, this re- The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. ROM- military relationships with Russia and quires a real strategy, not simply more NEY). The clerk will call the roll. China. My understanding is that there arms. Isn’t this a conversation and a The senior assistant legislative clerk are negotiations to have with China re- commitment that we should get in proceeded to call the roll. garding an airstrip for the Chinese writing from the UAE as part of such Mr. MENENDEZ. Mr. President, I ask military off of the UAE. Is that in the an arms sale? We don’t have that. Fur- unanimous consent that the order for national interest and security of the thermore, if we go forward with these the quorum call be rescinded. United States? sales, yet deny similar requests to The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without Should we not have a definitive com- countries like Qatar or Saudi Arabia, objection, it is so ordered. mitment from the UAE that it will not where will they go for their advanced f move forward if these arms sales move weaponry to keep pace, and what reac- forward, including with the most so- tion will Iran have to them? Do we MOTION TO DISCHARGE—S.J. RES. phisticated stealth jet fighter that we really think we can sell this just to the 77 have? How do we work to safeguard UAE and not have those other coun- Mr. MENENDEZ. Mr. President, pur- U.S. technology? the guarantees we tries come knocking on our door, start- suant to the Arms Export Control Act will have in place about how U.S.-ori- ing a very sophisticated arms race in a of 1976, I move to discharge the Foreign gin weapons will be used given the tinder box of the world? Relations Committee from further con- Emirates’ history of transferring weap- Finally, let me be very clear: I ap- sideration of S.J. Res. 77, a joint reso- ons to a terrorist organization and vio- plaud the Abraham accords as a histor- lution providing for congressional dis- lating the U.N. arms embargo in ical turning point for Israel and the approval of the proposed foreign mili- Libya? the longer term implications of Arab world. These new, formal rela- tary sale to the United Arab Emirates an arms race in the region? and then, tionships have the possibility of trans- of certain defense articles and services. yes, the impact that it could have on forming the region much more broadly The PRESIDING OFFICER. The mo- both our and Israel’s qualitative mili- and bringing peace, stability, and pros- tion is pending. tary edge? perity to people who desperately want VerDate Sep 11 2014 02:42 Dec 10, 2020 Jkt 019060 PO 00000 Frm 00008 Fmt 4624 Sfmt 0634 E:\CR\FM\G09DE6.014 S09DEPT1 ctelli on DSK11ZRN23PROD with SENATE December 9, 2020 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE S7297 and deserve it. Yet, as the administra- role in the sale of arms to foreign na- This is the first time that we would tion and the Emirates have continued tions, administration after administra- sell these incredibly lethal, incredibly to stress, these sales are neither a re- tion, Republican and Democrat, has ob- complicated technologies into the ward nor are they part of these ac- served a period of consultation with heart of the Middle East—a region cords.