National Security Act, 2024
Floor Speech
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Mr. THUNE. Madam President, less than 2 weeks ago, Iran attacked Israel with a barrage of more than 300 missiles and drones. The attack was a notable escalation on Iran's part since the weapons were fired not just by Iranian proxies but also directly from Iran.
It was a reminder of two things:
First and foremost, the attack was a reminder of the need for the United States and the free world to make it clear to Iran that we are not going to stand idly by while Iran attacks Israel and continues to foment terror in the Middle East.
Iran's malign activities have been allowed to go on for far too long, and it is past time not just for the United States but for nations in Europe, the Middle East, and elsewhere to call a halt to Iran's activities.
On a larger scale, Iran's attack on Israel was a reminder that bad actors and hostile powers are going to fill any space that they think they can fill. And if the United States and other free countries abdicate leadership or telegraph weakness on the global stage, bad actors are going to be happy to step in to fill the vacuum.
I would not be surprised if the Biden administration's all-too- frequent posture of appeasement toward Iran--and the lack of clarity the administration has telegraphed about U.S. support for Israel--has emboldened Iran to reach further and engage in the kind of escalation that we saw this month.
Bad actors around the world are flexing their power right now: Iran in the Middle East, Russia in Europe, China in the Indo-Pacific and beyond. And these powers are forging alliances with each other to advance their activities.
Iran has provided Russia with weapons to use in its war on Ukraine and is working with Russia to produce drones at a Russian facility. Meanwhile, Russia has committed to supplying Iran with fighter jets and air defense technology--assets which, as a recent Washington Post article noted, ``could help Tehran harden its defenses against any future airstrike by Israel or the United States.''
When it comes to China, the Secretary of State recently reported:
We see China sharing machine tools, semiconductors, other dual-use items that have helped Russia rebuild the defense industrial base that sanctions and export controls had done so much to degrade.
In the face of increased aggression from these powers, the United States' response needs to be one of strength. That includes not just having a strong military and a strong economy but engaging on the global stage.
As I said, bad actors will fill any space they think they can fill. And when the United States and other free countries abdicate leadership on the global stage, bad actors will step in to fill the vacuum.
The foreign aid contained in this bill is an important part of telegraphing America's refusal to cede the global stage to hostile powers.
It will help demonstrate to Iran our support for Israel and help our ally rid itself of the threat of Hamas on its border.
It will help make it clear to Russia that the United States is not going to give Russia free rein in Eastern Europe.
It will help make a credible investment in our own industrial base and replenish interceptors that we have used in the Red Sea.
And it will let China know that while Taiwan may be small, its backing is not.
Sending these messages is important. It is in our Nation's interest to ensure that a newly victorious and emboldened Putin isn't sitting on the doorstep of four NATO states that we are bound by treaty to protect.
It is in our Nation's interest to ensure that a China inspired by a Russian victory in Ukraine doesn't decide it is time to invade Taiwan.
And it is in our Nation's interest to ensure that Israel is equipped to defend itself from Iran and its terrorist proxies.
I am pleased that in addition to the funding for Israel, Taiwan, and Ukraine we considered before, the bill before us today includes some new measures. Notable among them is legislation to ban TikTok if the company is not purchased by an entity unaffiliated with the Chinese Communist Party.
Currently, the Chinese Communist Party is able to gain unlimited access to the account information of TikTok users if it so chooses. And the news that emerged last week that the Chinese Embassy has actually lobbied congressional staff against legislation to force the sale of TikTok was a stunning confirmation of the value the Chinese Government places on its ability to access Americans' information and shape their TikTok experience. So I am very pleased that the bill before us today would ban TikTok if it is not sold to a company without ties to the Chinese Communist Party.
I am also pleased that this legislation includes the Rebuilding Economic Prosperity and Opportunity for Ukrainians Act--or the REPO Act--which would direct frozen Russian assets to rebuilding efforts in Ukraine. Russia has caused a horrifying amount of destruction in Ukraine, and it is right that Russian assets should go toward its rebuilding.
This bill also contains additional accountability measures for our support for Ukraine, including a provision that would turn some of the funding into loans to be repaid by Ukraine when it is back on its feet.
Does this bill cover everything we should be doing on the national security front either at home or abroad? No, it doesn't. But it will provide essential support to our allies that will not only help them preserve their freedom but will advance U.S. interests around the globe.
So I look forward to the Senate's passing this legislation this week and sending a clear message about American resolve and about American strength.
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Mr. THUNE. The following Senators are necessarily absent: the Senator from Missouri (Mr. Hawley) and the Senator from Kentucky (Mr. Paul).
The result was announced--yeas 48, nays 50, as follows: [Rollcall Vote No. 151 Leg.] YEAS--48 Barrasso Blackburn Boozman Braun Britt Budd Capito Cassidy Collins Cornyn Cotton Cramer Crapo Cruz Daines Ernst Fischer Graham Grassley Hagerty Hoeven Hyde-Smith Johnson Kennedy Lankford Lee Lummis Marshall McConnell Moran Mullin Murkowski Ricketts Risch Romney Rounds Rubio Sanders Schmitt Scott (FL) Scott (SC) Sullivan Thune Tillis Tuberville Vance Wicker Young NAYS--50 Baldwin Bennet Blumenthal Booker Brown Butler Cantwell Cardin Carper Casey Coons Cortez Masto Duckworth Durbin Fetterman Gillibrand Hassan Heinrich Hickenlooper Hirono Kaine Kelly King Klobuchar Lujan Manchin Markey Menendez Merkley Murphy Murray Ossoff Padilla Peters Reed Rosen Schatz Schumer Shaheen Sinema Smith Stabenow Tester Van Hollen Warner Warnock Warren Welch Whitehouse Wyden NOT VOTING--2 Hawley Paul
The motion was rejected.
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Mr. THUNE. The following Senator is necessarily absent: the Senator from Kentucky (Mr. Paul).
The yeas and nays resulted--yeas 80, nays 19, as follows: [Rollcall Vote No. 152 Leg.] YEAS--80 Baldwin Bennet Blumenthal Booker Boozman Britt Brown Butler Cantwell Capito Cardin Carper Casey Cassidy Collins Coons Cornyn Cortez Masto Cotton Cramer Crapo Duckworth Durbin Ernst Fetterman Fischer Gillibrand Graham Grassley Hassan Heinrich Hickenlooper Hirono Hoeven Hyde-Smith Kaine Kelly Kennedy King Klobuchar Lankford Lujan Manchin Markey McConnell Menendez Moran Mullin Murkowski Murphy Murray Ossoff Padilla Peters Reed Ricketts Risch Romney Rosen Rounds Schatz Schumer Scott (SC) Shaheen Sinema Smith Stabenow Sullivan Tester Thune Tillis Van Hollen Warner Warnock Warren Welch Whitehouse Wicker Wyden Young NAYS--19 Barrasso Blackburn Braun Budd Cruz Daines Hagerty Hawley Johnson Lee Lummis Marshall Merkley Rubio Sanders Schmitt Scott (FL) Tuberville Vance NOT VOTING--1 Paul
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Mr. THUNE. The following Senators are necessarily absent: the Senator from Missouri (Mr. Hawley), the Senator from Kentucky (Mr. Paul), the Senator from South Carolina (Mr. Scott), and the Senator from Alabama (Mr. Tuberville).
The result was announced--yeas 75, nays 20, as follows: [Rollcall Vote No. 153 Leg.] YEAS--75 Baldwin Bennet Blumenthal Booker Boozman Brown Butler Cantwell Capito Carper Casey Cassidy Collins Coons Cornyn Cortez Masto Cramer Crapo Duckworth Durbin Fetterman Fischer Gillibrand Graham Hassan Heinrich Hickenlooper Hirono Hoeven Hyde-Smith Kaine Kelly Kennedy King Klobuchar Lankford Lujan Manchin Markey McConnell Menendez Merkley Moran Mullin Murkowski Murphy Murray Ossoff Padilla Peters Reed Ricketts Risch Romney Rosen Rounds Schatz Schumer Shaheen Sinema Smith Stabenow Sullivan Tester Thune Tillis Van Hollen Warner Warnock Warren Welch Whitehouse Wicker Wyden Young NAYS--20 Barrasso Blackburn Braun Britt Budd Cotton Cruz Daines Ernst Grassley Hagerty Johnson Lee Lummis Marshall Rubio Sanders Schmitt Scott (FL) Vance NOT VOTING--5 Cardin Hawley Paul Scott (SC) Tuberville
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Mr. THUNE. The following Senators are necessarily absent: The Senator from Kentucky (Mr. Paul), the Senator from South Carolina (Mr. Scott), and the Senator from Alabama (Mr. Tuberville).
The result was announced--yeas 79, nays 18, as follows: [Rollcall Vote No. 154 Leg.] YEAS--79 Baldwin Bennet Blumenthal Booker Boozman Britt Brown Butler Cantwell Capito Cardin Carper Casey Cassidy Collins Coons Cornyn Cortez Masto Cotton Cramer Crapo Daines Duckworth Durbin Ernst Fetterman Fischer Gillibrand Graham Grassley Hassan Heinrich Hickenlooper Hirono Hoeven Hyde-Smith Kaine Kelly Kennedy King Klobuchar Lankford Lujan Manchin Markey McConnell Menendez Moran Mullin Murkowski Murphy Murray Ossoff Padilla Peters Reed Ricketts Risch Romney Rosen Rounds Schatz Schumer Shaheen Sinema Smith Stabenow Sullivan Tester Thune Tillis Van Hollen Warner Warnock Warren Whitehouse Wicker Wyden Young NAYS--18 Barrasso Blackburn Braun Budd Cruz Hagerty Hawley Johnson Lee Lummis Marshall Merkley Rubio Sanders Schmitt Scott (FL) Vance Welch NOT VOTING--3 Paul Scott (SC) Tuberville
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