This view breaks the statement into its steps and names what each one does.
Mr. President, Greeting · 39 wordsI am so pleased to come to the floor this morning to join Senator Blumenthal, one of the sponsors of this legislation, to remember Senator Lindsey Graham and to thank everyone who has worked so hard on this legislation: GreetingClaims · 9 wordsthe Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act. Thanks · 13 wordsAnd I so appreciate Darline Graham’s being here and her support for this.Thanks Promise · 19 wordsSo I am here to support the underlying bill, but I also am here to oppose the Paul-Wyden amendment. Reasoning · 15 wordsNow, I understand the concern of some of my colleagues on tariffs. I share those. Claims · 15 wordsI co-led an amicus brief, challenging the President’s illegal use of IEEPA to impose tariffs, 1Thanks · 7 wordsand appreciated Senator Wyden’s partnership on that.Thanks Claims · 7 wordsThat argument prevailed at the Supreme Court.2 Promise · 15 wordsI also oppose any abuse of the tariff authorities that are currently on the books. Claims · 50 wordsBut the authority in this bill to impose tariffs is very narrowly scoped, and it contains clear guardrails. It explicitly says that the only countries that can be subject to tariffs are the top five purchasers of oil or gas--the top five--and the top five sanctions evaders for Russian oil.3 Reasoning · 50 wordsSo if we are going to be successful at putting pressure on that we need to put pressure on to get Vladimir Putin to the table, we have got to shut down the money that he is getting from oil and gas, and that is what this bill would do. Claims · 32 wordsThese tariffs have one purpose: to make it more costly for countries to keep buying the Russian energy that funds Putin’s war. This amendment does not restore Congress’ constitutional authority over trade, Positioning · 8 wordswhich listening to the authors, you might question.Positioning Claims · 38 wordsAnd if this amendment is adopted, President Trump’s existing tariff authorities remain exactly where they are today.4 The only thing that would change would be our ability to put pressure on countries that are still buying Russian energy. Promise · 5 wordsSo I oppose this amendment. The ask · 9 wordsI urge my colleagues to oppose it as well. Reasoning · 21 wordsAnd I think one of the critical issues here is the urgency of where we are in this war right now. Claims · 123 wordsThe momentum is on Ukraine’s side.Unearned certainty This is Russia’s worst summer of the war yet, but we know the situation can change quickly against Ukraine. China is supporting Russia’s efforts to regain battlefield advantage by helping the Russians develop their own version of Starlink, one of the things President Zelenskyy raised a concern about the last time Senator Graham and I had a chance to meet with him in Ankara at the NATO summit.5 According to President Zelenskyy, that technology that China is working on can be available as early as November.6 That would advance Russia’s drone technology to catch up with Ukraine. The battlefield could look significantly different in the next 6 to 12 months, and that could roll back Ukraine’s advantages. Reasoning · 10 wordsNow is the time to put more pressure on Putin. Claims · 52 wordsThis legislation, if it is advanced before the August recess, will be ahead of Russia’s upcoming elections. They hold their legislative elections in mid- September.7 After that, Putin is likely to be required to change conscription in response to the severe shortage of recruits because they are losing 35,000 Russians a month.8 Reasoning · 21 wordsAdvancing the legislation ahead of Russia’s upcoming elections will increase pressure on Putin to seriously revisit prospects for a peace deal.Logical leap Procedure · 4 wordsAnd make no mistake: ProcedureClaims · 46 wordsRussia is watching what we do.Unearned certainty We have the history of this war to show that every time the United States backs away from putting pressure on Russia, from helping Ukraine, from funding the war, Russia ramps up its attacks in Ukraine. It kills more civilians. Procedure · 6 wordsAnd that is where we are.Procedure Reasoning · 25 wordsIf we can’t shut down the funding for the war machine that Russia is using against Ukraine, then they are going to keep at it. Promise · 25 wordsWe have to show the determination that the United States feels to support this emerging democracy that Senator Blumenthal was so eloquent to talk about. Reasoning · 49 wordsSo that is why there is real urgency for what we are doing today, not just to pass this underlying sanctions bill but to make sure that the tariffs that are funding Russia’s war machine can shut down the oil and gas that is keeping that war machine going. The ask · 16 wordsSo I hope all of my colleagues will oppose this amendment and support the underlying bill. Procedure · 4 wordsI yield the floor.Procedure
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