From the Senate Floor, Senator Collins Calls for Passage of Legislation Critical to National Security

“The world is watching to see if the United States is still the leader of the free world.”

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Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Susan Collins, Vice Chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee and Subcommittee on Defense, delivered remarks on the Senate floor this evening to call for passage of the national security supplemental package.  Senator Collins is managing the legislation on the Senate floor.

A transcript of Senator Collins’ remarks are as follows:

“Madam President, last week, General Kurilla, the Commander of U.S. Central Command, gave me a briefing that was directly relevant to the national security supplemental that we are now considering.

“During the course of that briefing, the General told me that this is the most dangerous security situation in 50 years.

“The threats that the United States faces from an aggressive Iran and its proxies, an imperialistic Russia, and a hegemonic China, are interconnected and they require our immediate attention and a strong response. 

“That is why this bill focuses on fortifying our military, rebuilding our own defense industrial base, and strengthening and defending our partners and allies.

“This legislation would send a strong message to Putin that his goal of capturing free, democratic nations will not be allowed to succeed.  It would reassure our closest ally in the Middle East, Israel, that terrorists will not achieve their goal of wiping that nation off the map.  And it would counter ever-growing Chinese aggression.

“Madam President, I urge our colleagues to recognize the perilous times in which we are living and vote for this absolutely essential national security bill. 

“The world is watching to see if the United States is still the leader of the free world.”

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