WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Bob Corker, R-Tenn., a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, made the following comments regarding his vote for a resolution introduced by Senator Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., on U.S. policy toward Iran and his vote against an amendment offered by Senator Rand Paul, R-Ky., to cut U.S. assistance to Egypt, Libya, and Pakistan.
“I fear that President Obama’s lack of clarity on Iran may be prematurely stoking another war in the Middle East,” said Corker. “I cosponsored and voted for Sen. Graham’s resolution because it sends a strong and important signal not only to Iran but to others in the region that becoming a nuclear power is not an option.”
In regard to the Paul amendment, Corker said, “I absolutely understand the sentiment and firmly believe we need to reform foreign aid in a way that leads to greater accountability, but Sen. Paul’s amendment is not the answer. It is emotionally based and would have the effect of cutting off our nose to spite our face. The way the Paul amendment is drafted effectively gives terrorists the ability to determine our aid in countries around the world. If terrorists in any country that we are aiding trespass at one of our embassies or consulates, this amendment forces the aid to be withdrawn, even if the country is cooperating with us and working as an ally.”
Corker pointed out that the purpose of foreign aid, in many cases, is to prevent unrest around the world and often prevents our men and women in uniform from having to be deployed to those countries.
Corker also pointed out that aid to Egypt provides assurance to Israel that Egypt will not break its commitments to the Camp David Accords.
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