LIVE: Sens. Graham, Blumenthal Speak on Designating Russia a State Sponsor of Terrorism

Testing, 1, 2, 3, testing, 1, 2, 3, great, everyone good? Testing, 1, 2, 3, testing, 1, 2, 3, testing, testing, 1, 2, 3. Everyone is good. I'm so sorry about that. Tests, 1, 2, 3, testing, 1, 2, 3, testing, 1, 2, 3, great, everyone good? Testing, 1, 2, 3, testing, 1, 2, 3, testing, 1, 2, 3, great. You Proud to stand here with my friend and colleague Today I'll order that I wasn't In some ways hope to be Exhibit a Two of the most In the world standing together Terrorist Russia deserve to be in fact if we earn the designation to be a state sponsor of terrorism and Yes Sanctions would be strengthened and yes, there would be but in my view This message to the world is as important in a moral sense as any Russia deserve to be in this small selective well Atrocity committing killers And Russia We're gonna pursue this fight it is bipartisan we have other supporters and It is a priority for me having seen In very personal way what Russia has done in Ukraine we visited The site of the mass grave We're in children and I behind their back shot in the head We have talked to prosecutors about Russia kidnapping children and Taking them away from their loved ones and See first That Russia has committed and sponsored around the world and I believe that Well our own the jury guilty you did a good job so bottom line here, this is a moment in history That will be viewed Decades to follow as What do you have to do to become a state sponsor of terrorist People are falling out of windows right and left Putin has been involved with the Wagner group, which is an extension of the state dismembering Africa Navalny's death was beyond strange Every form of opposition has been crushed in Russia They use the benefits of the Russian state to support terrorism through the Wagner group and other entities now Who has entered into a defense agreement? With one of the most notorious terrorist states on the planet We've lost deterrence the fact that he would be bold enough to do a defense agreement with North Korea as Senator Blumenthal said one of the most oppressive regimes on the planet means we have lost deterrence What would it matter if we designated Putin's Russia state sponsor of terrorism it would be a morale boost to the people Ukraine It would make Russia even more of a pariah state that if you wanted to do business with Russia After we make them a state sponsor of terrorism you do so at your own peril It would allow victims of Putin's barbaric behavior to access American courts to this designation To my friends at the administration, I've been working with you on Saudi and Israel I will continue to work with you on normalization between Saudi Arabia and Israel. It's a big deal But if you worry about being too provocative regarding Russia stop worrying Stop worrying you're not too provocative We need to up our game when it comes to Russia and the last really tool in the toolbox that we can use Is a designation of making Russia a state sponsor of terrorism I think there are only seven nations in the world that have this designation and it does matter It matters a lot So I would urge Senate leadership to bring this bill to the floor for a vote. We've made Cuba state sponsor of terrorism We've engaged with Cuba doesn't mean you can't engage. It just means that they wear a label well-deserved Syria Iran Cuba North Korea and now Russia. So I just stand with this of all the people I've worked with On national security. Senator Blumenthal has been very consistent He's a proud Democrat, but when it comes to standing up the democracy when it comes to standing up the thugs He's really second to none. I have a pending arrest warrant in Russia. I Don't know how they make you you make me lower So the bottom line is we're not giving up We're going to insist on a vote the best thing we could do I think to shape the future is to label Putin a terrorist leader because he is This would have enormous benefit in Ukraine. I think so. I look forward to being able to have a vote on a bill And inspiring In a way that John McCain John McCain at this moment and what he would think about a bipartisan partnership on this and for everybody in this room Think about what Russia has done to its journal if there were no other reason to cite the persecution of American journalists and Journalists worldwide by Vladimir Putin and the Russian state That would be my exhibit B Exhibit A is the partnership between Kim and Putin Marching literally together their country signing a military partnership Hostile to the United States hostile to peace and liberty and justice around the world, you know It's time I've talked to the administration about this They are certainly sympathetic to the goal We've worked on some specific. We're going to continue to work with them But I think it's time now And they understand that we may have differences of approach or opinion and I think they respect I don't think we're being provocative By labeling I think we're being wrapped up. I think the designation is earned and would matter but after the Defense agreement between North Korea and Russia it is time for us to push back Now is the moment above all other moments, so I would urge the administration Given what Putin has done yesterday Let's go all in and designating his regime for what it is a state sponsor terrorism Here's a general rule anybody that does a defense agreement with North Korea Should be a state sponsor And I think Would be prepared to seek unanimous consent, but our preference would be to move forward in regular order and Vote on it as a whole. I hope that time would commit it But I think there is an urgency here that my process I Think You take that as an I think It is an endorsement of their nuclear program I Will tell you you know again. I don't want to hold up the picture for a third time, but this photograph is not just Outrageous it is deeply scary Because it signals Cooperation not only against Ukraine, but against the United States I Don't even need to go into the classified briefings that we receive to tell you how frightening The idea is that Russia would be lending its nuclear expertise to North Korea Remember Russia for years and years North Korea getting exactly this kind of Because it was so frightened of what this madman might do so I interpreted as an endorsement and That is one of the reasons why Every tool available and if nothing else let me just tell you What one practical Russia's sovereign immunity in our court would be severely restricted and curtailed Thank you No, I haven't I've been trying to get a Question asking bottom line Just what simple is all set not only are they in a defense agreement with North Korea. They may be providing Expertise to North Korea to increase their Now that doesn't get you to being a state sponsor of terrorism what would increasing the nuclear Capability of somebody already on the state sponsor of terrorism list should just be an automatic inclusion of the country in question So as to unanimous consent, I'd like the committee to have a first shot at this But to me, this is one of the most important decision our generation of politicians were made Most if we made Russia state sponsor terrorism, it would change the momentum It would be a morale boost for the Ukrainians it would make it hard for anybody to do business with Russia And it would further isolate this regime. My hope is the Russian people one day will be free They're suffering as much as Well, I'll give you my view Which is I strongly support this resolution The passion But it's no substitute for continuing military Long range artillery and air defense very practical strategic terms we need to tighten our military support during absolutely critical time for Ukraine as it seeks to defend itself against a Russian counter-offensive and prepare for its own Military action hopefully early in 2025 and We should permit very quickly Ukraine to attack target In Russian-controlled territory that may be behind the line. I endorse for some time the authority that Ukraine needs to attack Russian command centers, supply depots Just as they are attacking Infrastructure in Ukraine and we need to give Ukraine that authority for longer range But the answer we're trying to open up What do we learn who's the careless about how many Russians die? You could just kill young Russians in perpetuity I don't think it changes the behavior, but Intel tells us that he does care about his money And he's still got again the repo act where we're going after Sovereign wealth assets of Russia to try to seize them to help the victim of Ukraine is having the fact This would open up yet another front We made Russia's state sponsor of terrorism it opens them up the litigation in American courts It makes it harder for anybody to help him to me this summer and fall should be about more More military capability, and it should be also about more Aggressive action I Would be the last person will say I've done a Scientific poll Among members of the house, but I can tell you that very strong by We just went on a trip to Normandy Profoundly I led a delegation of about 20 senators And senator Graham, and I were there I will tell you I was moved by the speaker I was Affected profoundly by talking to those veterans Under years old And walking the beach in Normandy Omaha be where those folks Landed in eight feet of water and then Three But no cover When they were under a Mortars and That kind of courage With a moment And I This resolution Senator Graham said so well or countering Russia as it imperils democracy now, just as Hitler did then. We will pass this resolution, but we will do more. This resolution is no substitute for Caesar of Athens. It's no substitute for providing arms. It's no substitute for the United States galvanizing the world against North Korea, Russia, Iran. Democracy is under siege. And this is not just words on a piece of paper. This is a statement of moral intent. Just imagine for a moment, if you voted against this resolution, if you had a chance to vote, look what you'd be endorsing. You would be saying, well, that's not enough. The dismembering of a sovereign nation. The mass rape of women. The kidnapping of children. Providing nuclear capability to North Korea, for God's sake. The dismemberment of countries in Africa. On and on and on. So I know Representative McCaul is very interested in this. But I would say to any member of the House and the Senate, if you give Russia a pass here, given all Putin has done, then we've lost deterrence. If this is not enough, I mean, as of yesterday, if there was any doubt about who Putin is in terms of a terrorist state, he just entered into a defense agreement with North Korea, for God's sake, and pledging to help their nuclear program. If you can forgive all that, then you will shine in history all the wrong ways. If you could go back in time and learn from the mistakes of the 30s, where people apologized and wrote off Hitler as just wanting this and not that, not understanding who they were dealing with, they do not age well, those decisions back in the 30s. I'm telling you right now, if you let Putin get away with this latest misadventure, you will not age well in history. Thank you.