Ricketts on the Senate Floor: “The Biden-Harris Age of Appeasement is Ending”
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Earlier this week, U.S. Senator Pete Ricketts (R-NE) spoke on the Senate floor, criticizing the Biden-Harris administration’s foreign policy for failing to keep America safe and secure. Ricketts also condemned the administration for their appeasement-first approach and emboldening adversaries.
“About a month ago, the American people delivered a message that they were no longer going to stand for a government that was failing to keep them safe,” Ricketts said. “The Biden-Harris appeasement-first foreign policy strategy has made America weaker and less safe. The world that the Biden administration is leaving is a more dangerous place today than it was four years ago, when they took over.”
“By returning President Trump to the White House, the American people are sending a clear message,” Ricketts closed. “There’s a new sheriff in town. The Biden-Harris age of appeasement is ending. The resurgence of American strength is about to begin. And I am excited to see what the future holds.”
Watch the video HERE.
TRANSCRIPT:
Senator Ricketts: “I’ve always said that keeping people safe is one of the most fundamental roles the government plays. Keeping people safe.
“For four years, the Biden-Harris administration has failed at this most fundamental mandate the government has.
“About a month ago, the American people delivered a message that they were no longer going to stand for a government that was failing to keep them safe.
“The Biden-Harris appeasement-first foreign policy strategy has made America weaker and less safe.
“The world that the Biden administration is leaving is a more dangerous place today than it was four years ago, when they took over.
“Weakness and appeasement have defined the current administration, starting with their disastrous pull out of Afghanistan.
“That pull out in Afghanistan, cost American lives, including a Nebraskan, Marine Corporal Daegan Page.
“We also left behind Americans, unbelievably, and we also left behind our Afghan security partners – abandoned them – in addition to the billions of dollars of American equipment, through this poorly executed debacle.
“Since then, we’ve seen poor foreign policy fumbles and flip flops that have left our allies questioning our commitment. And worse yet, has the bad guys – Russia, China, Iran, North Korea – questioning our resolve.
“Most disturbing example of this is Iran.
“Under the Trump administration, they knew that the way to deal with a dictator like we have in Ali Khamenei in Iran, is through strength and imposing sanctions.
“The sanctions the Trump administration imposed took Iran’s foreign reserves down from $122.5 billion to less than $14 billion.
“And what did that mean? Well, that meant that they couldn’t fund the terrorism around the world that they’ve been doing for the last four years.
“When you cut off their money supply, they couldn’t give it to Hamas or Hezbollah. And so those terrorist organizations were going broke.
“They didn’t have the resources to be able to fund that terrorism. And then came along Joe Biden.
“Joe Biden and his administration relaxed the sanctions on Iran through a naive policy that somehow if we just give them enough money, they’re going to be nice to us.
“But that’s not the way it works with dictators.
“It enabled Iran to generate $100 billion in oil money, and that has consequences.
“It was because of this appeasement-first policy and giving money to Iran that Hamas had the ability to attack our ally Israel on October 7th. And how Hezbollah has then since attacked Israel as well. How the Houthis have been able to shoot at ships in the Red Sea.
“Iranian proxies like Hamas, Hezbollah and the Houthis have been emboldened by Biden’s appeasement-first policy.
“This is what is causing the chaos we are seeing right now in the Middle East.
“And while these attacks may seem far away, we must remember that Iran not only chants ‘Death to Israel,’ they chant ‘Death to America.’
“Over 40 Americans were killed on October 7th. Three American service members were killed by Iranian proxy drone attacks in January. The Houthis continue to shoot at American ships in the Red Sea.
“Islamic terrorists across have crossed our open border.
“And for crying out loud, Iran is trying to kill President Trump.
“And what has the Biden administration done? Nothing. Absolutely nothing. There has been no price for Iran to pay for all of this.
“Our adversaries, they see this and understand the weakness.
“The Chinese Communist Party has been emboldened. They’ve repeatedly violated our sovereignty. Spy balloons have been allowed to travel across our country spying on our sensitive military installations. We’ve seen espionage operations set up in New York City and fentanyl has been killing Americans across our country. And while it may be coming across the southern border, the precursors are being made in China.
“We’ve also seen what Vladimir Putin has done, when Russia invaded Ukraine.
“Our freedoms, our way of life depends on peace. And how do we maintain peace? We maintain peace through strength.
“That’s what the American people chose a month ago when they elected President Donald Trump. Under President Trump’s first administration, we saw the dismantling of the ISIS caliphate and historic peace deals in the Middle East. The Middle East’s first peace agreement in 26 years.
And by the way, that should have been cause for a Nobel Prize award to President Trump. But the feckless Nobel Prize committee didn’t see it that way. They couldn’t bring themselves to acknowledge the great work that President Trump did.
“By returning President Trump to the White House, the American people are sending a clear message. There’s a new sheriff in town. The Biden-Harris age of appeasement is ending. The resurgence of American strength is about to begin. And I am excited to see what the future holds.
“Thank you, Madam President.”