Schumer Statement On Resolution Affirming Congress’ Opposition To Making Available Former U.S. Ambassador To Russia McFaul And Other Current And Former U.S. Officials To Questioning By Government Of Vladimir Putin

Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Chuck Schumer today released the following statement regarding the concurrent resolution affirming Congress’ opposition to making available former U.S. Ambassador to Russia McFaul and other current and former U.S. officials to questioning by the government of Vladimir Putin. Senator Schumer's remarks can be viewed here.   

“Mr. President, now I’m hopeful that we will come together on this resolution, which I introduced with the senator from New Jersey and the senator from Hawaii, that it is neither the policy nor the practice of the United States to submit our citizens, let alone our ambassadors, to the interrogation of a foreign adversary.

Let this resolution be a warning to the administration that Congress will not allow this to happen. I call on President Trump to say, once and for all, not through his spokespeople, that the lopsided, disgraceful trade he called an “incredible offer” is now off the table.

There should be no equivocation on the matter – and one more point, Mr. President. May we have order, Mr. President? – I am so disappointed in the failure of the resolutions earlier today.

We had a chance for bipartisanship. The resolutions were modest and mild, and they were just resolutions, but we couldn’t even come to agreement on those. Our Republican colleagues, given the crisis we have on foreign policy, have to step up to the plate and join us, not just in resolutions, but in bipartisan action that is so important. I was told that one of the reasons that the resolution was objected to was because they didn’t even want us to get the notes – let alone hear from the translator of this two-hour, mysterious meeting where nobody seems to know what has happened. The American people should know what has happened. The Senate should know what has happened. Our leaders in the State Department and Defense Department should know what happened, and our colleagues on the other side of the aisle seem to be too afraid to let us bring that up.

That is so wrong for the security of America. I am hopeful – hopeful – there are bipartisan efforts going on today – that we can not do what we did earlier and block the resolutions by the senator from Vermont and the bipartisan resolution from the senators of Arizona and Delaware, but move together in real action to undo the damage – try to undo the damage – that the president has done to this country this week.

Mr. President, I yield the floor.”

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