Source: United States Senator for South Carolina Lindsey Graham
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham (R-South Carolina) today questioned Secretary of State Antony Blinken at a Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on State and Foreign Operations hearing on the Fiscal Year 2024 Budget Request for the State Department.
Graham discussed his efforts to designate Mexican drug cartels foreign terrorist organizations, and hold Russia accountable for their brutal and unjustified invasion of Ukraine.
MEXICAN DRUG CARTELS/FENTANYL:
- GRAHAM: “I want to put the Mexican government on notice – and [the State] Department. When it comes to the poisoning of America [by fentanyl], we’re going to take different action because what we’re doing is not working.” https://youtu.be/NBlqTZyq7h4?t=530
- GRAHAM: “Are there drug cartels in control of parts of Mexico [instead of] the government of Mexico?”
- GRAHAM: “Do you believe our policies toward drug cartels and fentanyl coming from Mexico – that those policies are working?”
BLINKEN: “They need to do more. They need to be more effective…” https://youtu.be/NBlqTZyq7h4?t=436
- GRAHAM: “How about this idea. Rather than just interdicting [fentanyl] at the border, we go to the source and declare Mexican drug cartels foreign terrorist organizations under U.S. law. Would you consider that?”
BLINKEN: “Yes, we’d certainly consider that.”
GRAHAM: “And that would help us with China because if you provide material support to a foreign terrorist organization, you could be prosecuted in U.S. courts.” https://youtu.be/NBlqTZyq7h4?t=462
RUSSIA:
- GRAHAM: “Are you aware that Congress one hundred to nothing – which is pretty rare around here – supported the idea of declaring Russia a state sponsor of terrorism under U.S. law?
BLINKEN: “Yes.”
GRAHAM: “I don’t know what else we can do to help you in that regard.” https://youtu.be/NBlqTZyq7h4?t=108
Click here to watch Graham’s questions