Bob Menendez

Mr. MENENDEZ

Mr. MENENDEZ. I would like to answer the Senator's question, and that makes eminent sense that we would protect HIPAA information, regardless of who is in a position to maybe have access to collecting it. And therefore, in the first instance, you shouldn't collect it, if you are not a medical entity, but if you do, you should be ultimately bound by the same guarantees that anyone else would be guaranteed. You know, it would baffle me that particularly a medical professional, a doctor, would suggest that HIPAA information is something that we shouldn't protect. I think that at a minimum, we should all be able to agree to that.

Mr. MENENDEZ

Mr. MENENDEZ. Mr. President, as we bring to an end this debate about the accession treaty for Sweden and Finland, I have been listening in my office to my colleagues' comments, and I think it has all been very constructive. But I do have a different view--a view on some points that have been made that I think are wrong--and before this body casts a vote, I think they should understand why. I appreciate Senator Paul's focus on Congress's prerogatives with respect to war powers. Like Senator Paul, I have a deep respect for the critical role that the Constitution assigns to Congress in this area, and I believe our democracy is stronger for it. But I rise to convey that Senator Paul's amendment is unnecessary, unprecedented, and, if adopted, will be deeply damaging to NATO and our relationship with NATO allies. That is why the Foreign Relations Committee, in marking up these treaties, overwhelmingly, in a bipartisan vote, voted down a substantively identical amendment offered by Senator Paul. The amendment before us today is not necessary. There is no question that the North Atlantic Treaty and the Finland and Sweden protocols do not and cannot supersede the Constitution. No treaty can. This is a well-established and well-understood point that the Supreme Court has reaffirmed. The amendment, however, would be deeply damaging to our core national security interests. Neither the United States nor any other NATO ally has ever insisted on a reservation--a statement that would limit and call into question our adherence to NATO obligations. But that is exactly what this amendment does. If adopted, it would be shared with all NATO members and would signal to them that we are limiting our obligations to NATO with regard to article 5 of the NATO treaty. If we go down this road, we can expect that other countries will do so, as well, gutting the core commitment that NATO members make to each other. Particularly at this time, with Putin's rampage in Ukraine, his energy war against Europe, and his constant saber-rattling, it would be self-defeating to do anything that casts doubt on our rock-solid commitment to NATO and our NATO allies. So let me reiterate: There is no question that neither the treaties we are voting on today nor any treaty can supersede the Constitution. That position is clear in law and clear in logic: The Constitution is supreme. From there, we have one task before us: providing advice and consent to Finland and Sweden's accession in a manner that strengthens the NATO alliance and strengthens our allies. The amendment before us would do the opposite. And for those reasons, I oppose that amendment and urge all my colleagues to do so as well. Finally, let me address some of the other critics of Sweden and Finland's accession to the NATO alliance. Each day we fail to act we send a message of indecision and division. Some Republican critics oppose Sweden and Finland joining NATO because they are worried about the cost to the United States, but that is simply untrue. Sweden and Finland will reduce these costs. Instead, we should be asking: What is the cost of delaying NATO expansion? What is the cost of debating protection for Europe's democracies? What is the cost of denying security to Sweden and Finland? I will tell you, these eleventh-hour concerns standing in the way of this process only serve Putin's interest. Other critics want an amendment undermining article 5 of the NATO charter, which says an attack on one NATO member is an attack on all. But as I said before, this was overwhelmingly rejected by both sides of the aisle in the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. And then there are still others who say we shouldn't accept Sweden and Finland into NATO because China, not Russia, is our greatest foreign policy threat. Let me just say one thing, if you want to make sure you defeat the China challenge, the first thing you want to do is defeat Russia in Ukraine. Xi Jinping is looking at what is happening in Ukraine. He is looking at what the West is doing in Ukraine. And he is making calculations as it relates to Taiwan and elsewhere in the world. You want to make sure that you defeat Russia in Ukraine. And let me also say, as someone who has worked on foreign policy for three decades and who is intimately aware of the danger and risk that China poses, we have to be able to meet that challenge in multiple dimensions. Sometimes we face more than one threat at the same time. Sometimes our values and commitments compel us to stand up for what we believe in, and this is one of those times. Putin's regime continues to push and probe for weakness, and NATO is the best institution we have to check his push for power across the continent. Over the course of the last 70 years that NATO has existed, it has used an open-door policy when it comes to accepting new member countries. These countries must be functioning democracies. They must treat minorities fairly. They must resolve conflicts peacefully and be able to contribute to the NATO alliance. And this criteria describes Sweden and Finland to a tee. So I urge my colleagues to vote yes to accept these prosperous democracies into NATO. Vote yes to reduce the cost on the United States and the entire military alliance. Vote yes to embracing the values and modern militaries of Sweden and Finland. Vote yes to having these two democracies join us. Vote yes to strengthening the North American Treaty Organization today. I yield the floor.

Mr. MENENDEZ

Mr. MENENDEZ. Mr. President, section 36(b) of the Arms Export Control Act requires that Congress receive prior notification of certain proposed arms sales as defined by that statute. Upon such notification, the Congress has 30 calendar days during which the sale may be reviewed. The provision stipulates that, in the Senate, the notification of proposed sales shall be sent to the chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. In keeping with the committee's intention to see that relevant information is available to the full Senate, I ask unanimous consent to have printed in the Record the notifications which have been received. If the cover letter references a classified annex, then such annex is available to all Senators in the office of the Foreign Relations Committee, room SD- 423.

Mr. MENENDEZ

Mr. MENENDEZ. Mr. President, section 36(b) of the Arms Export Control Act requires that Congress receive prior notification of certain proposed arms sales as defined by that statute. Upon such notification, the Congress has 30 calendar days during which the sale may be reviewed. The provision stipulates that, in the Senate, the notification of proposed sales shall be sent to the chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. In keeping with the committee's intention to see that relevant information is available to the full Senate, I ask unanimous consent to have printed in the Record the notifications which have been received. If the cover letter references a classified annex, then such annex is available to all Senators in the office of the Foreign Relations Committee, room SD-423.

Mr. MENENDEZ

Mr. MENENDEZ. Mr. President, section 36(b) of the Arms Export Control Act requires that Congress receive prior notification of certain proposed arms sales as defined by that statute. Upon such notification, the Congress has 30 calendar days during which the sale may be reviewed. The provision stipulates that, in the Senate, the notification of proposed sales shall be sent to the chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. In keeping with the committee's intention to see that relevant information is available to the full Senate, I ask unanimous consent to have printed in the Record the notifications which have been received. If the cover letter references a classified annex, then such annex is available to all Senators in the office of the Foreign Relations Committee, room SD-423.

Mr. MENENDEZ

Mr. MENENDEZ. Mr. President, section 36(b) of the Arms Export Control Act requires that Congress receive prior notification of certain proposed arms sales as defined by that statute. Upon such notification, the Congress has 30 calendar days during which the sale may be reviewed. The provision stipulates that, in the Senate, the notification of proposed sales shall be sent to the chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. In keeping with the committee's intention to see that relevant information is available to the full Senate, I ask unanimous consent to have printed in the Record the notifications which have been received. If the cover letter references a classified annex, then such annex is available to all Senators in the office of the Foreign Relations Committee, room SD-423.

Mr. MENENDEZ

Mr. MENENDEZ. Madam President, section 36(b) of the Arms Export Control Act requires that Congress receive prior notification of certain proposed arms sales as defined by that statute. Upon such notification, the Congress has 30 calendar days during which the sale may be reviewed. The provision stipulates that, in the Senate, the notification of proposed sales shall be sent to the chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. In keeping with the committee's intention to see that relevant information is available to the full Senate, I ask unanimous consent to have printed in the Record the notifications which have been received. If the cover letter references a classified annex, then such annex is available to all Senators in the office of the Foreign Relations Committee, room SD-423.

Mr. MENENDEZ

Mr. MENENDEZ. Madam President, section 36(b) of the Arms Export Control Act requires that Congress receive prior notification of certain proposed arms sales as defined by that statute. Upon such notification, the Congress has 30 calendar days during which the sale may be reviewed. The provision stipulates that, in the Senate, the notification of proposed sales shall be sent to the chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. In keeping with the committee's intention to see that relevant information is available to the full Senate, I ask unanimous consent to have printed in the Record the notifications which have been received. If the cover letter references a classified annex, then such annex is available to all Senators in the office of the Foreign Relations Committee, room SD-423.

Mr. MENENDEZ

Mr. MENENDEZ. Madam President, section 36(b) of the Arms Export Control Act requires that Congress receive prior notification of certain proposed arms sales as defined by that statute. Upon such notification, the Congress has 30 calendar days during which the sale may be reviewed. The provision stipulates that, in the Senate, the notification of proposed sales shall be sent to the chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. In keeping with the committee's intention to see that relevant information is available to the full Senate, I ask unanimous consent to have printed in the Record the notifications which have been received. If the cover letter references a classified annex, then such annex is available to all Senators in the office of the Foreign Relations Committee, room SD-423.

Mr. MENENDEZ

Mr. MENENDEZ. Madam President, section 36(b) of the Arms Export Control Act requires that Congress receive prior notification of certain proposed arms sales as defined by that statute. Upon such notification, the Congress has 30 calendar days during which the sale may be reviewed. The provision stipulates that, in the Senate, the notification of proposed sales shall be sent to the chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. In keeping with the committee's intention to see that relevant information is available to the full Senate, I ask unanimous consent to have printed in the Record the notifications which have been received. If the cover letter references a classified annex, then such annex is available to all Senators in the office of the Foreign Relations Committee, room SD-423.

Mr. MENENDEZ

Mr. MENENDEZ. Mr. President, section 36(b) of the Arms Export Control Act requires that Congress receive prior notification of certain proposed arms sales as defined by that statute. Upon such notification, the Congress has 30 calendar days during which the sale may be reviewed. The provision stipulates that, in the Senate, the notification of proposed sales shall be sent to the chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. In keeping with the committee's intention to see that relevant information is available to the full Senate, I ask unanimous consent to have printed in the Record the notifications which have been received. If the cover letter references a classified annex, then such annex is available to all Senators in the office of the Foreign Relations Committee, room SD-423.

Mr. MENENDEZ

Mr. MENENDEZ. Mr. President, section 36(b) of the Arms Export Control Act requires that Congress receive prior notification of certain proposed arms sales as defined by that statute. Upon such notification, the Congress has 30 calendar days during which the sale may be reviewed. The provision stipulates that, in the Senate, the notification of proposed sales shall be sent to the chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. In keeping with the committee's intention to see that relevant information is available to the full Senate, I ask unanimous consent to have printed in the Record the notifications which have been received. If the cover letter references a classified annex, then such annex is available to all Senators in the office of the Foreign Relations Committee, room SD-423.

Mr. MENENDEZ

Mr. MENENDEZ. Mr. President, section 36(b) of the Arms Export Control Act requires that Congress receive prior notification of certain proposed arms sales as defined by that statute. Upon such notification, the Congress has 30 calendar days during which the sale may be reviewed. The provision stipulates that, in the Senate, the notification of proposed sales shall be sent to the chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. In keeping with the committee's intention to see that relevant information is available to the full Senate, I ask unanimous consent to have printed in the Record the notifications which have been received. If the cover letter references a classified annex, then such annex is available to all Senators in the office of the Foreign Relations Committee, room SD-423.

Mr. MENENDEZ

Mr. MENENDEZ. Mr. President, section 36(b) of the Arms Export Control Act requires that Congress receive prior notification of certain proposed arms sales as defined by that statute. Upon such notification, the Congress has 30 calendar days during which the sale may be reviewed. The provision stipulates that, in the Senate, the notification of proposed sales shall be sent to the chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. In keeping with the committee's intention to see that relevant information is available to the full Senate, I ask unanimous consent to have printed in the Record the notifications which have been received. If the cover letter references a classified annex, then such annex is available to all Senators in the office of the Foreign Relations Committee, room SD-423.

Mr. MENENDEZ

Mr. MENENDEZ. Mr. President, I rise to highlight the Senate Foreign Relations Committee's vote to favorably report the Peace Corps Reauthorization Act to the full Senate for its consideration. This legislation, the first reauthorization since 1999, is critically important to strengthening American leadership in the world. Last year, the Peace Corps celebrated its 60th anniversary of when President John F. Kennedy established this important program, run by its first Director, Sargent Shriver. The Peace Corps' mission then, as it is today, is to ``promote world peace and friendship'' by encouraging economic growth and well-being to underserved populations abroad, as well as giving Americans a better understanding of the wider world and vice-versa. The Peace Corps is emerging from one of the most challenging crises it has ever faced. On March 15, 2020, as the gravity and uncertainty of the COVID pandemic gripped the world, every mission was suspended for the first time in the Peace Corps' history. In addition to executing the enormously complex operation of evacuating more than 7,000 Peace Corps volunteers from all around the globe, the Peace Corps was faced with the challenge of how to operate and serve during a period of global social isolation. As the world continues to recover from the pandemic, the Peace Corps is busy executing plans for reentering countries and resuming its mission of service around the world. While the Peace Corps' return is a testament to the resilience and adaptability of this vitally important branch of U.S. foreign affairs, COVID's continued presence around the world requires the Peace Corps to undertake a wide array of new public safety measures to keep volunteers, staff, and host communities healthy and safe. And so this reauthorization comes at a most critical time for the Peace Corps. This is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to enact long overdue reforms and to make sure the agency can effectively promote international peace, development, and people-to-people engagement. And it represents significant reforms and strong bipartisan congressional support for the Agency at an inflection point in its history. This legislation will strengthen the Peace Corps, giving it the baseline budget it needs to build the program that Americans deserve. It sets a $375 per month minimum for the Peace Corps volunteers' readjustment allowance. It suspends student loan interest during volunteer service. It extends healthcare coverage for returned Peace Corps volunteers. And it provides greater whistleblower protections so the Peace Corps will be transparent and accountable, honoring the standards and aspirations of its original vision, as outlined in 1961. The Peace Corps is on track to redeploy volunteers to 30 countries by the end of this fiscal year. And it has set an aggressive goal of returning volunteers to almost all of the prepandemic countries by the end of fiscal year 2023. The programs and policy reforms authorized in this legislation are crucial to ensuring the safe and successful return of volunteers to the field. I am especially proud of the bipartisan work that has gone into this bill and appreciate the collaboration of the ranking member of Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Senator Risch, for joining me on this important legislation. And I am pleased that we are joined by our colleagues, Senators Cardin, Young, Shaheen, Portman, Feinstein, and Cornyn, who should be commended for their support of the Peace Corps and to ensuring the Peace Corps can continue to support and enhance America's leading role in the world. I also want to salute the tremendous input from the Peace Corps community. Their commitment to improving security, conditions, and opportunities for future Peace Corps volunteers is vital to the introduction of this bill and improves our national security as well. So I urge my colleagues to support this bill and its swift passage. Passage of this bill will help bring about a revitalized, retooled Peace Corps. Making this bill law will help ensure the return of volunteers executing the important work of the Peace Corps, representing the United States of America overseas.

Mr. MENENDEZ

Mr. MENENDEZ. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent to print the following letter in the Record.

Mr. MENENDEZ

Mr. MENENDEZ. Mr. President, section 36(b) of the Arms Export Control Act requires that Congress receive prior notification of certain proposed arms sales as defined by that statute. Upon such notification, the Congress has 30 calendar days during which the sale may be reviewed. The provision stipulates that, in the Senate, the notification of proposed sales shall be sent to the chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. In keeping with the committee's intention to see that relevant information is available to the full Senate, I ask unanimous consent to have printed in the Record the notifications which have been received. If the cover letter references a classified annex, then such annex is available to all Senators in the office of the Foreign Relations Committee, room SD-423.

Mr. MENENDEZ

Mr. MENENDEZ. Mr. President, section 36(b) of the Arms Export Control Act requires that Congress receive prior notification of certain proposed arms sales as defined by that statute. Upon such notification, the Congress has 30 calendar days during which the sale may be reviewed. The provision stipulates that, in the Senate, the notification of proposed sales shall be sent to the chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. In keeping with the committee's intention to see that relevant information is available to the full Senate, I ask unanimous consent to have printed in the Record the notifications which have been received. If the cover letter references a classified annex, then such annex is available to all Senators in the office of the Foreign Relations Committee, room SD-423.

Mr. MENENDEZ

Mr. MENENDEZ. Mr. President, section 36(b) of the Arms Export Control Act requires that Congress receive prior notification of certain proposed arms sales as defined by that statute. Upon such notification, the Congress has 30 calendar days during which the sale may be reviewed. The provision stipulates that, in the Senate, the notification of proposed sales shall be sent to the chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. In keeping with the committee's intention to see that relevant information is available to the full Senate, I ask unanimous consent to have printed in the Record the notifications which have been received. If the cover letter references a classified annex, then such annex is available to all Senators in the office of the Foreign Relations Committee, room SD-423.

Mr. MENENDEZ

Mr. MENENDEZ. Mr. President, section 36(b) of the Arms Export Control Act requires that Congress receive prior notification of certain proposed arms sales as defined by that statute. Upon such notification, the Congress has 30 calendar days during which the sale may be reviewed. The provision stipulates that, in the Senate, the notification of proposed sales shall be sent to the chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. In keeping with the committee's intention to see that relevant information is available to the full Senate, I ask unanimous consent to have printed in the Record the notifications which have been received. If the cover letter references a classified annex, then such annex is available to all Senators in the office of the Foreign Relations Committee, room SD-423.

Mr. MENENDEZ

Mr. MENENDEZ. Mr. President, section 36(b) of the Arms Export Control Act requires that Congress receive prior notification of certain proposed arms sales as defined by that statute. Upon such notification, the Congress has 30 calendar days during which the sale may be reviewed. The provision stipulates that, in the Senate, the notification of proposed sales shall be sent to the chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. In keeping with the committee's intention to see that relevant information is available to the full Senate, I ask unanimous consent to have printed in the Record the notifications which have been received. If the cover letter references a classified annex, then such annex is available to all Senators in the office of the Foreign Relations Committee, room SD-423.

Mr. MENENDEZ

Mr. MENENDEZ. Mr. President, section 36(b) of the Arms Export Control Act requires that Congress receive prior notification of certain proposed arms sales as defined by that statute. Upon such notification, the Congress has 30 calendar days during which the sale may be reviewed. The provision stipulates that, in the Senate, the notification of proposed sales shall be sent to the chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. In keeping with the committee's intention to see that relevant information is available to the full Senate, I ask unanimous consent to have printed in the Record the notifications which have been received. If the cover letter references a classified annex, then such annex is available to all Senators in the office of the Foreign Relations Committee, room SD-423.

Mr. MENENDEZ

Mr. MENENDEZ. Mr. President, section 36(b) of the Arms Export Control Act requires that Congress receive prior notification of certain proposed arms sales as defined by that statute. Upon such notification, the Congress has 30 calendar days during which the sale may be reviewed. The provision stipulates that, in the Senate, the notification of proposed sales shall be sent to the chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. In keeping with the committee's intention to see that relevant information is available to the full Senate, I ask unanimous consent to have printed in the Record the notifications which have been received. If the cover letter references a classified annex, then such annex is available to all Senators in the office of the Foreign Relations Committee, room SD-423.

Mr. MENENDEZ

Mr. MENENDEZ. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent to print the following letter in the Record.

Mr. MENENDEZ

Mr. MENENDEZ. Mr. President, section 36(b) of the Arms Export Control Act requires that Congress receive prior notification of certain proposed arms sales as defined by that statute. Upon such notification, the Congress has 30 calendar days during which the sale may be reviewed. The provision stipulates that, in the Senate, the notification of proposed sales shall be sent to the chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. In keeping with the committee's intention to see that relevant information is available to the full Senate, I ask unanimous consent to have printed in the Record the notifications which have been received. If the cover letter references a classified annex, then such annex is available to all Senators in the office of the Foreign Relations Committee, room SD-423.