WASHINGTON—United States Senator Bill Hagerty (R-TN) today joined guest host Sandra Smith on Your World with Neil Cavuto to discuss imposing sanctions against Russia.
Partial Transcript
Hagerty on Russian sanctions: “We have a serious effort underway regarding sanctions. The real question is timing. Again, President Biden’s had the authority to do this through executive action all along. He’s actually refused to impose Nord Stream 2 sanctions, and he actually worked hard with 44 other Senate Democrats to frustrate Senator [Ted] Cruz’s bill to force them to impose Nord Stream 2 sanctions on Russia. Again, trying to remove from Vladimir Putin’s hands a geopolitical weapon that he’s creating. But right now, what we’re focused on is getting sanctions in place and getting them in place now, from my perspective. The debate right now is whether it happens after Putin has acted or before.”
Hagerty on the need to demonstrate American resolve: “Well, I tell you where I am right now, and that is that Russia—and frankly the world—has heard enough of tough talk. Actions speak much louder than words. What we need to do is impose sanctions right now to give Vladimir Putin a taste of what’s to come and to demonstrate America’s resolve. China’s watching this, too. The Ayatollahs in Iran are watching this, and what they can see is an America that won’t defend its own southern border, an America that actually walked away from energy independence and has done everything in its power to wage war on oil and gas. We need to reverse course there and stand strong.”
Hagerty on the Biden Administration’s failed leadership across the board: “I think we’ve had the opportunity for nine months here with this Administration to step up and address Russia. That’s when Russia’s actions began. And what we’ve had is inaction and feckless behavior here from the Biden Administration. So, I think it’s even more important than ever to step up and show leadership as a nation. Again, defend our borders. Again, regain our energy independence. And with respect to these sanctions, we should lay out the toughest set of sanctions absolutely possible—financial sanctions, crushing sanctions, whether they be against individuals like Vladimir Putin, against key corporations, or the Russian government.”
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