“President Trump has applied a program of maximum pressure – and that’s brought the North Koreans to the table. The next stages of these negotiations will help us understand if now is the right time – if the Kim regime is truly ready to give up its nuclear weapons.”
Click here to watch Sen. Barrasso’s remarks.
WASHINGTON, D.C.— Today, U.S. Senator John Barrasso (R-Wyo.) spoke on the Senate floor about North Korea and how he believes the United States is in a very strong negotiating position.
Excerpts of Senator Barrasso’s remarks:
“Last week, President Trump took what I believe is a historic first step in making America – and the whole world – more safe, more stable, and more secure.
“His efforts to end North Korea’s nuclear weapons program have already, I believe, produced tangible results.
“North Korea has suspended nuclear tests and is dismantling a test facility.
“They’ve also committed to recovering and sending home the remains of Americans killed during the Korean War.
“Now the Trump administration is taking the next steps.
“The State Department is hard at work on follow-up discussions.
“Secretary of State Pompeo says that he may return personally to North Korea before very long.
“When we heard from President Trump about his trip to Singapore last week, he was upbeat about the talks.
“He understands that these follow-up talks are going to be where the specifics really start to be discussed.
“That is where they say the rubber meets the road.
“I think the talks have a very real opportunity for success.
“Success means an agreement that is durable, enforceable, and verifiable.
“It means an agreement that eliminates all nuclear weapons from North Korea, from the entire Korean peninsula. Nothing less.
“I am cautiously optimistic about the talks.
“President Trump has applied a program of maximum pressure – and that’s brought the North Koreans to the table.
“The next stages of these negotiations will help us understand if now is the right time – if the Kim regime is truly ready to give up its nuclear weapons.
“If it is not ready, the pressure can resume, and the pressure can even be increased.
“The maximum pressure approach will ultimately work – if not today, then someday.
“Meanwhile, the United States is in a very strong negotiating position.
“We know exactly what we need to happen in these talks – exactly what North Korea must do.
“We are willing to walk away if an agreement falls short.
“That is how you win a negotiation.
“When President Obama negotiated with Iran over their nuclear program, I think he lost sight of that important rule.
“He wanted a deal so badly that what he was willing to accept was a bad deal.
“President Trump is a negotiator – and I am confident that he is going to walk away if the only deal to be had is a bad deal for the United States.
“I’m confident that he can reach our goals of a nuclear-free North Korea – today or at some point down the road.
“I remain very clear-eyed about the possibilities as well as the pitfalls – I think we should be clear-eyed and concerned.
“The world remains a very dangerous place. Our adversaries – including North Korea – are cunning, are opportunistic, and they are aggressive.
“So we need to be sure that we don’t lose sight of who we’re dealing with.
“The Kim regime – going back to his father and his grandfather – have a history of appalling attacks on their own people.
“They have shown no interest in human rights, in the political rights, or the civil liberties of North Koreans.
“I think that history will judge this family very harshly.
“All that said, making the world a safer place and doing what’s best for America means we that have to deal with other countries as they are.
“Sometimes it includes sitting down to negotiate with other countries and other leaders who have a terrible record on human rights.
“The United States must continue to do all we can to force hostile nations back from the brink of war.
“We must encourage countries to embrace democracy, to abide by the rule of law, and to support the freedoms and rights of all people.
“As President Kennedy once said, ‘Is not peace, in the last analysis, basically a matter of human rights?’
“The worst human rights violation imaginable would be a nuclear explosion killing millions of people – some of them instantly, and many of them slowly, and in agony.
“President Trump knows that’s what these negotiations are about.
“That the stakes are high, and that Mike Pompeo is the right person for this difficult job.
“He understands the people he’s negotiating with, and he understands the facts on the ground.
“During the confirmation hearing to be secretary of state, Mike Pompeo said an interesting thing about America’s place in the world.
“He said: ‘If we do not lead for democracy, for prosperity, and for human rights around the world, who will?’
“So I think it’s clear that the secretary of state approaches these talks with a clear understanding of what American leadership looks like.
“He also knows what American strength looks like.
“The president hit the pause button on military exercises scheduled for later this year.
“He can just as easily restart the exercises.
“We have 28,000 United States troops in South Korea – I’ve visited some of them who are from my home state of Wyoming.
“The United States Navy is still in the area – and they remain ready at a moment’s notice.
“So America is going to be in a position of strength at every step of these negotiations – whether it’s economic, diplomatic, political, or military.
“I was critical of President Obama’s Iran deal because it was a bad deal, not because ending Iran’s nuclear program was a bad idea.
“I was critical of the Iran deal because it gave up too much in return for too little. It made permanent concessions, for temporary return.
“I was critical because it was done without the support of the American people, through their representatives in the Senate.
“I am confident that President Trump will not make the same mistakes.
“President Trump has given Kim Jong-Un a taste – just a taste – of what it means to be welcomed as one of the peaceful, civilized nations of the world.
“It is up to Kim if he wants to remain in this world, or if he wants to return to being an isolated, backward, pariah state as North Korea has been for so long.
“It is up to Kim if he wants to embrace civilized norms of respecting the human rights and the freedom of people.
“That’s his decision to make. As for the rest of us, we can remain hopeful, while still being skeptical.
“We cannot insist that the talks in North Korea must lead to a great breakthrough immediately.
“Nobody can make a promise like that – and no one can expect that as the only standard of success.
“What we can expect is that our president will always put the interests of the American people first – whether he’s negotiating with our allies or with our adversaries.
“That’s what the American people expect – and I think all of us can rest assured that President Trump will keep that promise.”