Jim Costa Asks Marco Rubio Point Blank: Why Hasn't Trump Used 'Maximum Pressure' On Russia?

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During Wednesday’s House Foreign Affairs Committee hearing, Rep. Jim Costa (D-CA) questioned Secretary of State Marco Rubio.

Transcript

00:00Representative Costin.

00:01Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman, for this important hearing today.

00:04I too, like many of our colleagues here today, mourn the loss of our dear friend Jerry Connolly

00:10and our thoughts and prayers go to him and his family.

00:14Mr. Secretary, there are a couple different issues I want to touch upon here that have

00:18been raised but I would like clarity on.

00:21First of all, would you agree that the transatlantic alliance, the partnership post-World War

00:28II, has been a hallmark of freedom throughout the world?

00:33Yes, and it continues to be a strong feature of our foreign policy.

00:37Yes.

00:38You said that you had not discussed post-closures as it relates to those in Europe as part of

00:44your overhaul of the State Department.

00:47Four are in France, three are in Germany, one in Italy, one in Portugal, one in Brazil, not

00:51Europe.

00:53And then, I thought you said that no determination has yet been made with those post-closures?

00:59There, no.

01:00There was an article, some of these are cultural places like, I forget the exact ones, but they're

01:05not even embassies or consulates.

01:07But they're not being closed, but I don't know where these things are coming from.

01:10I mean, people are putting stuff out there.

01:12Now, listen.

01:13If you could respond with a letter on that point, I would appreciate that.

01:15Sure.

01:16I'll tell you this.

01:17If we find a post that's wasteful, we'll close it, but we haven't-

01:19The Consul General I know in Portugal is our oldest.

01:20What's that?

01:21The Consul General's post in Portugal is our oldest, historically.

01:25I don't know where that's coming from.

01:26I mean, that's a press report.

01:27Well, okay.

01:28We'll clear that up later on.

01:29Mr. Secretary, you know, America has been the beacon of light for democracy, post-World

01:38War II, certainly.

01:40And almost every president has been used as a voice of a defender of democratic principles.

01:46Do you agree that China and Russia are adversaries today, along with Iran, I might add?

01:55I think both.

01:56Well, there's no doubt in the case of China seeks to replace us on the world stage as the

02:00world's most powerful country.

02:01Russia and Iran.

02:02In the case of Russia, they clearly do not support a world order in which the United States

02:07plays the role it's currently played.

02:09They're an adversary in that front.

02:10In the case of Iran, they're a threat to regional peace.

02:12I wouldn't say they're a global threat, but they're an increasing threat.

02:14Yeah.

02:15No, I understand.

02:16And I would even go further.

02:17I consider today modern-day Russia a syndicate masquerading as a country with a mob boss

02:23called Putin.

02:24And so, in these negotiations, I want to do a comparative analogy.

02:29The president has indicated that with Iran, as we've noted, that maximum pressure are

02:35the tactics that will be used to engage Iran to ensure that they do not obtain nuclear capability.

02:42Is that correct?

02:44Maximum pressure on Iran?

02:47Right.

02:48As compelling them to not seek a nuclear weapon?

02:50Right.

02:51Correct.

02:52The alternative is worse.

02:53Yes.

02:54In the negotiations that the president is trying to seek a ceasefire and a peace between Ukraine

02:59and Russia, I would like to ask you why the president has not considered using maximum pressure

03:07on Russia to ensure which we have the ability to do so.

03:12Sanctions are being considered, as you know, over in the Senate, additional sanctions, to

03:17pressure Russia into a ceasefire mode and to a cease and to a peace agreement, realizing

03:23that they've broken the last three agreements they've had with Ukraine in the last 20 years.

03:28Well, I think the president has made clear that he understands clearly he has options with

03:32increased sanctions on Russia if necessary.

03:34He would prefer that they agree to a peace deal.

03:36And so it's a process of trying to encourage them to reach peace.

03:39If ultimately that doesn't work, the president has publicly stated.

03:42He's very well aware of the sanctions options, devastating sanctions options that he has.

03:46And I just want to make sure that we're clear about this because we have leverage on Russia.

03:51And it's not clear to me that we're using it in the same sense that we're using it with

03:55Iran.

03:56And I think, frankly, we and our allies must be together in defending democracy.

04:02And certainly Ukraine is a democratic and intending to become more democratic, wants to join with

04:07the West, with the European Union, as well as ultimately with NATO.

04:12And I think Poland, Romania, and the Baltic states are watching very carefully to America's

04:18commitment to Ukraine.

04:19Let me go on quickly here.

04:21The effort was raised, and you commented on Armenia and Azerbaijan, another country that

04:28Azerbaijan that has not kept its commitments in the Minsk Accord.

04:33We've tried to get Republican and Democratic administrations to forego the waiver on Section

04:39907 on military aid to Azerbaijan.

04:42Finally, last year, the Biden administration rightfully refused to issue the waiver.

04:47I think it should be permanent.

04:49What is your position?

04:51And will you commit to not resisting Section 907 waiver again this year that would block

04:57military aid to Azerbaijan?

04:58Well, we haven't made a determination on that yet because what we're focused on right

05:01now is getting them to agree to a peace agreement that does not cause them to invade a neighboring

05:06country in Armenia.

05:07We would like to prevent that from happening.

05:08The President is very committed to preventing wars, and we've tried to outline to both sides,

05:13especially the Azerbaijani side, the tremendous benefits that would come from signing a peace

05:17deal and not engaging in a war that we would find to be destructive, counterproductive, and

05:22the last thing we need right now in the region.

05:24And Armenia is looking for our help and our support.

05:27Representative Cain is recognized.

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