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Trent Franks: “My first amendment was to make it directly to [the Kurds]…”

Featuring: Trent Franks, Conservative | Former U.S. House, Arizona's 8th District

In-Depth Discussion on U.S. Politics, Iran, and Global Security with Congressman Trent Franks

Published January 12, 2023 | Video Starts at 43:25

And if we try to do that through the Iraqi central government rather than the Kurdish regional government, it just doesn't work. We tried that. In fact, it's not going to get to them. It doesn't get to them. My first amendment was to make it directly to [the Kurds]. That amendment stayed on in the House. It was successful. But when it went over to the Senate, the, the Obama administration worked behind the scenes to take it out. (43:25–43:31)

CLAIM

Asserts that an amendment to directly arm the Kurds was passed in the House.

This is an excerpt from a raw transcript. The assertions have not been audited or verified. Tap the video to view the source footage and understand the context.

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Trent Franks

“In the 1970s, the Democrats changed [the filibuster] from a full debate mechanism to something that prevents all debate.”
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“They have the equivalent, not of 160 centrifuges, but the equivalent of the same kind of centrifuges at that time, the IR1s. Now that…”
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“They have absolutely the capability of making enough nuclear fissile material for several atomic bombs every year.”
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“We said, if you'll do away with your nuclear weapons, that Russia and America and the UK will stand up and defend your territorial…”
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“I support [the Freedom Caucus]. I love them. I used to be one of them.”
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“They [the Gold Institute] were trying to actually be on the front line to create real solutions, not just study the problem.”
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“The Freedom Caucus [members] want to move the needle in a particular ideological direction.”
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“I'm convinced that in their heart, [the Freedom Caucus members] were trying to do what they thought was good for America.”
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“If we don't make appropriations, government comes to a halt because a government is what it spends.”
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“The House will pass an appropriations bill that fairly accurately represents the ideals of the American people.”
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“When it goes over to the Senate, if the Democrats are in control, they simply don't let something come to the floor that they don't fully…”
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“If the Democrats are in the minority, they do the same thing. They simply will not allow the bills to come to the floor with the 60 votes.”
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“By the time the Senate revises the spending process, revises all the appropriations bill, it's no longer indicative of even a Republican…”
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“Republicans are trying to reduce spending and trying to make sure that government is more spending its, its money in ways that do not…”
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“We're not willing to take the bill hostage or the country hostage to get our way, whereas, unfortunately, my friends on the Democrat side…”
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“Our system, in this case, it creates a balance that doesn't work for Republicans and does work for Democrats.”
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“When the Democrats finally get in power, they will change [the filibuster] and then they will do terrible damage to the country.”
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“They were one vote short from being able to do obliterate this country.”
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“If we don't do something different now, it should be, there is a way, if we're in control, to change it in a way that will still work for…”
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“All economy is about productivity. And if you reduce productivity, you reduce the economy.”
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“Free enterprise may not be perfect, but it has dragged more poor people out of the gutter and the clutches of poverty than any other…”
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“Socialism is almost always the equal distribution of poverty.”
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“I served with Mr. Biden for six years in the Congress while he was in the Senate and I was in the House.”
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“I have never seen Mr. Biden ever take a stand based on a heart commitment that he believed was right and good.”
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“The radical Islamist government in Iran has committed themselves to gain nuclear weapons by which to try to threaten the entire whole of…”
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“The Iran nuclear deal was something that some of us saw coming a long way before it came.”
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“There were mechanisms in the Congress...that made it possible for Democrats to have the advantage to get this Iran deal put in place.”
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“I was the first member of Congress to call for Iran to be referred to the Security Council back when they only had 160 centrifuges.”
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“If Iran gains the nuclear weapons capability, a true consideration of history, Saul, will point to Barack Obama being the father of the…”
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“I am deeply, deeply committed to continuing to support [the Kurds].”
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“I've even gone on record as supporting independence for Kurdistan.”
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“I'm absolutely convinced that we should arm [the Kurds] directly.”
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“The Obama administration worked behind the scenes to take it out [of the Senate].”
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“The Kurds were the one people that stood by the Yazidis and the Christians as they were being slaughtered.”
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“To lose the war in Ukraine is bad for the whole world. It strengthens Russia in a huge way.”
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“The arsenal of freedom must be the strongest on earth if people are to remain in the sunlight of freedom.”
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“The security construct of the world is intrinsically connected.”
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“If this should ever degrade into some sort of nuclear conflict, that would change the equation in a profound way.”
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“We will not stand by and let Russia threaten the free world.”
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“And that endangers our own national security.”
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“The left has a way of conflating everything in the media these days.”
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“This country has really taken some bad turns in the last couple of elections and it scares me to death.”
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“Even when we go through dark times with Barack Obama or Joe Biden as president, even when we see the BLM moving us towards just an outright…”
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“Since I left Congress, I've been invited on 36 boards or groups.”
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“I encourage everybody to support the Gold Institute, because they are truly worth supporting.”
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