HOUSE BILL: September 2017 Foreign Relations Review (Passed)

[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

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To Be Continued
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[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

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To Be Concluded
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[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

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People's House of Representatives
Pending
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Sponsor: NC Yankee for the State Department, NSC and the Administration.
House Designation: HB 1155

[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

The Sponsor has 24 hours to commence advocacy and the rest of the members have an additional 48 hours to respond with their initial comments, questions and concerns.

[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

So we were very close to finishing this back in February. Towards the beginning of September, President Fhtagn, Secretary of State Snowguy and myself began to dig back into it. Various people assisted with elements providing expertise on various countries.

Back in February, Dfwlibertylover assisted with much of the South America Section months ago, Europe and Asia were the work myself Leinad and Ted. With I think Truman and Blair maybe playing a role but I cannot remember. Beginning in September President Fhtagn, Snowguy (with some phone a friend assistance from Foucaulf), Mr. Reactionary, Young Texan, and probably someone I am forgetting, completed Africa and Oceania.

The President and Secretary then reviewed the old entries, revising it to reflect more current information and situations and cleaned up the entries and so forth.

Now I realize that I may not be mentioning everyone who assisted with this task and for that I apologize and want to expressed my gratitude. It is a big world with a lot of challenges and some people know more about different areas and countries.

In the past we have had heated debates, particularly over policies on places like Israel, Iraq, Iran and North Korea, among many others. I welcome that discussion and encourage people to look for oversights. This is a big document, stuff could easily have been deleted in transition between formats. And perhaps there are situations that all the people above were not aware of and so providing background and insight in that regards, will be most helpful.

I look forward to the discussion and the debate.

[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

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Ah, memories.

lol

[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

Not much feedback from the members here. Only 24 hours left for the 7 others to make initial comments.

[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

Do the proposed "full" economic and military sanctions on Iran take into account the 2015 deal? If so, would these sanctions amount to a repeal of said deal?

I think Ted and/or Leinad did Iran while I was at work on the night of February 9th or 10th.

That being said, and while this may not be the best opportunity to do, having a debate on the success or failures of the Iran deal might not be the worst thing to have at this juncture. 

[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

I wish we'd sort of privately discuss civil rights with some of these countries though. Especially Mynamar.

While such soft diplomacy is probably more the domain of the DoS than of Congress, I definitely agree with this.

I would be open to this. I even at one point recommended that AZ take on temporary negotiators to play the role of certain countries in negotiations with the State Department. Though getting people from outside the game, as most of the best experts would be to play such roles (they would thus be impartial as well), would likely prove difficult though.

[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

IT has been recommend to me that we should not include countries that are "not recognized" since the mere act of listing them among other countries extends recognition. Thus they should be either removed or referred to using some form of euphemism such as "The non-sovereign political unity know as...." or the "disputed territory know as..."

[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

I'd recommend the "disputed territory known as..." compromise idea.

Should we create a new category for them or should we leave them in their respective continent based lists, with that added on to each one's name?

[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

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[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

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Sponsor Feedback: Origination
Status: Representatives have 24 hours to object.

[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

The amendment has been adopted.

What about the unrecognized nation of Transnistria? I think eventually we should recognize a couple of these nations. But about Spain, we needa speak out against the violence.

I agree on violence but I am cautious of us trying to put the thumb on the scale in a way that could achieve little and up alienating a European Country. It is a very difficult matter to get past when you weigh in a domestic matter pertaining to one's sovereign territory that calls for the independence of a portion thereof.

[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

In the next day or two I am going to gather up all the Senate amendments and offer them for simultaneous consideration. Only those objected to will be taken to a vote and those votes will occur one after another to avoid confusion.

[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

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[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

Above are the Senate Amendments passed so far. I want honest opinions here and you can review the Senate FRR debate thread to see the discourse on these changes.

[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

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Sponsor Feedback: Friendly
Status: Representatives have 24 hours to object

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Sponsor Feedback: Hostile
Status: Vote will begin once friendly amendments have proceeded

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Sponsor Feedback: Friendly
Status: Representatives have 24 hours to object

[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

H9:02 and H9:04 have been adopted.


The reason I objected to H9:03 is because I think we should debate this matter. That is a wide stretch of countries and while many have engaged in stuff, this approach could be detrimental to our interests in the region. This is especially the case with the unsettled situation in Saudi Arabia, during the transition and I would prefer to get insight regarding the impact of this policy and whether it would push the situation in a positive or negative direction.

[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

Amendments H9:02 and H9:04 have been adopted.

[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

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Sponsor Feedback: Hostile
Status: Vote will begin soon

[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

Since we have had to have the members respond on H9:03, I have contacted all members directing them to do so.

[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

Absolutely disagree on making military aid to Saudi Arabia more open. Saudi Arabia has a track record of using its military to start sectarian conflict in the region and suppressing their people. Military trade with them should be restricted.

Additionally, I am slightly concerned with some of the "stan" countries receiving full openness without changing their human rights record. Lest we forget, Kazakhstan is a quite repressive dictatorship.

I would note that this amending is placing tighter restrictions on them then is present in the current text of the FRR.

[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

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Sponsor Feedback: Hostile
Status: A vote is now open on the above amendment, Representatives please vote Aye, Nay or abstain.

[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

I AM RESTARTING THIS VOTE SINCE A QUORUM WAS NOT MET

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Sponsor Feedback: Hostile
Status: A vote is now open on the above amendment, Representatives please vote Aye, Nay or abstain.