Brownback Offers American Leadership and Solutions at NH Debate
Calls for a political solution in Iraq, confronting Iran, fixing our nation's broken immigration system and a pro-life nominee for the Republican Party
MANCHESTER, NH –United States Senator Sam Brownback participated in the New Hampshire presidential debate on Tuesday, calling for a political solution in Iraq, fixing our nation's broken immigration system and a pro-life nominee for the Republican Party.
Brownback's strong performance was noted by the Chris Cillizza of the Washington Post who noted, "...Sen. Sam Brownback (Kans.) and former Gov. Mike Huckabee (Ark.) made the biggest and best impressions."
Brownback offered strong leadership on the issue of Iraq, announing that he will introduce legislation tomorrow that would offer both a political solution to the war, and a political consensus amongst politicians in Washington.
"...We've got to put forward now a political plan," Brownback said. "It's about getting the situation to a point that we can turn it over to Iraqis and then us pull back from the front of the line. That's why I'm putting forward tomorrow a bill — and this would be about a three-state solution in Iraq — a Kurdish state, a Sunni state, a Shi'a state — with Baghdad as the federal city, in a loose, weak, federated system, oil revenues equally divided, and it's a bipartisan bill. We will have bipartisan support. We've got to pull together here to win over there."
Brownback also offered harsh words towards Iran, calling them the lead sponsor of terrorism and the need for aggressive confrontation.
"Iran is the lead sponsor of terrorism," Brownback said. "Ahmadinejad just this past week called for the destruction of Israel, continues to call for attacking of the United States. I think we have to confront them aggressively for what they are, which is the lead sponsor of terrorism in the world. I think we need to push the sanctions forward more aggressively. And I think we have to show that purpose and resolve — that we're going to confront these guys, and we're going to stand with our allies like Israel, we're going to stand against them oppressing and pushing us and trying to fund terrorists against us."
Brownback called for a solution to immigration, emphasizing border security with an interior solution regarding the illegal immigrants already here.
"...Everybody is concerned that we get something done and get something right," Brownback said. "I think if you do exterior enforcement, border enforcement, you do aggressive interior enforcement, and then you work on a comprehensive solution interior, that's something that a lot of people are going to be upset with, but that can work and move us forward. And it's better than not doing anything."
Brownback proved to be the leading candidate on social conservative issues, emphasizing respect for life in all stages, and the need for a pro-life nominee for the Republican Party.
"I am pro-life and I'm whole life," Brownback said. "And one of the things I'm the most, the proudest about our party about is that we've stood for life. We've been a party that has stood for a culture of life, and it was in our platform in 1980 and it continues today...That's why I don't think we can nominate somebody that's not pro-life in this party because it is at our core. We believe that every life is beautiful, is sacred, is a child of a loving God, from natural — from conception to natural death, and that applies not only here and in the womb, it applies to somebody that's in poverty, it applies to the child in Darfur. And that philosophy, being pro-life and whole life, is something I think can really help move us forward as a country and as a party. I don't think we're going to nominate somebody that's not pro-life."."
