The following is a transcript of an interview with Delaware Democrat Senator Chris Coons that aired on Face the Nation on July 9, 2023.
MARGARET BRENNAN:
We now turn to Delaware Senator Chris Coons. Good morning, nice to have you here.
SENATOR CHRIS COONS:
Good morning Nice to be with you on set, Margaret.
MARGARET BRENNAN:
There is much to talk about, but I would like to start with China. America depends on its greatest adversary for important things. For rockets, for computer chips, electric vehicles. Do we need a domestic industrial policy? Why don’t we have one?
COONS:
We have a. Margaret, this is what the chips and science bill that President Biden enacted last year and that Congress pushed forward on a bipartisan basis has delivered: tens of billions of dollars in new investment in onshoring semiconductor chip manufacturing; a record number of new modern manufacturing sites in the United States. We must do more in this regard at this Congress. And Senator Schumer and Senate Republicans are leading the way. So we have reached a turning point in the introduction of industrial policy in the United States. That brings production back. This is the core of Bidenomics, rebuilding our economy from the ground up.
MARGARET BRENNAN:
But what we were just talking about, Minister of Finance, is that on August 1st, China will halt exports of key minerals. So to make these chips, you need what China had –.
COONS:
–That’s right.
MARGARET BRENNAN:
So where did you get that from?
COONS:
China is thus in a leading position in the processing of strategically important minerals. The government has a plan, has a pro, has a program underway with a dozen countries around the world who are our allies and partners and have untapped resources. I was just on a non-partisan trip to Europe. We visited Norway, which has an abundance of important minerals, some of which we need, and which China currently possesses. There is a plan and a way forward. And as long as we maintain our bipartisan support for it, I believe there is a clear path to transition from the current dangerous dependence on China for these strategic minerals.
MARGARET BRENNAN:
I will ask you about Europe. President Biden embarks on this journey today, which will include a stop at NATO. I know you have joined efforts to help Sweden join NATO, but Turkey is standing in their way. You said that holding back F-16s is not a problem for you. Such military equipment – provisions for Turkey until it gives way. Will you?
COONS:
We’ll have to see. President Biden is directly and personally involved in that diplomacy. Greeks need and deserve reassurances that tensions with Turkey will continue to ease. We continue to supply state-of-the-art equipment such as the F-35 to our key NATO partner Greece. As long as Greece is reassured, Sweden has taken the necessary steps to address Turkey’s legitimate concerns. I continue to hope that there will be a solution to this before the Vilnius summit. Today we have 31 NATO members, there should be 32. The admission of Finland and Sweden to NATO is a strategic defeat for Putin. This means that whatever the outcome on the ground in Ukraine, he has failed in his goal of dividing and weakening NATO because of President Biden’s leadership. NATO is the strongest it has ever been.
MARGARET BRENNAN:
They have another applicant: Ukraine. As you know, the President gave an interview in which he said he didn’t think Ukraine was ready to join NATO. did you talk to him about it And what exactly does he have to consider in order for them to gain access? They’ve been waiting since 2008.
COONS:
Well, first of all, we cannot accept Ukraine into NATO at this time. There is a war that must be resolved. This must end with the victory of the Ukrainians. As mentioned earlier, I was on a cross-party trip with Senator Murray, the budget chair, to meet EU and NATO leaders. It is important to remember that Ukrainians are fighting for full membership of Europe and that they are well on their way to joining the EU. Joining the EU also means improving its transparency, rule of law and civil society, laying the foundation for future NATO membership.
MARGARET BRENNAN:
President Zelenskyy has said he knows it is in the future and will not drag the United States into a war. In other words, if he did what the White House said this week, he won’t do it. But the President also said something about an Israeli-style defense commitment to Ukraine. That sounds very frank, we are giving Israel billions of dollars. What does this mean for Ukraine?
COONS:
Oh, there must be a security guarantee for Ukraine for the future. In order for them to be accepted into NATO at all, their equipment, training and military must meet NATO standards, and we are moving them in that direction. But let me remind you that in Budapest in 1994, the US, Britain and Russia persuaded Ukraine to give up its nuclear weapons in exchange for a commitment to a territorial security guarantee. On the other side of this war, there must be some kind of security guarantee for Ukraine, in which so many Ukrainians are valiantly fighting and dying to push back the Russian aggressors who now occupy 20% of Ukraine.
MARGARET BRENNAN:
But you don’t expect concrete assurances from this week’s summit? No schedule, no details?
COONS:
This is a decision that 31 NATO members must make. I expect they will make real progress when Sweden joins. They will make real progress in maintaining our critical support in the midst of this counter-offensive, but I don’t think they will leave Vilnius with any concrete timetable.
MARGARET BRENNAN:
President Biden said that Ukraine’s military is running out of ammunition and that this was a factor in his decision to give the green light for cluster munitions shipments. Do you think that morally justified his decision to do this?
COONS:
I do. That was a very difficult decision. The President really listened to all sides.
MARGARET BRENNAN:
did you talk to him about it
COONS:
I did not speak to him directly about this decision. I got involved indirectly through the people in his core team. But quite frankly, he looked at several different core factors. First, we’re running out of 155mm artillery ammunition, and they’re burning it up with remarkable speed. Six to eight thousand a day. That’s a million a year. We have plans to resume large-scale production of 155mm shells, but that won’t happen for a few months. They run the risk of losing this counter-offensive if they run out of ammo. We have a large stockpile of 155mm shells, which are cluster munitions. It is the Ukrainians who are asking to be allowed to use these on their own soil. They have pledged to oversee their use in order to sanitize them after the war. And frankly, they will be tactically helpful against entrenched Russian troops who are behind large minefields. Balancing all of these factors, the President made a tough decision that I will support.
MARGARET BRENNAN:
you will support. I would also like to ask you about Iran. The Presidential Envoy to Iran, his name is Rob Malley. And he told CBS he’s currently on leave pending his security clearance review. He plays a central role in the nuclear negotiations and is also the contact person for the hostage families. Have you been informed of what is happening?
COONS:
I hadn’t. As for his security situation, I don’t know.
MARGARET BRENNAN:
Because in your key role in Senate foreign relations, I would imagine there is some oversight. There are reports that the FBI is now involved. Are you concerned? How are people supposed to understand that?
COONS:
Look, I can’t comment on the FBI and what they do or don’t do regarding the special envoy. But there is great concern and interest in Congress in this and other committees about the status of possible negotiations with Iran. The Iranians provide the Russians with essential drones and ammunition for their aggression in Ukraine. I think that adds even more tension to possible talks between the United States, our regional allies and Iran. And I think we need a briefing to update members of Congress.
MARGARET BRENNAN:
On this topic and on the discussions. Do you think the President should meet with the families of these hostages in Iran? You’ve been asking for some time.
COONS:
You know, I’m generally a pro-hostage proponent. Jason Rezaian, who was being held in an Iranian prison for more than 500 days, came home to receive an IRS bill in the mail for unpaid taxes. I just introduced a bipartisan bill to eliminate these inappropriate, unexpected, and unreasonable damages. Yes, I think the President should meet with hostage families. He has a lot on his plate. He was a strong advocate of repatriating Americans from abroad. As you know, his administration led to the return of Brittney Griner. I hope there will also be movement in the case of a Wall Street Journal reporter who is also wrongly imprisoned in Russia.
MARGARET BRENNAN:
Evan Gershkovich.
COONS:
Evan Gershkovich.
MARGARET BRENNAN:
Do you have reason to believe this is progressing?
COONS:
I have reason to believe that the government is working tirelessly to turn back all wrongly imprisoned Americans.
MARGARET BRENNAN:
Senator, thank you for your time this morning. Face the Nation will be back in a minute, so stay with us.