▶ 0:00:00shows and LGBT comic books, musicals, plays, and operas. That stuff was not pepfar, to say the least. It didn't make America safer. It didn't make America stronger. It didn't bring other countries closer to us, and it didn't save lives. Now, many of my colleagues might think that cancelling these programs creates an inroad for China. And I would say that we could only hope that China is stupid enough to spend money in that way.
▶ 0:00:30I want to thank this administration for bringing charges against those who it appears were stealing from the State Department and US aid and in turn the American people. And I want to thank you, Secretary Rubio, for reorganizing the State Department into a lean and effective diplomatic operation. Let's give proof of that. Just this past week alone, President Trump secured more than $2 trillion of investment from the Middle East.
▶ 0:00:57That is more than 10 times what Joe Biden secured from the Middle East during his entire four years in the White House, which is not entirely surprising considering under the Biden State Department, there was millions spent on programs like transincclusion in Tunisia. That was the focus in the Middle East. Now, as you know, Secretary Rubio, the job is not done. Up until now, over 80% of the State Department has been unauthorized.
▶ 0:01:24We have bureaus and offices that have grown from thousands of dollars to billions of dollars. And that changes in law when we pass the first comprehensive and standalone State Department reauthorization that has occurred since 2002. I look forward to working with the members of this committee. I look forward to working with you, Secretary Rubio, and I look forward to working with Senator Ris moving forward to make sure that one thing, one thing alone takes place.
▶ 0:01:52Every single dollar and diplomat that we authorize and send into the field puts America first. In that, I would now like to recognize ranking member Meeks for any opening statement that he may have. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Secretary Rubio Rubio, I'm glad you are finally uh before this committee.
▶ 0:02:16Uh, your testimony actually comes long after the State Department under your leadership took actions without required consultation or that were contrary to the law. But I guess it's better late than never. But let me be clear.
▶ 0:02:34Showing up months after the fact and refusing to stay until every member has questioned you for five minutes as entitled to under House rules are not the standards to which we hold the Secretary of State. Mr. Secretary, I've known you for a while and I respected very much Senator Rubio even when we disagreed. Senator Rubio was a principal statesman.
▶ 0:03:02Secretary Rubio, however, as we've seen in the past few months, is something different entirely. As a senator, you spoke often and forcefully about the dangers of executive overreach. You warned America not to lose its moral clarity or sacrifice democratic principles for short-term gain.
▶ 0:03:22Senator Rubio recognized that we cannot allow the executive branch to unilaterally determine the direction of the United States foreign policy without accountability to Congress. Secretary Rubio is doing precisely what Senator Rubio feared, withholding congressional appropriated funds, stonewalling oversight, and acting as if laws passed by this body are optional.
▶ 0:03:48Secretary Rubio has presided over the dismantling and destruction of everything Senator Rubio once defended. So although you may be the secretary of state, the acting head of USAID, the national security advisor, the archavist of America, the empire you have stumbled upon is not one of influencer. It is a kingdom of ash. So I ask, was it worth it?
▶ 0:04:16Was it worth it to allow the near extension of US foreign assistance and USID, which Senator Rubio said, and I quote, is a very cost-effective way not only to export our values and our example, but to advance our security and our economic interests. And lie is exactly what this administration has done again and again.
▶ 0:04:39Each time Elon Musk and his department of arsonists brag and mislead the American public about massively inflated savings or lie about the program they have cut and their purpose, they're not telling you about the food that rotted on the shelves while people went hungry or the medicine that went undistributed to children needlessly suffering or the trust that was lost by your actions. But I believe you know better because you've said as much and yet here we are.
▶ 0:05:08In 2022, Senator Rubio warned about the urgent and growing threat posed by China and called for a fully funded State Department in USAD. Senator Rubio wrote that soft power tools and alliances were vital to our national security. And today, Secretary Rubio is here to defend an 84% cut of the foreign affairs budget.
▶ 0:05:36How does hollowing out our State Department and dismantling USAID help us compete with China? How does the America alone budget project American strength on human rights? The contrast is even starker. Senator Rubio built his political brand on the cause of freedom and dignity. You condemned autocrats in Caracus, Havana, and Beijing for silencing disscent.
▶ 0:06:03But Secretary Rubio, he looks the other way when strong men commit similar abuses. Secretary Rubio even defied a Supreme Court order to facilitate the return of a wrongly detained spouse of an American citizen. And when Senator Rubio became the first Hispanic American to serve as Secretary of State, he made sure to pull the ladder up behind him.
▶ 0:06:26In the name of dismantling efforts to making hiring and promotion fair, as you call it, wokeness, you have unlawfully dismantled programs designed to address decades of historical exclusion. These are not political experiments. They were congressionally supported efforts rooted in bipartisan recognition that our diplomatic core must reflect the diversity and the strength the nation it represents abroad.
▶ 0:06:55These are initiatives that Senator Rubio supported. You replace experienced career employees with ideologues and political loyalists. Under your watch, sir, America's diplomatic and development cores have suffered the greatest brain drain in history.
▶ 0:07:13And America has been weakened and made more isolated by the actions of an administration that has abandoned its allies, cozied up to dictators, and conducted a foreign policy driven not by interest of the American people, but in support of the personal enrichment of the president and his family. And with that, I yield back. I thank the ranking member for his opening statement.
▶ 0:07:34I would also thank uh the 20 members of this committee who voted in the 2024 appropriations to make sure that the secretary and the administration had the authority to reorganize the state department and other members of this committee are reminded that opening statements may be submitted for the record. We are pleased to have Secretary of State Marco Rubio before us today. Your full statements will be made a part of the record and I'll ask you to keep your spoken remarks to five minutes in order to allow time for members questions. And I now I'm proud to recognize Secretary Rubio for any opening statement that you may have. Thank you.
▶ 0:08:03I appreciate the opportunity to speak to you today. I'll try to stay under the five minutes and so we can get time for questions here. Um so when I took this job and I said this during my confirmation hearing, the most important thing we need to do is return American foreign policy to be centered on our national interests. For far too long that had been lost as a concept of foreign policy. In essence, in many cases, oftentimes the US engaged in the world on the basis of what was good for the global order or the international community and what like.
▶ 0:08:29And look, for about 30 years, that made a lot of sense until the end of the postcold war era. So that made a lot of sense for a long period of time during the cold war. But then we entered the postcold war era and the war and the and the world order has rapidly changed.
▶ 0:08:55We entered a new era about 12 or 14 years ago and we entered an era of nearpeer competition where for the first time since the end of the cold war the United States had a nearpeer competitor and adversary in the state of China. And we need to confront that. And our foreign policy needs to be geared around that and on the realities of this new world. And so what that means is we have to have a state department that can deliver on a foreign policy that is rooted in the national interest of the United States.
▶ 0:09:19To defend the national interest of the United States requires us number one to make sure that every dollar we spend and every action we take has to have measurable outcomes to deliver for the American people. They have to either make our country safer or they have to make our our country stronger or they have to help make our country more prosperous. It has to do at least one of those three things. And ideally, whether it's a program or a measure that we take, it should do all three of them. Now, that what that means is that there are some great causes in the world. There really are. There are some great causes.
▶ 0:09:48There are some horrifying things that are happening on the planet. America cannot solve every single one of them. What we need to focus on is prioritizing our foreign policy to those areas that are in our national interest. Now, we will still remain the largest contributor of foreign aid and humanitarian assistance on this planet by far. The United States, even under the budget that's before you today, and the changes we have made, will still contribute more in foreign aid than the next 10 countries combined than the entire OECD.
▶ 0:10:16Our the next closest country is not China, it's Germany, and it's way behind us even now. But that foreign aid has to be geared towards our foreign n to our national interests. We need to design a state department that delivers on that. Yes, we canled a bunch of contracts in USA ID. Some were stupid and outrageous. Others didn't serve the national interest and others we kept and we are folding it under the Department of State. And you know why? Because we want it to be part of the toolbox of foreign policy, not a standalone.
▶ 0:10:47It is not charity. Foreign aid is not charity. It is designed to further the national interest of the United States. So we will do humanitarian assistance. We will do food assistance. We will do developmental assistance. and we will do security assistance, but we will do it driven by our embassies and our regional bureaus because what those issues mean look very different in Guatemala than they may in Chad or in Kenya or in some other part of the world in the Indoacific.
▶ 0:11:13And so what one of the things that we have tried to do in our reorganization is drive power and influence on policym and decision making to the regional bureaus and ultimately to our embassies. Our embassies, our ambassadors are the front line of American foreign policy. The most important thing I do every single day is not read memos, it's read cables. Every night I get 10, 15 select cables from stations around the world, different embassies. The best ideas in that building come from the ground up from our embassies. Now, I want to tell you something else.
▶ 0:11:43Look, I did serve in the Senate for a long time. So, this is a new job to me. When I got there, I'd get a memo. I still get these memos. I should have brought one today. In order for an idea to reach me, a decision to reach the Secretary of State, some of these things have to be checked off by 40 people. 40 boxes. And if any any one of these people has a question, they can hold it up before the idea even ever gets to me. Now, that sounds like a crazy thing to begin with. We can't afford it in the 21st century. We have to be able to move very quickly.
▶ 0:12:12And a case in point is what happened last week. Syria under a new authority granted people with some checkered background is on the verge of collapse potentially and if it collapses it will devolve and devolve into civil war and civil war will mean that it will become a playground for ISIS and other jihadists not to mention Iranian influence coming back in. So there's no guarantee that by outreach and working with the transitional authority in Syria things are going to work out.
▶ 0:12:38It may work out, it may not work out, but if we don't reach out and try, it's guaranteed to not work out. And so, we had to move very quickly to action that if we had not done sanctions relief last week, and now the EU has followed suit, then our our partners in the region could not have provided donor dollars so that that transitional authority could try to stabilize its governance of the country. That place could have collapsed within weeks and become an ISIS playground. Once again, there is no way that a traditional system could have delivered on that.
▶ 0:13:07It would have gone to the inter agency. It would have gone to six to nine months of debate. Any individual could have held it up with an an information hold and we never would have acted. We can't afford it. The world moves too quickly. And so we need to drive policy from the ground up from our embassies and our regional bureaus. And that's what we're doing. And that's what we're doing. On the last point I would make about foreign aid, foreign aid has to be part of our portfolio, part of what we do. And it has to be consistent with our agenda in any region of the world or any country.
▶ 0:13:36And often times you will find and maybe some of you have found when you travel, you go talk to an ambassador and they will tell you what USID was pushing and what they are pushing in the country are not just different, they're in contradiction. And in many cases, USID programs were undermining the mission of the embassy. That's a fact. And I heard that over and over again. I've heard it in the Caribbean basin and I've heard it in other parts of the world. I am not the first Secretary of State that wanted a USA ID and foreign aid to be under the Department of State.
▶ 0:14:03I'm just the first that's been able to do it and I'm glad we've done it and it will deliver better foreign policy and frankly more accountability for and more oversight opportunities for your committee down the road. Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Secretary. And I'd love to see that tree of 40 people who in the last administration signed off on things like a transgender job fair in Bangladesh for $800,000. I'd love to see that list. Uh I'm going to defer my questions till the end. Uh if there's time for that, I'm going to begin by recognizing Representative McCll of Texas. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
▶ 0:14:32And let me express my deep sympathy uh to the family of Jerry Connelly. He's a dear friend of mine. Um I will miss him dearly and uh the Irish twinkle uh in his eye. Mr. Secretary, thanks for being here today. Under the last four years under President Biden, uh the world is on fire now.
▶ 0:14:52from the debacle, the uh evacuation poorly executed from Afghanistan, which then led, I believe, to Putin's invasion uh of Ukraine, the largest land invasion since World War II in Europe, to the Middle East on fire now October 7th. Uh I commend you for trying to seek peace in these hot spots, including the Indo-Pacific, which probably presents the greatest threat.
▶ 0:15:21Um, I would be cleareyed with Mr. Putin. I personally don't think he's negotiating in good faith. Uh, the Ayatollah cannot be trusted. In fact, it was recently reported that they got their proxy Amas to invade Israel on October the 7th to derail the normalization talks between Israel and Saudi Arabia. Let me go to the 1961 foreign assistance act. Um, it was initially created to counter the rise of the Soviet Union.
▶ 0:15:51Today, I believe it should be used to counter the influence of communist China around the globe. And that's a core mission I know you support, as do I. When I was chairman of this committee, I put holds on the programs the current chairman's talking about. That being the drag shows in Ecuador to grants to advance atheism in Nepal. These are not in the interest of the United States or our national security interests.
▶ 0:16:19So I think we need to return these agencies and programs to their core mission. Um I believe that you're trying to do that by bringing them under your supervision uh at the State Department. It's not a new idea. Melon Albbright tried to do that many years ago. uh and I I do think under your supervision that we'll have transparency and accountability uh with the foreign assistance programs. Uh we are engaged in a reauthorization of the state department.
▶ 0:16:49Sir, can you let uh tell me how this would assist you uh with respect to reorganization of these important agencies under your department? Well, I think the key to reorganization and by the way, we never did it in all the years that I was in the Senate either. It never happened. and it needs to happen. We want it to happen. As you know, in our reorganization, we didn't touch any of the statutory offices because we can't. But there's two advantages to it or three advantages. The first is it becomes permanent. We can create an organizational structure that becomes enduring, especially if it's one that we believe in.
▶ 0:17:20Second, um I think that it will help us with the input and ideas. Look, we we put we notified it wasn't intend we we provided the initial preliminary indication to Congress. We've been taking input including from many on the minority and some of those are going to be reflected when we put out our final you know approach that we want to take but ultimately we would love to work with a committee to find ways to improve on the streamlining. By the way we're also taking input from inside our building.
▶ 0:17:44Some of the ideas in our reorg many of the ideas from our reorg came from inside the state department from career officials including some that are still providing input for us and sort of how to structure it. But I think the advantage of doing it statutoily is that it becomes enduring and permanent and uh and provides certainty in the days to come. Otherwise, you know, it can change over time and continue to bloat and expand uh to levels that it got to. It was an unreadable org chart. The org chart that I showed you that the initial org chart that I inherited was just the top line.
▶ 0:18:13Within each one of those boxes, there were multiple boxes. Some of them duplicative, redundant. Many cases, no one could even tell us what they were doing because it's easy to grow. it's much harder to reorganize and to streamline activity and that's what we want to do. Well, it's a very noble effort. With my one minute remaining, um I authorize the remain in Mexico uh program in this committee.
▶ 0:18:37Um, I commend administration within a matter of months have restored order to the border, taken chaos and turned it into a a safe um safe border. I mean, the uh crossings have gone down 95%. Uh there's no longer catch and release. And I do think uh the executive order on remain in Mexico is very important.
▶ 0:19:02I know you share that responsibility with the Department of Homeland Security, a committee I chaired as well. Uh what is the latest on in your negotiations with Mexico to bring that important uh program back? Well, as you are aware, I'm sure that we've had a number of uh what I would call both irritants, but also areas of cooperation with the Mexican government. It's been actually pretty positive. They have been very responsive on our security concerns. They've increased their security cooperation with us in ways that have been very productive.
▶ 0:19:32In fact, at some point here over the next few weeks, I I intend to travel potentially to Mexico along with my a couple other cabinet members to sort of finalize some of these areas of cooperation. This may be one we talk about, but we've been primarily focused with Mexico on two things. One is on trade, which is not my department, but obviously uh our trade representative, Mr. Greer, and also commerce secretary Lutnik's been engaging with them. And then the other is on security cooperation. We have a mutual interest in Mexico.
▶ 0:19:58In essence, the cartels that operate within Mexico and threaten the state are armed from weapons that are bought in the United States and shipped there. We want to help stop that flow. The reverse is those cartels threaten the state. There are parts of Mexico that are governed by cartels where there is, in fact, I think I heard last night two more people were murdered in Mexico City associated with the mayor of Mexico City. The political violence there is real. They have a vested interest and a desire to go after these cartels and we want to help equip them and and and provide them information.
▶ 0:20:28They've also been increasingly cooperative more than ever before in bringing back and extraditing people wanted in this country for crimes uh who are in their custody. So um I think we've got good areas of cooperation. We still have some more work to do on migration, but they've been cooperative. Chair now recognizes ranking member Meeks. Thank you. I'm trying to figure something out.
▶ 0:20:50you, you know, I know you said you read a lot of cables every day, and I know that when you first got sworn in on at your confirmation hearing, you stated that being the Secretary of State would be an responsibility. Here we are four minutes later, uh, but reading cables every day. How much time uh, do you spend at the State Department? How much what? How much time on at the State Department? Almost every day. Dave, I'm in the country. I travel a lot.
▶ 0:21:20It's part of the job. I agree. I understand. But now you have four jobs, don't you? Now you're not only the secretary of state, you are also the acting US aid administrator. You're also the acting archavist. You're also the interim national security advisor.
▶ 0:21:43You cannot spend every day at the State Department and then neglect your other jobs that you have the responsibility to do. So, how much time do you spend at the other jobs if you spend every day at the State Department? Well, now you know I can't offer you eight hours today to answer every question on this committee, which you were complaining about earlier. Look, here's the thing. All those jobs are being done. USA ID largely has been folded into Do you want my answer? or do you want to No, I just want to know this.
▶ 0:22:13Did you anticipate or did you want when you were sworn in to be the secretary of state, do you want to have the jobs of uh administrator? No, I did not apply for those jobs. I was asked to serve in those roles and I'm happy to do it. The archives are doing great. The uh USA ID has been folded under state, so it's a sort of a duplicative role. And the national security adviser, which is on an interim basis, has tremendous overlap with what we're doing at the State Department. Well, then why not get rid of all of them and just put everything under you? Get rid of all those departments.
▶ 0:22:44If it's not crucial to have someone every day at the national as a national security adviser, you folded in USAD, you saying the archives is fine, get rid of them. Wouldn't that be then waste based upon how you have determined there's waste based upon your testimony earlier and some of these other departments? They were duplicative. So, if it's duplicative, then get rid of them. Well, you would have to pass a law to do that if you want to combine those four offices in your reorg.
▶ 0:23:12Well, look, that hasn't stopped you in the past because the law requires you to consult with Congress on any proposed reorganization of USA ID or the State Department. That hasn't happened. I agree. It should be the Congress's responsibility. Your staff claimed quote extensively you've extensively consulted Congress on your plan to fold US ID interstate but that did not happen.
▶ 0:23:38All we members have gotten was one hour one hour of a meeting with Pete Morocco who you later fired and who couldn't answer our most basic questions about the aid freeze and you've ignored thus far. That's why I want to know Dr.
▶ 0:23:56You've ignored nearly 20 letters from this committee seeking information about who you know since you took office as well as you know not we spoke one time but not consulting this committee at all. I don't call that extensive consultation. So, you're right.
▶ 0:24:23Things that you've done should be in collaboration with the United States Congress, but surely the USID and all of these other things was not Congress was not consulted one time. Senator Rubio would have demanded it. Well, we've complied with every part of the law. Every single part of the law has been complied with, including we've you you, for example, have written us 16 letters. You've been briefed on seven of them. Some of them we couldn't answer and we told you why we couldn't answer because they were subject to litigation.
▶ 0:24:53Four you've gotten answers in writing and five we've gotten just in the last few days. Well, you know, 16 letters. I've been there 17 weeks. You wrote me a letter. Give my last 40 seconds, 48 seconds to Representative Johnson. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Um, Secretary Rubio, thank you for being here. You know, corruption is determined by our democracy is detrimental to our democracy.
▶ 0:25:16And the Trump administration has moved swiftly to scale back, reverse, and dismantle various guard rails that protect Americans from corruption. We have now a plane that he's accepting by a foreign government. His family is doing business deals with the foreign government. And your office has authorized Elon Musk company Starlink to do uh business in at least five African countries and many, many others.
▶ 0:25:38My question is with the dismantling of the enforcement of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act and many other things, what efforts are you doing as Secretary of State to make sure that our government is free from foreign improper foreign influence over our our policy? I I don't I mean the examples you've given, Starlink's all over the world. There isn't a country in the world now that doesn't have Starlink for the most part. They have Starlink in Syria.
▶ 0:26:01We certainly didn't help them land that deal, but they've got Starlink's a global company that's present everywhere and continues to grow because they provide a very unique service no one else provides. I'm not aware of any plane that's been given. I know the media reports about it. I know that the Air Force One that's scheduled to be delivered is like 5 years off balance. So, they went to Boeing and they, this is the extent of what I know about this plane. I've never seen it. They went to Boeing and said, "Are there any planes that fit the bill?" Boeing produced a list of planes that they'd sold over the last few years. One of them happened to be a Qatar.
▶ 0:26:29You'd have to ask the Department of Defense because that would go to the Air Force. That would not come to the State Department. Beyond that, look, we're we're involved in helping businesses expand all over the world. There isn't a single day that we don't aren't involved in helping an American company gain access to a market, and we'll continue to do so. As far as people involved in our government that are doing that, I'm not aware of anyone on the cabinet or in the president's White House that's using the State Department to expand their personal portfolio. And if they are, we wouldn't help them do that. But no one's ever asked us to do that.
▶ 0:26:57So I think we're following the law with regards to what we're doing to prevent corruption. So is the answer chair recognizes Representative Smith from New Jersey. Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman. First of all, it was an honor, Mr. Secretary, to serve with you as co-chair of the China Commission. We did so much together. I want to thank you for that leadership. It was extraordinary. I want to thank you for bringing the DR Congo and Rwanda together on April 25th uh for that statement of principles.
▶ 0:27:20you are tenaciously pursuing peace all over the planet including in DR Congo where the fighting is very intense and has been. Uh and of course tomorrow I have a big hearing on Congo on um on um Sudan and I know you're trying to do everything you can to try to mitigate the horrific violence that is occurring there. Let me just ask you a couple of questions if I could.
▶ 0:27:42Um um I had a hearing on AliV and Azerbaijan uh on the Tomlantos commission and it's very clear that after the the genocide committed by Alv against the Armenians uh that there are many many political prisoners and PS being held. I would just encourage you to do whatever you can to get those men and women released at least 300. I met with Ali twice in Baku. Uh he's a dictator.
▶ 0:28:11Uh, you know, I know we work with dictators and we have to have at least some kind of conversation with them. Uh, but release those prisoners. They're being maltreated and and and horribly mistreated by Alv. Uh, so I would ask for that. Secondly, um, you know, you and I have worked on issues like uh forced organ harvesting. You were you and Tom Cotton were the prime sponsors of a bill on the Senate side. Uh, two weeks ago, we got the bill passed here again.
▶ 0:28:36Uh it is a horrific human rights abuse by Xi Jinping targeting the weaguers of course the Muslim weaguers because those organs are being sold in the Middle East. So they want to have livers that are coming from a Muslim. So there the market is very very high livers and other internal organs. And Xi Jinping is making billions uh by killing tens of thousands of young people average age 28 each and every year. Fallong and you know it you're the sponsor of the bill.
▶ 0:29:05I would appeal to you if you could. Uh it passed the House 406 to1. Uh if we could get it out of the Senate, uh it would hopefully clamp down on this egregious human rights abuse uh in in China. Uh and it's it's a global bill. It's it would outlaw force organ harvesting profoundly with real penalties up to 20 years in prison uh for those who are part of that supply chain. But it it it would most directly affect Xi Jinping and the people who are doing this horrific abuse. I yield. Thank you.
▶ 0:29:35and I appreciate that on the on obviously the organ harvesting. Uh China is is plays a concerning role in that regard and we would obviously be helpful in any way we can and helping you pass that in the Senate. Certainly putting a good word for it and the like but it's not limited to China unfortunately. There are other parts of the world where we're now seeing that. Um and there are places where we're trying to verify but we hear reports of that and that's something that's need to be called out as well. As far as Azerbaian is concerned, our core focus has been on trying to establish a peace between Azerbaian and Armenia.
▶ 0:30:02uh there's a real risk there of a conflict uh that we're trying to prevent from happening. Our teams have been very engaged in that regard and trying to make something come about and prevent an armed intervention there that would and obviously within the context of those conversations. The issues you raised about prisoners and human rights are critical to it. And again, another example of where we want to use our embassies. So when we talk about people will complain, well you got rid of the human rights office and the functional bureaus.
▶ 0:30:27It's because it's being transferred to the regional bureaus and our regional bureaus will not just have a focus on human rights within the bureau but so will our embassy and so that is the human rights issue with regards to Azarbaijan and so that is what our embassy will be focused on pushing it's different from what the human rights issue might be in another part of the world but we think it's important to have people on the front line prioritizing these issues as part of our holistic approach you've outlined it correctly we do want to have we may not agree with the system of government we may wish it were different but the truth of the matter is that we
▶ 0:30:58have to deal with countries in many cases that perhaps don't have ideal models but we have to deal with them in our national interest and we need to balance all of these things together our national interest and and diplomacy without surrendering and finding opportunities to further interests such as human rights and Azarbaijan provides us an opportunity to do that in the context of the broader peace that we're trying to establish there almost out of time uh yesterday I chaired a hearing on the global problem of anti-semitism and how it's getting worse it was my 18th hearing on it.
▶ 0:31:28We had Ted Deutsch who is at the U leader was a leader here when he was in Congress as one of our witnesses. And I just want to say thank you for what you're doing visav Israel and what you're doing to try to stop this this scourge of anti-semitism uh that is exploding especially at the United Nations where the UN and human rights council is filled to overflowing with people in in agency positions not just the members of it uh who are absolutely anti-semitic.
▶ 0:31:57So I want to thank you for that as well. Chair now recognizes Representative Sherman. We all miss Jerry Connley and I do not think that he would want us to be passive in our questioning here today. Mr. Chairman, it's our job to oversee the State Department. You can't do that by over by having think tank witnesses come before us. Our job isn't to oversee the think tanks.
▶ 0:32:24In 2023, we had 44 government witnesses. This year we have our first and I hope very much that we have all the not only the secretary but the under secretaries and assistant secretaries so that we can really uh do our job.
▶ 0:32:41Um Secretary Rubio in the 1970s there was a powerful Middle East monarch who claimed to be a friend of the United States was a may very well have been claimed to be at least uh uh agreeable to Israel. And so in the 1970s we transferred enormous sophisticated weapons to him. In 1979 the sha was disposed and all those weapons were in the hands of the Ayatollah. Today MBS wants a nuclear weapon.
▶ 0:33:12But he says what he wants is a nuclear cooperation agreement. Well we have a nuclear cooperation agreement with the United Arab Emirates that and Turkey and Morocco that all provide for a gold standard of safety. Can you assure us that you will not enter into a or a nuclear cooperation agreement with Saudi Arabia that does not have that same gold standard of uh security to make sure they're not building a nuclear weapon?
▶ 0:33:38Well, first I will tell you that uh there is no been no conversation about entering into one for example during the recent trip and can I I've got a limited time. I can't. So here's the thing. I can I can either give me a yes, give me I'm going to give you my answer if you want my answer but yes reclaiming my time. Well, reclaim your time, but it's not a game show. I get to answer. These are complex questions. Let me answer. Mr. Secretary, I'm reclaiming my time. The filibustering takes place in the Senate, not here. I'm not filibustering. I'm trying to answer your question. You're trying Let's go on to the next question.
▶ 0:34:08With regard to Iran. Can you us that you will continue sanctions on Iran until they verifiably agree to abandon all enrichment? That's a yes or no question. No, it's not. Well, can you give me a yes or no? Should I go on to go on to the next? We believe that Iran should not be allowed to enrich uranium. You believe that it I believe we believe that an acceptable deal with Iran is one in which they cannot enrich because if they can enrich, they can weaponize.
▶ 0:34:38I know why we don't want I asked you will we agree will we continue the sanctions until they verifiably agree to get rid of Oh, you have no worry about us. The the worry was the previous administration. This administration has been refusal to give me an answer is loud and clear. No. Well, I reclaiming my time. Mr. Ch Mr. Chair, you told us about all these wonderful business deals that were announced in the Middle East.
▶ 0:35:02It's reminiscent of the first year of the first term of Donald Trump where he announced a 10 billion dollar investment by Foxcom in Wisconsin. It is still an empty field. I am sure that the only deals announced in the Middle East that will actually happen were the bribery deals, the $400 million plane and the $2 billion Abu Dhabi will put into the uh uh cryptocurrency sponsored by Mr. Um Tik Tok, Mr.
▶ 0:35:30Secretary, you led the effort to say that it shouldn't be controlled by the Chinese Communist Party. We passed a law with your help. That law requires that we ban Tik Tok now because all of the expiration dates have uh have gone have have expired. Um but instead we saw Chinese interests associated with Tik Tok transfer $300 million into uh the Trump coin which is a pure gift.
▶ 0:35:59It's $300 million for nothing but monopoly money. And so uh there's a word in Mandarin for this. It's it's called bribery. And uh it raises the question that I'll ask you to respond to for the record. And that is, is there any statute this administration will not violate for a $300 million Chinese bribe? The um we next focus on the uh on USA ID. Uh Musk gutted it. He said no one died as a result.
▶ 0:36:28Uh are do you agree that no one has died yet as a result of the chainsawing of USID? Yes or no? I'm sorry. The question is, has anyone what? Has anyone in the world died because of what Elon Musk did to listen? Yes or no? Reclaiming my time. If you won't answer, that's a loud answer. No one has died because of us.
▶ 0:36:48Of the people who have died as a result of cutting off the oxygen of a woman uh in Burma and denying HIV AIDS treatment to those in Africa. They are dead now at the hands of Elon Musk's and his co-conspirators. recognizes Representative Wilson from South Carolina.
▶ 0:37:07Thank you, Chairman Brian Mass, for your leadership holding this hearing at a very critical time where dictators of rule of gun are invading democracies with rule of law and my sympathy for the Connelly family as I was always cherish my friendship with whom I call Mr. President Jerry Connelly. Mr. Secretary, uh congratulations on your success on behalf of the American people to implement the policies of President Donald Trump.
▶ 0:37:31Sadly, as you address problems that have plagued the department, bureaucrats in the past have undermined the agenda of the president. It was historic to have, as you just cited, the announcement of President Trump to lift sanctions, giving Syria a chance, which was welcomed by a standing ovation in Riad, which was so historic.
▶ 0:37:52And now the progress that you've made, instead of um billboards, electronic billboards of the dictator of Assad, they've been replaced by uh billboards praising Donald Trump and praising the crown prince. What what an incredible change in six months to go from dictator to a potential of democracy. With that in mind, I have concerns that there could be efforts to uh undermine.
▶ 0:38:16And so uh will you be working in every way to have full executive authorities to carry out the president's orders rather than a phased approach? In addition, can we lift the uh specific export controls on Syria? Yeah. Well, for as you know, the sanctions in Syria are largely based on a statute, the Caesar Act. And so that allows the president to do rolling waiverss, I believe, six months at a time. So the goal is ultimately to make enough progress so that Congress will permanently repeal those.
▶ 0:38:44In the interim, what we want to make sure is that the sanctions relief that we're providing allow our partners in the region to begin the aid flow that they want to do without running a foul of the sanctions. So that's what we're focused on executing even as we speak. There was a meeting on it yesterday. It's an execution today as well. Well, again, thank you for your leadership and insight to see how quickly that should have been done. I'm also grateful for the strong position of the Trump administration in regard to the anti-American Georgian dream regime in the Republic of Georgia.
▶ 0:39:13They rigged the election in Georgia on October 26th. They've criminalized association with America. They kicked out American companies, blocking trade and mineral access to the middle corridor, selling Georgia to the Chinese Communist Party. They've repeatedly smeared President Trump and American leadership. With that in mind, I'm really grateful that actually with the Randelli uh Foundation, there's been a report just released uh indicating the control by the Chinese Communist Party.
▶ 0:39:42now in the Republic of Georgia and I'd like to provide this for the record. Additionally, for 200 consecutive days, freedom loving Georgians have heroically taken to the street embracing themselves in American flags and carrying posters of the president. Under your leadership, what will be done to help the State Department impose real cost on the anti-American Georgian dream on behalf of the people of Georgia?
▶ 0:40:10Well, as any going back to what I've said earlier in my opening statement, the goal of the United States is our foreign national interest. So, we will look at that and say, is it our national interest to have an anti-American government governing an important part of the world? And if not, we'll take appropriate actions to impose costs on that government. That's currently under review, and we're looking for options and additional options. I have no announcement today specifically on what we plan to do yet, but I can tell you that that is something that's being discussed.
▶ 0:40:34And again, a great example of why we're going to look to our regional bureaus and our local office on the ground there to provide us guidance as to what are the measures that the government, the anti-American government would be most responsive to. And it's so refreshing to get your response. And uh additionally, another issue is Kurdistan, the regional government of Iraq, uh and they have recently signed an agreement with American oil companies for the exploration and for the development of the oil capabilities.
▶ 0:41:04billions of dollars uh in northern Iraq. But sadly, the regime in Tehran uh has impacted Baghdad and is actually controlling uh the actions of Baghdad. And so Iran is intruding in trying to stop the agreements. What it's being done to promote uh freedom for the ability of Kurdistan to in regional government to uh really support the people of Iraq?
▶ 0:41:29Well, we first have made clear the lynch pin of our approach towards Iraq is that autonomy that the Kurdish uh population has in that part of the country. And part of that is allowing them the economic lifeline that allows them to prosper and succeed. The Iraqi officials have expressed an interest in a closer better relationship with the United States. And we've explained to them that the core of that is respect for the companies that are operating from within in that country from our country operating within Iraq. Also respect as I said for the autonomy of the Kurds. And third is the Iranian influence.
▶ 0:41:58And the Iranian influence there has continued to grow unfortunately in some sectors of their elected government and poses a grave danger to the United States, including in the form of pro-Iran Shia militias who have in the past struck against the United States and have expressed interest in doing so again in the future. That's unacceptable and that has to be addressed. Congratulations on your success. I yield back. Chair now recognizes Representative Keiting. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Uh I will miss my seatmate Jerry Connley. Uh he loved sitting here.
▶ 0:42:27uh and we loved him. Secretary in 1944, my uncle James Arthur Keading was serving in France and uh as soldiers uh his fellow soldiers were dying around him. He wrote a letter back in combat back home about the cost of human sacrifice and whether it was worthwhile to defend a piece of mud on the earth.
▶ 0:42:54Only a week after that letter, he answered that question well carrying lead in himself as one of the people in his command was exposed and injured. Uh he he was wounded himself carrying lead and crawled out there brought him back to safety. Saved his life and as he was going for another person was machine gunned to death himself and killed in action. 400,000 other American families uh gave the same sacrifice.
▶ 0:43:20But the peace and prosperity that came forward the world uh has never seen. It's a transatlantic alliance where our allies sacrificed their young men and women when America was attacked in 9/11 and economically their 1.6 trillion dollar trading partner with us with 16 million jobs in both sides of the continent.
▶ 0:43:41So my questions today are looking for clarity on where we stand with our allies and partners for more than 80 years because they're expressing their doubts, expressing the doubts publicly. They've expressed it to me privately. So as the face of our country, as the lead foreign policy representative in the United States, I'm just looking for this clarity. So first simply answer this question if you will.
▶ 0:44:10Is Russia the aggressor in this Ukraine war? Yeah, Russia invaded Ukraine. So they are the aggressor in this war. Correct. They they invaded them. Yes. Well, thank you, sir, because it's important to get this clarity because President Donald Trump said it was Ukraine that started this war and our allies have the right to know this.
▶ 0:44:33Uh secondly, uh the person we're negotiating with, Vladimir Putin, is he a war criminal? Well, I think you can look at instances that have happened there and certainly characterize him as war crimes, but our intent is to end the war. Is he a war criminal? We can't end the war without talking to Mr. That's pretty simple. Is he a war criminal? This man we're negotiating with, Vladimir Putin. Is he a war criminal? That's tough. But what I'm I'm trying to answer your question by telling you that we're trying to end the war. Go ahead.
▶ 0:45:03Simple answer. You are equivocating, sir. Just answer the question. I'm answering your question. And the answer is that war crimes have been committed. No doubt. And who's responsible for that? There will be time and place for that accountability. But right now, the job is to end the war. So you won't answer the war. People are going to get reclaiming my time. Sir, let me go on because because I don't understand this because you're sitting in front of us now as Secretary of State.
▶ 0:45:28It wasn't long ago that you were sitting as a senator with Secretary of State nominee Rex Tillerson at the time in the exact same circumstances only reversed. And you question him about Putin directing attacks against schools, markets, hospitals, playgrounds. And on top of this, in this instance, he's abducted 20,000 children. A clear war crime.
▶ 0:45:54So you were very clear then Vladimir Putin is was a war criminal. Now he's you're unmaking him a war criminal and you won't answer the question about the exact same circumstances putting words in my mouth. My I'm reclaiming my time, sir. You're putting words in my mouth. And you know what you said to Secretary Tillerson at the end of his answer when he equivocated just as you are right now? I'm not equivocating. You just don't let me answer. Sure sounds like it to me. Then I'll give you a second chance.
▶ 0:46:23Is Vladimir gave me a first a war criminal? I already told you war crimes have been committed. No, you didn't tell me if he's a criminal. Mr. Chairman, am I allowed to answer questions? I'm reclaiming my time, sir. And listen, I'm using your own words so you don't have to answer. Do you know what you said to then nominee Secretary of State Tillerson? You said you were very discouraged in his inability to accept that Putin was indeed a war criminal. Your words, we don't need anymore. You're inconsistent. The third question I have, sir, is this. answered your question.
▶ 0:46:53You just don't let me answer. You did not answer the question about Putin's Well, you keep your time in Ukraine. You asked me a question, then you reclaim your time. So, how can I answer? You answered it. Listen, let me go forth with this three questions. I'm going to reclaim time on those. I'm I'm I'm giving you a chance to answer. Give me a chance to ask the question. Here it is. So, there's a concern among these allies that we've had, our closest allies, uh about the one-sidedness of the negotiations with Russia and Ukraine. Gentlemen, inspired.
▶ 0:47:23Secretary Rubio, if you'd like to respond, by all means. Can I reclaim my time for a few seconds? Thank you. Number one, crimes have been committed in the war on Ukraine, and there will be accountability for that. But our goal right now is to end that war because let me tell you, every single day that that war goes on, more people are killed, more people are maimed, and frankly, more crimes are more war crimes are being committed every day that the war lasts. Number one. Number two, I don't know how European allies could say that. I talk to European allies literally every single day.
▶ 0:47:51I see or talk to the foreign minister of the UK and France and Germany more than I see or talk to my own kids in some days. So these are foreign giving him time and I ask unanimous not recognized Mr. Chairman you're not recognized I'm asking for unanimous consent to put in you're not recognized the secretary I am asking unanimous consent to put in the record Mr. Keing you're not recognized oped oh so you're not going to recognize Mr. Mr.
▶ 0:48:16Chairman, anyone that asks unanimous consent to put in for the record a document you're not allowing. You are not recognized right now. Your time expired. You might have a minute and a few. Mr. Secretary, please continue. The last point is our goal is to end this war. We have to be able to talk to you. Chairman, in order to be we have to end this. My time is answered. His time answering my question ended too. It's the next person's time.
▶ 0:48:40That's the rules in this committee when you won't even let a person enter into the record something from our ambassador till recently from Ukraine, Ambassador Brink, who resigned because of the conduct of this administration. Keep a better eye of the clock. 30 years of service, sir. You should keep a better eye of the clock in front of you. Your time expired. Continue. Our goal is to end this war so more people don't die. And by the way, we want all those kids returned back to their homes that were kidnapped from their parents. We just want people to stop dying.
▶ 0:49:08Every day this war goes on, people die, things are destroyed, and lives are ruined, and we want it to stop. Thank you, Secretary. Did you have something you want to submit for unanimous consent? Thank you, Mr. Chair. Now would be your opportunity. Thank you, sir. Uh, I want to submit for the record an op-ed by Ambassador uh Brink from Ukraine, the regional ambassador that was close until we've seen 30 years of service of Democrat uh presidents and supporting ones.
▶ 0:49:34It's an op-ed that says representative is recognized voice and and she details how is at any cost is yes for an answer. So ordered. Representative is recognized. Mr. Chairman, I'd like to ask unanimous consent that the accomplishments of the Secretary of State in the first 100 days be placed in the record. So ordered. Thank you, M. Mr. Secretary. Good to see you again. Uh we're holding up just some of those. Uh you probably recognize what you've done for a 100 days.
▶ 0:50:01It is absolutely amazing uh that uh you've done all of that. And as you said in your opening statement, it's our job in reauthorization to make many of them per permanent. I share with you the fact that for decades, the division of USAID, sometimes in the embassy, sometimes out, coordinating, sometimes often not, uh, populated by people who left state to go to aid but then weren't treated the same. All of that had to end.
▶ 0:50:30And I I really appreciate you're doing it, and I look forward to making that permanent. Uh I want to just ask you a few questions and and uh some of them go to the previous questioner. Um is Vladimir Putin the undeniable head of a country that has as many basically ability to bomb us into oblivion with uh uh nukes as any other country on earth.
▶ 0:50:55They have the largest I believe the largest strategic weapon stockpile in the world and one of the largest tactical nuclear weapons stockpile. He's the undeniable leader. Correct. is one of the things that every Secretary of State keeps in their mind that peace is never made with your friends but rather with your enemies. Well, it's one of the reasons why irrespective of Ukraine, there has to be some level of communication between the United States and Moscow.
▶ 0:51:20It's frankly irresponsible to not have the two biggest nuclear powers on the planet communicating, which was the case for 3 years. That doesn't mean we're going to be allies or friendly unless conditions change, but we have to at least be able to communicate with them to prevent miscalculation and war.
▶ 0:51:33And wasn't it true during the entire Cold War, president after president of both parties and in secretary after secretary had to and did retain relations with the Soviet Union up to and including President Reagan's famous negotiations that essentially led to the end of the Cold War. If there had not been communications between the US and Russia in 1961, the war could have the war would the the world could have ended during the Cuban missile crisis.
▶ 0:52:00Now, on that list behind me, there's a lot of of taking and combining and so on, but I I have two things I want to ask you about. One is, do you have a vision for Obo that would cause it to catch up and to re reach a point where our embassies, consulates, and other facilities would never again lead to something like we've had at Benghazi and other occurrences where substandard facilities led to the loss of life.
▶ 0:52:30Well, we absolutely it's our priority. In fact, we every single day we have a team that watches our mission posture around the world. Not just because of the physical layout, but what the conditions are on the ground. Remember, in many of these posts in in many cases, we are very dependent on local forces and their ability to protect from the perimeter, what they're willing to offer. And so, as you recall in Benghazi, one of the challenges we faced is we relied on local militias to provide perimeter security.
▶ 0:52:54When they abandoned their post, it left the consulate and uh vulnerable and ultimately led to loss of life. So as part of our analysis clearly the physical layout and the protection it's something we've watched very closely in places like Somalia where we were lacking overhead protection in some cases but also we are always looking at the cap capability and willingness of local liaison partners on the ground from the host government to provide their end of it.
▶ 0:53:19They the less security they're able to provide us asurances on the more nervous and concerned we become about our force posture or about our our presence in any given country. Now Mr. Secretary, as as you recall, during the first Trump administration, the president nominated me for the Trade Development Agency, and I kindly appreciate the fact that you were willing to support me if I'd ever gotten the actual vote.
▶ 0:53:42It is a small organization, a small part of our outreach to compete against uh Belton Road. USID could be part of that. Obviously XM Bank, a host of other entities could be part of it, but in your opinion today, even with the changes you've made, are we or are we not positioned to properly address to provide complete packages to compete against Belt and Road?
▶ 0:54:11Well, first of all, Belt and Road is largely a series of loans and other traps that are provided that you hire Chinese companies to come into your country and build a road or build a bridge or build a stadium or build whatever they want. um that's actually not comparable to USA ID which is more humanitarian and development assistance but it's in the in the form of a grant that that's more loaning on their part.
▶ 0:54:31I think the two entities that are best positioned to act as alternatives are the development finance corporation which is currently on the potentially could be expanded in my view and then Millennium which is undergoing a review for for um for improvements. But I think both of these offer better alternatives uh in terms of comparison to our way to compete against Belt and Road initiative. Thank you, Mr. Secretary. Yield back. Chair now recognizes Representative Barah. Mr.
▶ 0:54:56Chairman, I'd like to ask unanimous consent to enter into the record this inspector general report about the impact of USAD um state. Mr. Secretary, I did not get the chance to know you while you were in the Senate. Um but like you did, I also have traveled a lot to Africa. have seen um the gratitude of lives that we've saved.
▶ 0:55:20You know, after the Ebola crisis in 2014, had a chance to visit villages in Sierra Leone and just the joy and thanks to the United States. You know, in 2015, you you stated this and again, foreign aid is less than 1% of our budget, but foreign aid can make a difference when properly used.
▶ 0:55:41And if you ever have a chance, travel to the African continent and you will meet people who are alive today because the American taxpayer funded antiviral HIV medications that kept them alive. It will not be easy to radicalize people who are alive because the American taxpayer saved their lives and the lives of their children. Do you still stand by that statement? Yeah, that's why we're still going to do foreign aid. Right. So that's incredibly important. As a young doctor um in the 1990s, I took care of a lot of people that were dying of HIV and AIDS. It is a painful death.
▶ 0:56:12What I hear on the ground in Africa is that these medications aren't getting to folks. That, you know, some of the folks that deliver the medications aren't getting folks and people are dying. We need to do what we did under President Bush with PEPAR. We've saved over 25 million lives. Nearly 8 million babies are alive today because um we prevented them from getting HIV AIDS. Um I want to work with you to make sure we continue doing that. That is the goodness of the American people.
▶ 0:56:42I'm a little bit older than some of the people on this committee. Um I grew up looking at pictures of kids that were starving um in the 80s. Part of the reason why I became a doctor, part of the reason why I'm on this um committee and why I focused so much on health, nutrition, um food aid is because of pictures like that that are embedded in my mind as a kid. We came together as a country. Part of what moral clarity of the United States is is we are a country of abundance.
▶ 0:57:13President Trump may not think this is in our national security interest, but I think it is in our faith interest. It is who we are as a spiritual nation, as a faith-based nation. We worry about that. We care about um relieving starvation and so forth. We've got to do more because I talk to the faith-based groups. I talk to our implementing partners. I read the news stories.
▶ 0:57:34I do not want to see more pictures like this coming out, you know, and I'm definitely afraid in the next 30 days, 60 days, two years, four years, we're going to see more death and starvation because nobody else can do what we do as the United States of America. I'd like your commitment that you will work with us to make sure we continue providing food aid, that we continue um doing what we do best based on our moral clarity. Can I have your commitment on that? Yeah.
▶ 0:58:00In fact, that's why we're going to have a humanitarian fund within the Department of State that's going to provide the humanity humanitarian assistant that you've outlined. And we're still going to be by far the largest donor in the world to humanity. You will continue to work with this committee, work with us um in a bipartisan way, in a biccameal way to do what we do best. Nobody can do what the United States does. That's my hope to be able to continue to work with you in that way. We want to see humanitarian aid. We're going to do more of it than anybody on the planet. Great. Let's save lives. With that, let me yield the remainder of my time to my colleague from Pennsylvania, Miss Dean.
▶ 0:58:30I thank you, Representative Vera, and God bless Jerry Connelly. Uh, Mr. Secretary, you and I uh had the great privilege this past Sunday of traveling to the installation of Pope Leo, where he encouraged us to choose love and help the world's poorest. He suggests that we should get proximate to the suffering. If I were to tell you, Mr. secretary that outside that door was a three-year-old little girl starving like that photograph.
▶ 0:58:59Ribs protruding, weak, unable to speak. What would you do? Whatever anybody would do, we would try to help her. I agree. I would too. And that's what we do more than anybody in the world. Anybody would do that. We would go out that out that door and help that little child. It's your humanity that calls you to do that. To save a single life. Mr. Secretary, Gaza is starving.
▶ 0:59:24As of last week, the UN has confirmed, it's the UN has confirmed at least 57 children have already died of malnutrition and 14,000 more are on the brink of starvation. Food sits just beyond the border. For days, for weeks, it was cut off. Please, please hold the clock for me. Reclaiming my time.
▶ 0:59:52I understand their upset for days, for weeks. I I ask that I could reclaim some of that time that was just interrupted. We'll give you five seconds. Five innocent children are dying. Mr. Secretary, Pope Leo has called for uh an end to the blockade to humanitarian aid which began by Mr.
▶ 1:00:16Netanyahu, March Id, he said, the Pope said, "The price is being paid by children, the elderly, and the sick." Secretary Rubio, I call upon you, and I ask for your affirmation of this. Stand by our faith, by the call of the Pope to save the children desperate for food and water, babies who have no way to feed themselves, mothers who have to watch them die, stand by the Jewish faith.
▶ 1:00:42Their teaching tells us to save a single life is to save the whole universe. Will you commit to getting a surge of aid into Gaza now? Gentle lady's time is expired. Maybe the secretary now recognizes Representative Burch from Tennessee. Mr. Mr. Chairman, could the secretary answer my question? I don't think I don't think you got a question out and I gave you additional time. Chair recognizes Representative Burchett from Tennessee. Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr.
▶ 1:01:10Secretary, how do you plan to ensure that the future foreign assistance funding decisions are aligned with the president and are not co-opted or watered down by entrenched foreign service bureaucrats? Um, I'm going to get to your question if I could just take five seconds. We have asked the Israelis and I think they've acknowledged this publicly to allow more aid to flow. I actually met with the World Food Program in Rome this weekend while I was there. We believe they have a system in place for distribution.
▶ 1:01:34will continue to urge them to do so and in fact we expect more aid will begin to flow rapidly over the next few days into Gaza. I thank you. As far as your question about entrenched foreign service officers, actually I want to be fair here. I have found the foreign service officers by and large the professional foreign service officers to be very competent professional uh wanting to deliver on the mission and to the extent they're frustrated in many cases is that they feel impeded by bureaucracy or by layers and layers of bureaucracy. People don't join the foreign service to get rich. They know they're doing it for service and it's rewarding.
▶ 1:02:04Like in any organization, you're going to have people that stand in the way or are not aligned with the mission and it's our responsibility to ensure that those people are not in a position to impede us. But we can't do the work at the State Department without our professional foreign service officers. And frankly, they're the ones we're empowering. And so the ultimately what we want to return to, however, is a foreign service officer CP that's promoted and rewarded on the basis of merit on how well you do your job. And sometimes, by the way, that means promoting someone who maybe doesn't have as many years experience.
▶ 1:02:33Maybe they only been there 10 years as 10 to 20, but they're really good. And if you don't promote them, we're going to lose them to the private sector or some other endeavor. So ultimately, it resides upon us, those of us in these positions, to ensure that our agencies are delivering on the president's foreign policy. The State Department is not an independent branch of government. We are part of the executive. And our job is to help the president formulate foreign policy and execute on it. and we're trying to give you a structure in this reorganization to do that. You could have just said put the best player in, coach. That would have covered it.
▶ 1:03:04And I appreciate your answer, brother. Um, moving on. Will the State Department classify the Taliban as a foreign terrorist organization? Well, I believe that classification is now once again under review. As you know, we've had some success over the last few weeks in getting some Americans that were detained released. Um, but we'll have some decisions to make. That designation ultimately will be based on uh a holistic approach to what we think our future policy is going to be with regards to Afghanistan. We're clearly aware of who they are. We and what they've done in the past.
▶ 1:03:33We'd like to see more cooperation from them on uh al-Qaeda and other elements in the country that we'd like to see targeted. So, I think that's part of a a tool set the president has as leverage to uh increase cooperation on their part. Can we ensure that America won't be attacked by the Taliban or any of these other terrorist groups that are training or based in Afghanistan? Well, that's what we need to ensure every single day. And obviously, DoD holds that primary responsibility.
▶ 1:03:58And there's a reason why we don't have a diplomatic presence in Afghanistan is because we do not feel at this point like we could appropriately secure our personnel. But the president is keenly aware of the situation there. He was very involved uh in um in negotiating in in his first presidency for a deal that kept Americans safe. And I think he's interested in arriving at one again to ensure Afghanistan never becomes a launchpad for external oper external operations against Americans anywhere in the world, especially the homeland. Thank you.
▶ 1:04:26Also, um I've been working on a piece of legislation, House Resolution 260, for a couple of years. It basically defunds the Taliban. We found out through a fellow named Legend who fought on our side and another guy Sean Ryan, Navy Seal, that they're collecting around $40 million a week is what we've been told and possibly up to the a point of five billion from some um State Department documents. I'm wondering if you all will support that bill and what it does.
▶ 1:04:53It aims to stop US tax dollars from benefiting the Taliban. Well, I haven't seen the bill. I certainly uh support the the intent that you've outlined and I also would say the president has issued an order which we have followed to suspend any aid that could possibly reach the hands of the Taliban and that's been implemented. Well, we're told that it possibly still is and the president has voiced support of this legislation and I would hope that you would review that. That's something that's been out for a while and it needs to be stopped, put to rest at some point.
▶ 1:05:22I've also invited President CI of Afghanistan to meet with me and my colleagues and I'm wondering if if you all will facilitate his entry into the country to meet with us. Well, ultimately that will require an a decision and a determination upon whether a visa should be granted for that visit. We'll certainly happy to if if you've got an engagement that you think would be important and further the national interest, it's certainly something we would consider in terms of making that decision.
▶ 1:05:46you know, we've granted visas in the past to people that we're not necessarily enamored with because they're coming to the United Nations or for some other purpose. So, um we would want to work with you to learn more about the context of that visit and we would consider it. Sure.
▶ 1:05:59I would I would uh remind you and this body and the folks that are listening and watching this that $40 million may not be a whole heck of a lot the people in Washington DC but I can assure you in East Tennessee that is a whole lot of money that we are probably providing our enemies every dadum week and I'd appreciate y'all's assistance with that. Y'all been great. You've um you've accepted expired. Okay. Chair now recognizes Representative Castro from Texas. Uh thank you chairman. Thank you Secretary. Thank you for your testimony.
▶ 1:06:29Um, I want to say at the beginning that I think that in terms of roles in the cabinet that coming into your job, I think you're the most qualified cabinet member. Um, and a cabinet that I think has otherwise been incompetent and unqualified. Um, you and I are obviously of different political parties, but we share kind of a similar story.
▶ 1:06:50My grandmother, Victoria Costro, came to this country when she was six or seven years old as an orphan because both her parents had died after the Mexican Revolution and the closest relatives who could take her in were not in Mexico. They were in San Antonio. And when my grandmother came to Eagle Pass, Texas, the manifest that allowed her to come, there was a question that was asked on that document. The question said uh purpose for visit and her relatives that were bringing her they wrote in to live that she was coming to live.
▶ 1:07:20You have an incredible family story of your parents and your grandfather coming from Cuba in the 1950s and maybe early 1960s and a similar background of helping you and your siblings pursue their American dreams just like my my grandmother did for my mom and for us.
▶ 1:07:37But I feel like today under the administration, our grandparents may end up may have ended up in a gulag or banished in Guantanamo or like the girl that I visited with who was a US citizen in Mexico a few weeks ago with a brain tumor having her seizure medication seized at a CBP inland port and her mom who's undocumented Mexican, her caretaker 24 hours a day, not allowed to come back with her to get hands to get treatment for her
▶ 1:08:08condition. Now, I want to ask you specifically about a policy decision um where on February 5th, DHS Secretary Gnome rescended temporary protective status for Venezuelans. Uh this same thing was used for 700,000 Cubans in the 1960s and 70s.
▶ 1:08:26and she stated that in consultation with the Department of State assess conditions in Venezuela and there that there are quote notable improvements in several areas such as the economy, public health, and crime that allow for these nationals to be safely returned to their home countries. And you said as recently as a few years ago that returning returning and failing to renew TPS for Venezuel Venezuelans would be quote very real death sentence for countless Venezuelans who have fled their country.
▶ 1:08:55That was a few years ago. And so I wanted to ask you, do you believe after everything that Maduro has done, and you and I have both condemned him, as I think almost everybody on this dice has, that TPS recipients forced to return to Venezuela will truly be safe in that country. And how do you justify the decision to send 350,000 people to Venezuela right now? Well, 350,000 people have not been sent to Venezuela. I think you're referring to the TPS cancellation of the temporary status. So, two points.
▶ 1:09:24Number one is unfortunately that blanket approval of TPS gave TPS including to people that frankly we should not have allowed in this country irrespective of what part of the world they came from. Number two is the hope that now people that have received TPS will apply through the asylum process. And I believe many of them if not most of them will have very credible asylum claims to make for the reason you've just outlined. I think they're problematic is that when you do a blanket TPS, number one, it's supposed to be temporary. None of these TPS's ever go away.
▶ 1:09:50But number two, when you do a blanket, it's going especially in a mass migration event, it is going to protect and cover people that frankly we should not have allowed into this country. The only I guess I guess I guess I look I mean we're you know both part of the same Latino community. You're not saying that all 350,000 people were gang members, are you? Of course not. The majority are not. But if 1,000 of them are, we got a big problem. Well, yeah, but so because there is a very small group who are criminals just like any group of Americans, you're saying that none of them get any due process.
▶ 1:10:21They're just automatically expelled. No review, no nothing for any of their cases. Well, again, it's not my department. We don't do asylum claims. But I But she said she consulted with you. She said that it was her decision and your decision. And a few years ago, you said it was a death sentence. Yeah. But the the problem is the previous administration did a terrible job of vetting applicants for TPS. They just blanket approved it. They did things that are they did things that have been done in other administrations before, but never in this Republican and Democrat.
▶ 1:10:45Look, the bottom line is, of course, the overwhelming majority of them are not gang members, and they will be able to apply for asylum, and they have a very credible claim. Some that are, and I have to yield my remaining time. I got it. I got to yield my remaining time to to Congresswoman Kla. Thank you um for that, Rep. Castro. I have a quick question. The World Cup and the Olympics are being hosted in both red and in blue districts across this country, but they are not going to be successful unless we get visas uh to all of the folks that are participating.
▶ 1:11:14This is a bipartisan priority. I just sent a letter to you along with Representative Kim and 50 other colleagues. I am glad that the president has directed this administration to make this a success. In that spirit of cooperation, are you committing to working with me to ensuring that these games are a success and that we're getting visas to those who need it? 100%. Thank you, Chair. Now recognize Representative Perry. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Secretary, great to see you. Thanks for being here.
▶ 1:11:42Want to talk to you about the United Nations Relief and Works Workers Agency. Um it is uh the claims are fantastic and horrific at the same time longstanding of mismanagement of uh collusion with Hamas and the terrorist organization and terrorists in Hamas the using of American tax dollars to promote anti-semitism, violence,
▶ 1:12:12um rampant corruption throughout the United Nations. relief of workers agency and ties to Hamas. The simple question for you as our representative in the administration and for all the taxpayers not only in the 10th district of Pennsylvania but all across the country who who find it intolerable that their tax money goes to support terrorism and the wanting killing of the Jewish people and the state of Israel.
▶ 1:12:42What concrete steps is is this administration are you vowing to take regarding the United Nations Relief and Workers? We're not working with them anymore. I mean, are they going to continue to receive funding? I mean, we're we're we're done with that. We're not we're not distributing any more aid through that organization, especially because of the links in Gaza that you've outlined that have now been well documented. And what are what is the administration doing visav other countries that would wish to continue to support them?
▶ 1:13:08What is the United States doing with our clout, with our uh with our leadership role in trying to make sure that UNRA no longer exists because it is a tool of Hamas? Well, we've made very clear we're done cooperating with them on this work and we're not going to be involved in it. Obviously, other countries have sovereign decisions they make. I take your point that you want to use our pressure, but the truth of the matter is no country contributes as much to these efforts as we do. Um, and as a result, I think that gives us tremendous leverage to potentially find and create alternatives for the distribution of aid.
▶ 1:13:38And that's what we're working on actively now. It's one of the impediments to getting aid into Gaza as we speak. We want to find alternatives that are reliable, that will actually reach the people, but will not wind up in the hands of Hamas, who then turns it around and sells it at exorbitant prices on the black market to enrich themselves after they feed themselves. So, um, we share your sentiments on this completely. Appreciate your answer and your dedication to that. Again, the American taxpayers are sick of paying for for terrorism. Let's turn to the State Department bureaucratic loyalty.
▶ 1:14:07And my concern uh over a long period of time, the State Department co-opted in the 30s by many communists. It's well documented. If if you know the history, let's be blunt, some of these people are still continued to act like uh communists, sabotaging our institutions and selling out our country. I'm wondering frankly what can be done about that to align the State Department with the goals of not only this administration but the goals of the American people to promote America and Americanism.
▶ 1:14:39Yeah. Well, I think the first starts with what I've said from the very beginning of this hearing and that is that the goal of our foreign policy is to further our national interest. You have to define what the national interest is and then you have to make sure that the policies that you're pursuing are in furtherance of the national interest. Not the global interest, not the international order, but what's in the interest of the United States. Sometimes cooperating with the global order isn't a national interest. Many times increasingly it is not.
▶ 1:15:01As you see these international institutions oftentimes have become places where we give all the money and then they work against us and it's used as a form for anti-Americanism. The second point is and that's part of the reorganization is and this is an important point and I hear this in some of the criticisms. I don't know if people fully understand. I've made this point already. The Department of State is not another branch of government. We work for the president of the United States. The people elected the president. The president sets the foreign policy. Our job is to advise and provide options. But ultimately, our job is to execute on the foreign policy of the president.
▶ 1:15:32And we are trying to organize the State Department to be able to do that as efficiently and as effectively as possible without having to check 40 boxes in a memo where someone you've never heard of and I've never heard of but happen to work at the State Department has a veto power over our ability to pursue a presidential directive. Now, that will be true for this administration and frankly it'll be true for the next administration, be it a Republican or a Democrat one. But that's the way our republic functions.
▶ 1:15:56In our republic, the executive branch is headed by the president who's elected by the people through the electoral college and our job is to deliver on the president's agenda. That's what I'm proud to do and that's what we're going to continue to do and that's the kind of State Department we're building to deliver on. Appreciate that. And finally, Mr. Secretary, the president's emergency plan for AIDS relief.
▶ 1:16:15It's been over 20 years since we launched this program and we poured billions of dollars into it and while it's definitely saved lives and we certainly appreciate that and we la that what's the future and when do we transition full responsibility to the African nations to manage their own health programs as we struggle to manage our own and pay for our own in the United States of America. First of all, 85% of recipients under PEPAR are currently and still receiving their assistance.
▶ 1:16:41The second point you make is an important one that is the best foreign aid is foreign aid that ends and it ends because you've either solved the problem or because you've given capacity to your local partners to solve the problem. And I do believe there needs to be a metric in PEPAR and beyond that in all of our foreign aid to ensure that at some point it ends because the problem was solved or because the local partner now has the capacity to handle it on their own. We are a generous people, but we cannot be responsible for every problem on this planet. We can't afford it.
▶ 1:17:08And frankly, in this day and age, we have many priorities we need to balance if we're going to foreign the national interest. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Thank you, Mr. Secretary. You know, I keep hearing you say your job is to carry out the mission of the executive branch and the agenda of the president. It's kind of hard to figure out what the president's foreign policy is. It jumps around from Gaza being a a resort area to we're going to help Ukraine or we're not. We're going to have terrorists on China or we're not.
▶ 1:17:37We're meddling in the Romanian election. I don't know how you figure out what the agenda is. Also, you say you want to make the State Department stronger, but everything we've seen coming from y'all is that you're dead set on kind of killing it or at least undermining American interest. Think you've proposed an 84% budget cut, plans for widespread diplomatic closures, laying off staff across the board. I don't see how any of those things really makes us stronger uh and delivers for the American people.
▶ 1:18:08Now, I believe that jeopardizes our national security. But I want to ask you something a little more arcane, a little more specific to my district that has to do with some economic investments. Uh and that's about tourism. You know, we've been working very hard to improve the visa services over the last few years. Seems to me what you're doing is going to undercut that and move us backwards.
▶ 1:18:31We're already seeing this as a problem in Las Vegas where uh tourists are down by 8% just in the few short months and this problem's become going to become more acute as we look to host the Olympics and we host the World Cup. So could I just ask you are you planning to cut the consular affairs bureau that does the visas by 15% like we're hearing? No, consular affairs may actually even be expanded.
▶ 1:18:58And in fact, we are looking for ways to uh do double shifts in some of our embassies around the world because of the visa requirements. For example, if you haven't applied for a visa from Colombia already, you probably won't get here in time for the World Cup unless we go to double shifts.
▶ 1:19:12So, we've even talked about reassigning foreign service officers, many many of who are trained earlier in their career and consular services to provide 24-hour uh presence in some of our embassies and consulates around the world just to handle the visa load for things like the World Cup, the FIFA World Cup, the FIFA Club Cup, and then the Olympics two years behind it. And in fact, how are you going to do that with an 84% budget cut? There's no 84% budget. I think you're referring to USAD when it comes to the state department. part of it, but just general. Yeah.
▶ 1:19:41But when it comes to the state department, our consular services are actually intend on ramping up efforts because of the reasons that I've just outlined below. Uh because of the reasons I just outlined earlier and um we recognize that as a top priority. We wanted to be a success. It's a priority for the president and I think there are good numbers because it's the same division that handles it. We are setting records in the numbers of passports that are being processed. Same group of people. So it shows that our systems are improving.
▶ 1:20:06And finally, we're looking of ways to infusing technology and AI to even further and rapidly increase that process even further, particularly for people. We're we're people who have had visas in the past. So, we're just restoring visas. We can move even much quicker on many of those. Well, I'm glad to hear you say that, but I want to look and see what you do, not just what you say. Because when you talk about cutting budgets, talk about cutting personnel, talk about closing uh embassies and consulates.
▶ 1:20:31I don't know how you can increase the visa process or make There's there's no proposal at this time to close embassies or consulates. That's been media reporting because people like to leak lies, but there's no such work. No, that's not happening. None are proposed and I think I would know about it. Well, okay. Well, let's let's check that out and see why where that information is coming from. If I could switch just a little bit to uh Afghanistan. You've heard a little bit about that.
▶ 1:20:56I I introduced legislation to authorize the CARE Act, the coordination for Afghan relocation efforts. You voted for that, Mr. Secretary. Mr. Mass voted for that. Uh we called for this to be created and have an appointment made. I I wonder can you tell us what's happening with that to help us serve these Afghan refugees or are you wearing that hat too or is there somebody else that you're going to appoint to that?
▶ 1:21:23Well, primarily the DHS responsibility for the intake of people into our country. I can certainly take that back and give you information on what progress they've made in that regard. But I will also tell you that one of the things we're tackling right now is we have to be able to properly vet anyone who comes into this country given the mass migration events we've confronted over the last three years. I suspect these people are vetted as much or more than just about anybody else coming into the country as a reg.
▶ 1:21:47Well, some of them they include dependents and in many cases a higher level of vetting is necessary because they're coming from countries where we don't have a lot of information. Not every country keeps uh including Afghanistan has perfect records. Some of them we know them because they've worked with us in the past. Others we just have limited information on them. So, but we are going to continue with this Afghan relocation efforts and this office, this care office. That's is what you're committing to me.
▶ 1:22:13Well, we're going to comply with the statutory requirements, but we also have to be more careful about who we let into this country. Well, I I didn't say that. I know we have to be careful, but I'm just saying we need to continue with that effort. You voted for it. Mr. Mass voted for it, but I don't see any progress on it. I hear just the opposite. So, I appreciate that commitment. Thank you, and I yield back. Chair now recognized Representative Jackson. Thank you, Mr. Chairman, and uh thank you, Chairman Mass, for holding this crucial hearing and allowing Secretary Rubio to highlight the overwhelming success has accomplished so far in the Trump administration.
▶ 1:22:43Secretary Rubio, thank you for being here today and for the incredible work that you and the department are doing. We we're really proud of it. Thank you. Uh I want to echo your opening statement. America is back from from bringing home hostages held in Gaza, initiating peace agreement between the DRC and Rwanda, countering China's influence around the world, and much much more. We are back. Thanks to the great work of President Trump and your great leadership, the United States is restoring its place on the world stage.
▶ 1:23:10No longer will the United States refuse to engage in foreign policy and diplomacy, but rather we will lead with peace through strength. I uh I've traveled a lot recently uh via my various committees, including this one uh through throughout the continent of Africa, and uh I've I've one thing I've seen is that we've really neglected Africa. We have spent a lot of money and wasted a lot of money there in my mind with no strategic thought whatsoever into how we're spending this money. Uh I have a question for you regarding South Africa.
▶ 1:23:39South Africa has withdrawn from America and our allies in recent years while increasing diplomatic relationships with our foreign adversaries, deepening cooperation with China, attacking our greatest ally, Israel at the International Court of Justice, downgrading Taiwan's diplomatic presence, and condoning violence and race-based persecution against minorities. I fully support President Trump's executive order to bolster the administration's efforts in combating the egregious actions taken by South Africa.
▶ 1:24:05To support the administration's efforts, I recently introduced the US South Africa Bilateral Relations Review Act, which would conduct a full review of our relationship with the Republic of South Africa and allow and allow for the use of targeted sanctions against corrupt officials in the African National Congress. Secretary Rubio, have you seen South Africa align with our adversaries like China, Iran, and Russia? And do you believe a full review of our bilateral relationship would be beneficial in the US's posture and strategy toward this country?
▶ 1:24:36Yes, on your first two questions and an interesting topic and I don't maybe even as we speak, the president is actually meeting with the president of South Africa who requested that meeting and it will be happening today. Obviously, I'm here with you today otherwise I would be at that. So, I imagine these topics will be raised there as well. Thank you, sir. I appreciate that. And with that, I'm going to yield the remainder of my time to my colleague, Mr. McKenzie. Thank you, Mr. Secretary.
▶ 1:24:59In your opening remarks, you mentioned Syria and how sanctions relief was a necessary step to help Syria's interim authorities stave off imminent collapse of the country. Can you expand on how sanctions relief is being used to advance US policy objectives and also discuss potentially what conditions have been placed on Syria's interim authorities uh for that sanctions relief including but not limited to things like uh protection of religious minority groups and counterterrorism cooperation. Yes.
▶ 1:25:29Well, first of all, let me say that Syria is in many cases when it comes to stability the most uh important country in that region. And the region will tell you this. If Syria is unstable, the region becomes unstable. So we have an opportunity now hopefully to see a government. We hope the formation of a government then the only kind of government that can work in Syria is one that respects and includes all the different groups which by the way that's one of the advantages of Syria. There is such a thing as a Syrian national identity and you can build on it.
▶ 1:25:56It is identity that until recently included close cooperation with Aloise and Drews and Christians and Sunni and Kurds. it it's been a a society that's existed this way until Assad divided them against each other for his own purposes. A civil war broke out, I ISIS erupted, foreign fighters poured in and all kinds of instability ensued. So what we have now is a transitional authority led by some people that frankly um have troubling previous histories. That said, they have said they have no interest in war with Israel.
▶ 1:26:26They have no interest in the um becoming a playground to export revolution. What they want is to build a country. That is what they are claiming and that's what we're willing to help them do if that's what they're serious about doing. So what sanctions relief as has been proposed by the president allows immediately is for partner nations in the region to be able to provide them the aid they need to do things like provide a government provide municipal services uh improve their telecommunication systems all the sorts of things you need to build a nation state and show the people of Syria
▶ 1:26:56there's a path forward towards progress our belief is failure to do that will quickly devolve into civil war ISIS will grow in strength and power pro Iranian groups that are being fermented will increase their activities to destabilize. And then you've got a big problem on your hands because now you have Syria once again becoming a playground for foreign fighters, jihadist, terrorists, and the like that threaten not just Israel, not just their neighbors, but ultimately the United States. I will say why it furthers national interest. Again, this is not going to be easy.
▶ 1:27:24No one should pretend this is going to be easy because it's not. But if Syria could somehow be stabilized now and for the foreseeable future, what it would mean for Lebanon, what it would mean for Jordan, what it would mean for Israel, and what it would mean for the broader stability of the region is extraordinary. It is a historic opportunity we hope comes to fruition. We're going to do everything we can to make it succeed. We hope that it does, but it it does have to be conditioned on them continuing to live by the commitments I've just outlined that they've made verbally. Now, we need to see it in action. Thank you, and I yield back.
▶ 1:27:54Chair recognizes Representative Lou. Uh, thank you, Mr. Chair. Secretary Rubio, thank you for being here today. As a member of the legislative branch, I don't have a special exemption to violate the law. You would agree with me, wouldn't you, that in America, no one is above the law, of course. Okay. And in our system of government, it's Congress that makes the laws, the executive branch that executes the laws, and the judicial branch when there's a dispute that says what the law is. Is that right?
▶ 1:28:23Within the context of separation of powers. Yes. Okay. And the reason that due process is so fundamental to America is before we put the entire weight of the federal government and snatch someone off the street, we might want to ask, hey, do you have something to say about that? Might we have the wrong person? And in case of Mr. Garcia, the Trump administration admitted in court that they mistakenly deported him to El Salvador.
▶ 1:28:52The Supreme Court in a 90 decision said that Trump administration has to facilitate getting him back. Do you believe the administration has to follow that Supreme Court order? Well, I don't believe he was wrongfully deported. He's an Asvadorian citizen. That's not my question. Do you believe that Trump has to follow the Supreme Court 90 unanimous decision within the context of separation of powers? No court can tell me how to conduct foreign policy.
▶ 1:29:17They can't tell me what I have to say to a president of another country, nor do I need to tell them what I told the president of another country because I can't. I'm just asking you, do you believe the Trump administration has to follow the unanimous Supreme Court? I believe we are following it. Okay. So, my next question is, what steps have you or the State Department taken to facilitate the return of Mr. Garcia who was mistakenly deported to El Salvador? The conduct of our foreign policies and executive function. And how I conducted to share with you, share with the court.
▶ 1:29:46Have you or the State Department taken any steps to facilitate? We've taken steps, but I'm not going to tell you what they are and I don't have to because I we conduct a foreign policy of the United States and I can't conduct diplomacy with a foreign leader if I come to committees and tell you what they said to me, what I said to them. And more certainly a court can't tell me to say that. You have taken steps to facilitate Mr. Garcia's return. We've made those we've made that assertation in we've made those assertions in court and we've appreciate that. I'd like to ask you now about Ukraine. Uh on August 24th, 2022, you tweeted the following.
▶ 1:30:16In the past 6 months since Putin's criminal invasion of Ukraine, Ukrainians have shown incredible bravery and strength as they fight to defend their homeland. On Ukraine's independence day, the free world applauds the courage and celebrates Ukraine sovereignty. And then also in 2022, you said the people of Ukraine are tough people who will never accept being ruled by Putin. I uh want to ask you, I assume you continue to believe what you said in 2022, right? that we should celebrate Ukraine's sovereignty and that the people of Ukraine will never accept being ruled by Putin. Right. Yeah.
▶ 1:30:45That's why we're trying to end the war. All right. On April 30th, 2018, you tweeted, "Glad to see State Department confirm delivery of Javelin anti-tank missiles to Ukraine. The US should continue empowering Ukraine and other allies to defend against a threat of Russian aggression. You would agree with your prior statement that the US should continue to support Ukraine against Russian aggression, right? We've supported them more than anyone in the world." All right.
▶ 1:31:08Unfortunately, it appears Secretary of Defense Pete Hexath went rogue and decided unilaterally to stop support for Ukraine earlier this year. Various news organizations reported that Secretary Hexath paused military support to Ukraine without President Trump's knowledge. I'm going to read you from one article dated May 6. Quote, Pete Hexath canled military aid flats Ukraine just a week into Trump's second term without the president even knowing.
▶ 1:31:34According to Reuters, the order initially sparked mass confusion within administration as national security officials in the White House, the Pentagon, and the State Department couldn't figure out who ordered the hull in flights. This is yet another example of the chaos and lack of cohesion that Hexa has brought to the Pentagon from day one. Did Secretary Hexa tell you before he ordered the halt in flights to Ukraine of military weapons? I can't comment on that because I don't remember that. I don't remember ever hearing that to what you're claiming now. So, your understanding is he never told you he was going to halt these flights.
▶ 1:32:02I just know we're providing them assistance now, but the war ultimately has to end. In 2016, you stated the following. From his repression of the Russian people in the assassination of his critics to his dangerous invasion of Ukraine and the occupation of Crimea to his threats against our NATO allies in central Eastern Europe to the war crimes committed by Russian forces. Putin's Russia is a threat to global stability. You'd agree with your prior statement, right, that Putin's Russia is a threat to global stability.
▶ 1:32:29I would agree that in my role as Secretary of State, my job is to bring Russia to the table to end the war. And that's what we're trying to do right now. We're trying to end a war so that more people don't die. Thank you. And and try and end a war. I simply note that uh Putin on Palm Sunday launched a barrage of missiles, killed a bunch of civilians. Right before his conversations with Trump recently, he launched a bunch of missiles, killed a bunch of civilians. So clearly Putin is giving the middle finger to you and to the president. I urge you to defeat Putin on the battlefield.
▶ 1:32:59That's the only way to get him to the negotiating table. I yield back. Chair now recognize Representative Kim. Thank you, Chairman. Uh Secretary Rubio, thank you so much for coming to our committee. Before I ask my questions, I would like to uh extend my condolences and prayer to Representative Conny's family and his uh loved ones.
▶ 1:33:20Um the president has said repeatedly that economic policy is foreign policy and he's matching that statement with his actions uh from hundred billion dollars in the uh investment in the United States from TSMC and reshoring of more than $55 billion in private sector investment commitments to the recent historic trade deal with the UK and successful tariff negotiations with more than 50 countries.
▶ 1:33:46I agree that economic policy is foreign policy and I strongly believe that the State Department should be equipped with a robust economic toolkit to secure greater market access for American businesses and protect them from predatory foreign competition.
▶ 1:34:04But unfortunately um the department's economic state craft policies of which I my subcommittee on East Asia and the uh Pacific have recently had a uh hearing on this issue uh that in recent years it has not been effective in meeting those goals in ensuring US leadership on the international um stage.
▶ 1:34:23So, Secretary Rubio, what do you think has prevented the department from producing results that Americans desire and what additional tools are needed to implement the president's commitment to make economic statecraftraft foreign a focal point of our foreign policy? Well, you've asked one of the questions that's critical to our reorganization. That's why it's so important that even economic affairs be prioritized at the level of the embassy and the regional bureaus because again, the economic opportunities may vary from region to region.
▶ 1:34:52I would say one of the issues that's held us back is on the is on energy. It is by n by far the number one need around the world. Not simply because you can't develop an economy without energy. You can't even keep pace with the transformation of our economy without energy. AI alone will consume in its production both of semiconductors and ultimately of the equipment required for AI. AI alone will require a consumption of energy far beyond what the world is capable of generating today.
▶ 1:35:18The countries that are going to succeed and win in the race on AI and higher technology are the ones who can produce reliable, affordable energy over a sustained period of time and at sufficient loads. And so countries all over the world need more energy. And that's been held back by the fact that we're telling people you can have energy, but it has to be windmills and solar panels. We have to be able to use things like LG, like nuclear energy and others. And we're open to other things. Hydrocarbon, hydro uh hydroelect electric is very viable in some places, in some places not much.
▶ 1:35:49But I think energy has to be at the core at the core of our economic opportunities because countries around the world are asking for it. Thank you, Secretary Rubio. Um I want to talk about uh another issue that is very important to me and to you when you are in the Senate. You are the lead um Senate champion on the North Korea human rights uh reauthorization bill of which I am trying to champion on the House side. Uh the critical legislation calls for appointing a special envoy on North Korea human rights.
▶ 1:36:17So uh we want to make sure that that position is not left vacant. So can you talk about uh if you have plans to appoint someone to fill that position uh for North Korea issues? It's very important to me. Yes. Uh and obviously that's going through the process of presidential personnel for the appointment process to find the right person, make sure the vetting is cleared um and so forth. We've prioritized initially appointments of assistant secretaries and uh other Senate confirmed positions.
▶ 1:36:45I know all of you would want to see more government officials appearing before you. We've got to get them confirmed by the Senate. Um we've just now begun to make some progress. I got a deputy two months ago. We just got another deputy for management just a few days ago and we're hoping this week we'll get some more of those uh Senate confirmed positions. So, we're working through it, but obviously our intention is to have someone as the statute requires and make sure that the uh the advocating for North Korea human rights issues becomes on the top burner of the issue. Thank you so much.
▶ 1:37:13I'm going to yield the balance of my time to rep uh Molin from Guam. Thank you. Uh Mr. Secretary, just got about a minute here. Just elaborate a little bit more. I'm really interested about the um your approach diplomacy approach for uh local US e economics and local government investment especially in the Indoaccom area and giving some money back to the government there. We have a Guam economic development authority which will be really helpful if they they were part of this. Please expand.
▶ 1:37:42We we have a unit that deals with subnational diplomacy which of course this would become a priority for them as well. And again, I hate to be a broken record on this, but it's just another example of why driving policym from these global functional bureaus down to our regional bureaus andor embassies uh and our regional presence will allow us to identify unique opportunities whether it's in the in the Pacific region or in some cases other parts of the world. It highlights it allows these issues to be highlighted and us to move quickly on actioning it. Thank you, Mr. Chair. Yield back.
▶ 1:38:13Thank you. Chair recognizes Representative Jacobs. Thank you, Mr. Chairman, u Mr. Secretary, I want to turn to the war in Sudan. Um, this is, as you know, the world's largest displacement and humanitarian crisis. Half a million people are facing famine. I saw firsthand the suffering uh when I visited Sudin refugees in Chad.
▶ 1:38:35Uh earlier this year, and again yesterday, you reiterated that the rapid support forces, a militia, uh, is committing a genocide in Sudan. Is that correct? you know, we're very concerned about what both sides are doing, frankly, but the RSF in particular. Correct. Um, I I agree with that. Um, you also said as part of that that all of our engagement with the UAE, we need to raise the fact that they are openly supporting an entity that is carrying out a genocide.
▶ 1:39:03And yet, President Trump continues to arm the UAE. In fact, he just blew through ranking member Meek's congressional hold on over $1 billion in arm sales, ignoring this committee's long-standing role as an independent check on major arm sales. And we can have a policy debate here about the merits of continuing to arm the UAE or not, despite this genocide. I had that same conversation with Secretary Blinken. But actually, um, I want to talk about the events that led up to that decision.
▶ 1:39:32So on April 30th, the Trump Organization, which Donald Trump still owns, unveiled plans to build an 80story Trump Tower in Dubai. Then on May 1st, Trump's crypto company, World Liberty Financial, secured a $2 billion deal with an Emirati company with deep ties to the government. And only 11 days later, on May 12th, your department notified our committee that it would ignore ranking member Meek's holds on UAE arm sales.
▶ 1:39:58Secretary Rubio, we have a president who is personally profiting from a deal with a foreign governmentbacked company at the same time he is selling lethal weapons to that same government. Isn't that a clear conflict of interest? I think no matter who was president, they would have to deal with the UAE. We have to there are members. That's not my question. We can have a policy debate about how we should engage with the UAE. I claim about corruption and I'm answering that any president in the United States, I don't care who the president is, would have to deal with UAE. They're a member of the Abraham Accords.
▶ 1:40:27Number one, they've been incredibly cooperative on a bunch of other issues. We don't agree with them on 100%. We have concerns about some of the things they do, but this is called the balancing of foreign policy. It is in our national interest to have a good relationship with the UAE despite the fact that there are things we do we don't like. Secretary Rubio, I I don't disagree with you. I just visited the UAE a couple weeks ago and had these very same conversations there. But I don't think this is a complicated question.
▶ 1:40:50President Trump is personally profiting from a deal with a foreign government while selling weapons to that same government who is enabling a genocide. Policy aside, are you really saying you don't think this is a conflict of interest? No. You're making claims the president's family owns a business and they can conduct business anywhere in the world they want. The president's never once raised business deals in UAE when talking about it. Any president would have to have a relationship with the UAE. The previous administration had one too.
▶ 1:41:16President Trump has retained his ownership of these companies and I have an image right here from World Liberty Financials website. So the idea that President Trump is not the face of the brand of this company on top from benefiting from them and it literally says on the website that Mr. Trump and his family members own a 60% stake in this company. That's silly. So we can talk about the policy merits. That's not what I'm asking you. I'm asking you a very simple question.
▶ 1:41:42Do you believe it's a conflict of interest to have a president personally profiting from a deal with a foreign government while selling weapons to that same government who's enabling a genocide? I don't I don't accept the premise of your question. I think this has nothing to do with personally benefiting from anything. This has to do with the fact that in order to conduct foreign policy in the Middle East, you're going to have to deal with the UAE. Mr. Mr.
▶ 1:42:01Secretary, this is a clear conflict of interest and anyone with any common sense can see that the president is personally benefiting from billions of dollars of deals and he doesn't care at all about the people of Sudan who are experiencing famine and genocide. It's shocking to me that you can't admit that. Be it's clear that you seem more concerned about staying in Trump's good graces than sticking up for human rights and American values that you once were a champion for. I'm going to yield the remainder of my time to Representative Olaf.
▶ 1:42:31You make these claims about staying in good graces. You accuse people. Reclaiming my time, Mr. Chairman. Thank you, Mr. Secretary. I appreciate a softball for you. Yes or no since I don't have a lot of time, and I appreciate it. The chairman gives me a few seconds back. Um, softball for you. Would you, yes or no, as secretary, find it outrageous for you to solicit or accept a $200,000 Rolls-Royce from a foreign government for personal or state department use? That offer has never been made to me. Yes. So, you would reject that offer? The offer of a Rolls-Royce? Yes. I don't understand the purpose of that question. That's a silly question.
▶ 1:42:59The fact that you can't answer the question, I just answered. I said it's silly. Silly because you would accept it or not. Of course not. Who would accept it? But then I think you should maybe perhaps perhaps Mr. Secretary, we claim my time. Um I think you are an honorable man by most accounts, but the man that you work for doesn't. And the fact that he is soliciting and accepting a $400 million plane is problematic and you should know about it. It came up in a Senate hearing. You should read about it. Add it to your reading because it is problematic for foreign policy. It adds to the corruption that my colleague just said.
▶ 1:43:28and I hope you got Thank you. Chair now recognizes Representative Uh thank you, Mr. Chairman and Secretary Rub Rubio. Good to see you again. Um I'm going to try to quickly move through a couple of issues. I I I my district consists of Southwest Michigan uh including Battle Creek where we have a large uh Burmese dysphoria and uh they uh they have a lot of friends and family who are still back in Burma.
▶ 1:43:58Myanmar that are uh dealing with brutal military huta and that they are literally waging a war war of terror and genocide on those folks. I have introduced a bipartisan bill uh HR 3190, the Brave Burma Act to target uh the military HUTA's revenues um specifically implementing full blocking sanctions and on uh Minma oil and gas enterprises, Minma Economic Bank, the MEB, and entities operating within the jet fuel sector, which is where they
▶ 1:44:28get most of their uh their revenue. And this is the same question I asked Secretary Bessent. Are you willing to work with us in my office uh to to implement this uh this particular Well, absolutely. I mean, if you pass legislation, it's our job to implement it. Right. I I appreciate that. Um want to move on. Uh I had a uh in my subcommittee, I'm South Central Asia subcommittee, but I'm also uh dealing with the R family of uh of State Department as we're doing this reauthorization.
▶ 1:44:57And a couple of weeks ago, we had a hearing uh where we had the truth Zarina, Miss Jenkoitz, uh participated in um and uh we know that the CCP has been pouring billions of dollars into propaganda and censorship around the world. And I I'm actually introducing a bill uh restoring American Freedom Act that would codify the Trump EO on censorship. Uh, but I'm I want to know what is your strategy to push back on China, defend literally speech and and and and the truth.
▶ 1:45:27Well, I think the first thing is that the we we need to be strong defenders of free speech everywhere in the world where and anywhere in the world where it's being threatened, including sadly parts of Europe where we're seeing truth and we're seeing free speech now being endangered. The second point I would make about it is and we've done this in our own department. You know, we've we had an entity in our own department, the Global Engagement Center, that was involved, frankly, in identifying Americans.
▶ 1:45:50Then they would pass this information on to these NOS's that were not part of government, and they would use them to then target Americans to try to silence them or brand them or harass them. The State Department should not be engaged in that and we closed that center. That was going to be my follow-up because you're going to make sure that that's not happening. That's the idea of codifying the Trump EO, which is why uh I'm moving forward on that. Um, real quickly, Mr.
▶ 1:46:11Bett back over here uh was talking about Afghanistan and his bill which is a re a report bill uh I think goes handin glove with with a bill that I've introduced which would require a uh a a restriction of all US tax dollars that are being paid in Afghanistan for things such as fees and fines and and uh taxes.
▶ 1:46:35I mean, US taxpayers paying taxes uh to the Taliban uh in in Afghanistan and u so I'd love if you want to make a quick comment on that about a necessity to end that. I I think this is something that we we need well we have at the president's direction we've ended virtually if not all of the aid programs that would fall in the hands or benefit the Taliban. Beyond that, there may be some other ways in which they're collecting funds that may require statutory authority to do and so we would welcome that. Great.
▶ 1:47:01and and we'll follow up with your team on on specifically that piece of legislation. At this time, I want to uh to uh to recognize Mr. Zinci for the remainder of my time. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Uh Mr. Secretary, great always to see you. Uh I have deep concerns about our ability to provide effective and timely military capability to our allies through the FMS program. I find myself the chair of a working group and it is probably worse than both of both of us have thought. Uh it's in need of reform.
▶ 1:47:31I'm glad to say it's a bipartisan effort both sides are working on. And Mr. Secretary, I just need your commitment that you will prioritize this because with the president's recent trip to the Middle East would would suggest there's a lot of FMS that's coming our way and we're not in a position uh to make sure that we fulfill the president's uh objectives and that. So I just need your commitment, sir, that you'll help us uh and spend some time with us to to wander through this and and get get it fixed.
▶ 1:47:59Yes, it's among one of our leading priorities of reorganization and reform is to reform that process to moves quicker and moves faster. We get so many complaints. Every bilateral engagement we have is someone complaining about some sale or even a financing deal that was been in place for 5 years and has not yet been delivered or has not yet been approved through the process. So, we've got to reform that system.
▶ 1:48:21And frankly, the other impediment we have with foreign military sales is our industrial capacity to build munitions quickly enough to deliver for our own needs, but also for the commitments we've made to our partners. So that needs to be improved and that can be improved if we have a faster system that's delivering on these contracts. I would agree and I would say our our military supply system in in this country would not exist if it wasn't for foreign military sales. So with that, thank you for serving again and I appreciate you being here. Thank you. Gentlemen yields. Chair recognizes Miss Sheris McCormick. Thank you, Mr. Mr.
▶ 1:48:50Chairman, and thank you, Secretary Rubio, for being here. My question is about Jordan. Um, Jordan's a US a close US partner and continues to struggle with economic challenges and lingering extremist threats. Furthermore, the global assistant freeze continues to have a negative impact on Jordan despite the administration's granting several waiverss for military assistance as millions of dollars for economic assistant remain suspended. This is not only impacts Jordan, but also the security of Israel. A week in Jordan means a week in Israel.
▶ 1:49:19Jordan has also been a leader in getting humanitarian aid to Gaza. What is the status of US economic assistance to Jordan, including the already congressionally appropriated funds? Um, when it comes to Jordan, the only the remaining issues in the economic uh space for them because they were initially exempted from even the freeze and there was however a hold up on a number of programs involving water particularly del um and there we have approved those. There were two that were somehow not moving through the system.
▶ 1:49:48Those have now been approved and I think very shortly, if not this week, early part of next week, we should see that program flowing. We've been in close touch with the Jordanians on it. It's been a source of frustration for them and frankly for me, but ultimately um we're going to get all those programs online if they're not online already. Thank you. I want to shift over to the Western Hemisphere. As senator, we worked together several times and I thank you for visiting the island of Hispanola, specifically Haiti and Dominican Republic within the first moments of being um in your position.
▶ 1:50:16The recent designation of Haitian gangs as foreign terrorist organization, it sends a clear signal that with their actions are unacceptable and we won't be approving of them. But I have some concerns and we sent a letter over with ranking member Meeks about making sure that it's actually punishing the gangs and not punishing the people. Specifically, we want to make sure that the humanitarian aid that's needed for Haiti actually gets into Haiti. Have you had any kind of um steps you're taking to mitigate that? Yes.
▶ 1:50:44So, We think that designating them was important because as both you and I know there are individuals including living in our home state who are in cahoots with some of these gangs and we can talk broader about the Haiti problem because it's something I feel very passionately about. But on the point you're trying to touch on and let's be frank here. We are concerned that humanitarian groups in order to distribute humanitarian aid are often charged for lack of a better term tolls. You got to pay them money to let them go.
▶ 1:51:12Will that make them subject to sanctions because they paid somebody money to let them go through? That is not the intent of these sanctions and we don't intend to punish them. The fundamental challenge we have in Haiti is that none of our existing international mechanisms are built for this problem set. Our international mechanisms are largely built to keep waring factions, ideological factions, tribal factions, uh you know, political movements from each other.
▶ 1:51:37This is a country that's being threatened by 35 to 40,000 members of a coalition of criminal enterprises. It's basically controlled by organized crime. It's a very different mission set. So, we're undertaking right now a substantial review across the inter agency of what options exist to tackle a country that's being taken over by a mafia for lack of a better term. They don't care about governing the country. They just want to control territory. So, there's no government. There's no one to like allowing the mafia to take over the five burrows of New York. That's what they're thinking.
▶ 1:52:07So, I also want to make one more point. Why do we have an OAS if the OAS can't put together a mission to handle the most critical region in our hemisphere? And we're going to challenge the OAS to let's build a mission with regional partners to confront this. We're grateful to the Kenyans, but this is a regional problem and it should have a regional solution. Well, that takes me to my next question. Also, when it comes to Haiti, there's an underlying June deadline when it comes to the MSS. Could you please tell us any way you're trying to handle that? Yeah, we're going to continue to be supportive of that mission. for two reasons.
▶ 1:52:36Number one, because it's the only mission. And number two, because and because of the Kenyans and they've been very brave in their willingness to do it. And number three, because who's going to join a future mission if the previous mission was abandoned? But we don't believe the MSS mission is going to solve this problem. It could be part of the answer, but it won't alone be the answer. I have a lot of questions, so I'm going to run through it. The next one I want to ask you is also the biggest issue we saw with the mission is their inability to actually fight the actual gangs. Is there going to be any amendment or changes to give them the ability to fight or is there another option you're pursuing?
▶ 1:53:06Well, I think there's two limitations. One is the mandate that's been provided to them to be defensive and posture unless you go out after these gang. I mean, just to be frank, these 30 40,000 gang members have to be eliminated, put in jail, uh eliminated. You got to get rid of them. As long as they're around, you won't be able to have stability in the country. The other is capacity. They've had complaints about some of the equipment they've been provided. So, it's a combination of not having a force posture, not having the legal authority, and not having the appropriate equipment they claim to be able to conduct some of these missions.
▶ 1:53:35And my last, since I have one minute, um, I wanted to turn towards Africa. I'm happy you talked about energy security specifically. When it comes to energy security, we have to make forward movement when it comes to Africa because they have so many minerals. But I'm afraid um, some of these uh, our diplomatic um, footprint has been reduced. And I'm happy to hear that the US uh the State Department is going to have a six-point plan to bo bolster trade, but I still have concerns. So, I want to ask you a few questions to see if you' be able or willing to support this.
▶ 1:54:04Um increasing funding to support commercial diplomacy. Would you support that? We want to increase commercial diplomacy. I don't know if we need more funding to do it, but we can certainly we we certainly want to make it a higher priority. And also increasing funding for financial institutions to support projects and derisk those economies. There are many different companies who would like to invest and help us build that footprint by having more economic relationships with Africa so we can have more of a partnership in trade. Would you support increasing funds to those financial?
▶ 1:54:31Well, I actually think those would lend themselves to both the development finance corporation and potentially Millennium Challenge grant opportunities outside of the traditional aid. I think Africa is looking for development. They're not looking for charity. And by the way, we have not reduced any diplomatic footprint other than in the DRC. We had to remove some people because of riots outside of our embassy. Well, um, so my understanding is that you guys, gentle lady's time is expired. Thank you so much for your time. Chair now recognizes Representative Baird. Thank you, Mr. Chairman, and Mr. Secretary.
▶ 1:55:00It's good to see and appreciate all that you're doing. Thank you, sir. But but my question is going to focus on China. You know, they've spent over two decades expanding their economic and political influence across Africa and so becoming the continent's top trading partner and a dominant force in sectors that I think are critical to the United States interest particularly in agriculture and critical minerals. So I guess I'm just ask you Lin you you covered part of that in your last answer.
▶ 1:55:30uh but but I really want to know what part agriculture can play in advancing the US political influence uh economic partnerships and national security in the face of China's growing presence. Well, I think number I would the one point that I would make is are there opportunities for us to improve the agricultural capacity of many of our partner nations including in Africa? There are certainly things you can export and in some markets that would make sense.
▶ 1:55:55But we are looking for opportunities to leverage both technologies and advances to allow more productivity in the agricultural sector. And that's what these countries want particularly in Africa. Well, they will tell you repeatedly over and over again is they're not interested in aid. They're interested in development. They want our assistance to develop and to develop capabilities. And we do think that there are advances in agriculture.
▶ 1:56:15And it's one of the things we've worked uh and increasingly working with the Department of Agriculture on is how can we get some of our best practices, some of our scientific innovations that have been that have been advanced by our agricultural sector in the United States and provide them as as a as perhaps in partnership with some of these nation states so that they can improve their own native uh homegrown agricultural capabilities. We think that would be a a huge advantage uh to many of these to many of these countries and many of them expressed interest in being a part of that sort of consortium.
▶ 1:56:47I couldn't agree with you more. I think I think they have the resources that I'm talking about the land and the and some of the other resources are necessary for agriculture but they just don't have the u understanding of the technology that's used in agriculture today. So uh very good. Uh so how how can the restructured department of state uh reassert American leadership in Africa particularly through strategic investment?
▶ 1:57:16You were talking about investment early with the investment fund. So you care. So what we would look to for our missions on the ground at the embassy level and ultimately through the regional bureau is for help up help us to identify because in every particular country the opportunity is going to look different. And so, as an example, we're still engaged in the DRC Rwanda negotiations and our hope to prevent, we've gotten them to the table to sign a memorandum, but we hope they ultimately will cut a peace deal.
▶ 1:57:40But part of that is the ability to have American companies go in and in in an ecologically responsible way allow the country to benefit from its mineral rights um and and from its mineral wealth. And so, we want to be able to do that. So, embassies would identify this opportunity. They would identify this as a priority. we would empower them to pursue it and to connect them with American companies that can help in that sector.
▶ 1:58:03So I think that's what the restructuring is really helpful for is it'll allow at the individual country level for our embassies and its leadership to identify the unique opportunities that exist in one country versus another country. I think in the past this has sort of been handled as a global thing as opposed to trying to specify it down to the regional and local level. We think we're going to get better results that way because every country is unique and every sector opportunity in every country is unique. Uh one one last question.
▶ 1:58:32It kind of continues on in the same vein. uh but you know as as your department goes under reorganization uh what steps can be taken to ensure that these programs the research I'm talking about research uh are not uh only maintained but also guided by appropriate expertise proper oversight and a clear strategy that prioritizes measurable results and returns for US taxpayers and what I'm talking about is the investment in research and agricultural research and I'm thinking about some of the some of the diseases
▶ 1:59:03we have around the world that impact our poultry and livestock, the aven flu, the screw worm, some of that sort of thing. So, we got about 46 seconds. Well, I think the answer to that is these programs ultimately have to be judged by the outcomes and by what they're producing. We have to every single year, you have to ensure that the dollar you're investing is having a return on it. And if a program goes a couple years, it may have a beautiful title, it may sound really noble, but it's not producing a result or an outcome for you. Not just in the agricultural space, but in any space.
▶ 1:59:31We have to walk away from the program no matter what it's titled. We have a lot of programs that have great titles but but have not resulted in any measurable positive outcome for 20 years. Thank you very much. I couldn't agree with you more. Chair now recognizes Representative Moscowitz. Uh thank you, Mr. Chairman. Uh first let me extend my condolences to the Connelly family. Um Jerry's wit will be missed in this Congress.
▶ 1:59:58And so in the spirit of Jerry, let me say, Mr. Secretary, that I am deeply disappointed and find your performance as the National Archivist extremely underwhelming. And and just for the record, we don't get to confirm here in Congress. Uh but if we did, I would have voted against your confirmation as the National Archist. That vote never happened. So I know. Uh I want to talk about Iran for a second. Okay.
▶ 2:00:23I I'm deeply concerned about the language that I'm seeing from the isolationist wing of the party. Uh and I've been I've been kind of shocked that the administration seems to be tougher on Canada, Greenland, uh than they are on Iran. The the Ayatollah insults our president. If the language coming from the Ayatollah was coming from Canada or Greenland or the EU, uh the president wouldn't stand for it. Get uh he allows it from the Ayatollah.
▶ 2:00:53Is it your recommendation? I understand that you can't guarantee what Trump would or would not do, but it is your recommendation to the president that he signed no deal that allows Iran to keep enrichment. Well, here's the answer to that question is president has made clear that Iran will never have a nuclear weapon. He's also been clear and I think you've seen this in statements over the weekend for example that Ambassador Whit did on television and the like that if you have an enrichment capability at any level you are but steps away from nuclear weapons.
▶ 2:01:23So I think that's why the no enrichment piece is so important of course and that was the issues that many people had with the JCPOA is they felt that it kept the enrichment capability along with ballistic missile capability which Iran now has okay uh a delivery system um and so what I'm trying to figure out is what you know there are many players in this and I'm going to ask about those but is it your recommendation should the president ask of it I assume he would is it your recommendation the president that he sign no deal that keeps their ability to enrich yeah he and he going to need that
▶ 2:01:53recommendation cuz he's already said that. Okay. Is it the vice president's position in your conversations with VP Vance that he also does not believe Iran should have any enrichment? Well, I'm not going to describe our conversations, but I can tell you the vice president is completely aligned with the president and his foreign policy. So, that is his position then. The position that they shouldn't have enrichment. Yeah. Is that is that the vice president? If they have enrichment, then they will have a weapon or at least there'll be a near and everybody in the administration has been consistent on that. Okay. What about uh Mr. Whit?
▶ 2:02:22Is it his position that Iran should not be able to have any enrichment capabilities? He said so in public interviews as recently as this weekend that this is not an enrichment deal what level Iran keeps gets to keep enrichment. What they have said is if Iran wants a civil nuclear program like they want to have nuclear energy, there's ways to do that. Other countries have done it without enrichment. That opportunity is available to Iran if they seek it. They haven't been interested in it because they want to keep enrichment. That's the crux of what we're facing here. So any deal the Trump administration is not going to look anything like JCPOA. Is that that your position?
▶ 2:02:52The Trump administration's been very clear that Iran will not get to enrich because if they enrich, they're a threshold nuclear power. Okay, I want to shift for a second. There was just a leak that is now national news that Israel is poised to strike Iran. Um, where did that leak come from in the administration? Do we know what department leaked that? Is that being looked into? Well, I I'm not aware of the leak that you're discussing. I'm obviously um I wouldn't discuss intelligence matters and even verify whether it's even true.
▶ 2:03:20I also don't think it's a mystery though irrespective I'm not talking about the leak. I'm talking about the news story that Israel has made clear that they retain the option of action to limit Iran from ever gaining a nuclear capability. I don't think that's a mystery. But I wouldn't comment if I had read the article. I wouldn't comment on intelligence matters confirm or deny him. As far as leaks are concerned, I don't know.
▶ 2:03:42I read stuff in the news every single day that I look at and say, "I don't know where these people are coming up with." I mean, they're given they're given polygraph tests in FEMA to determine where leaks are coming from. That's been well reported and not disputed by anyone in the administration that they're literally going employee employees, sitting them down, putting them up to a polygraph, putting them up to, you know, an oxygen monitor, trying to test their their uh their heart rate to figure out if they're leaking to the media.
▶ 2:04:07that sort of same application that is happening in FEMA going to be applied to national security team and to the state department to figure out who is leaking um whether as far as far as I'm aware we've not conducted any polygraph tests at the department of state maybe we should but we haven't okay all right u I I so I just want I just want to be clear because there there is a lot of confusion depending on the day the week and a lot of the reporting that's coming out um is that any Iran deal,
▶ 2:04:37is it your recommendation that that should go to Congress to to I actually think the law requires it. If you recall, we passed legislation here a few years ago. Um, and it requires that any that Congress has a right to weigh in on any deal and could actually reverse any deal. Um, I forgot the acronym for the bill, but it was one that was passed a few years ago and I was in the Senate when it passed. It was after JCPOA. Okay. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I yel back. Chair now rec rep recognizes Representative Bar.
▶ 2:05:05Secretary Rubio, thank you for your leadership in refocusing American diplomacy, towards the national interest, not not just towards what might make us feel good and what might be actually counterproductive to the national interest in the name of humanitarian goals.
▶ 2:05:21Um, last year the select committee on the uh Chinese Communist Party found that five venture capital firms funneled more than $ 1.9 billion into artificial intelligence companies that support China's human rights abuses or military modernization. At least another $1.2 billion went into the PRC's semiconductor industry. Recently, there was a $75 million venture capital investment into a Chinese artificial intelligence firm, Manis.
▶ 2:05:49Do you agree that controls on American investments or non US uh investments into the Chinese military uh industrial complex companies are necessary to protect our national security? Yes. And I would further say that because of the military commercial fusion in China, virtually any company that's owned and controlled under Chinese national security laws are basically extensions of the Chinese military.
▶ 2:06:13Uh in February, as you well know, uh President Trump issued a national security memorandum titled quote, "America first investment policy." And that that memorandum directs federal agencies to address outbound investments and targets both entities and sensitive technologies. My bill, the Fight China Act, which I introduced with Senator Cornin, aligns with this memorandum.
▶ 2:06:35And this legislation builds upon uh my legislation in previous Congresses that that authorized OFAC to um to to impose um SDN sanctions on uh CMIC companies.
▶ 2:06:50Do you agree that uh this new bill that Senator Korn and I introduced uh that has an approach that not only um authorizes sanctions on the Treasury CMIC list, but that also restricts investment into these uh clearly identified sensitive technologies that having that supplement to the to legislation uh is important to get at these non-listed uh projects in China. Yeah.
▶ 2:07:18Again, I haven't seen the bill, but I think the concept you're outlining is in full alignment with the president's executive order, and that is to both look at individual companies are being invested in, but also specific technologies at the cutting edge in particular, and especially those that have applications that could be contrary to our national security in the wrong hands. And certainly, the Chinese Communist Party would be the wrong hands.
▶ 2:07:38Yeah, I'm concerned that if we rely exclusively on entity lists that we're going to be missing uh uh venture capital and private equity investments in non-public companies in China that nevertheless threaten our national security. If they can go on a list for clarity, great. And I want a red light green light approach to provide the private sector with clarity and certainty. But I do think uh we're underinclusive if we just rely on uh public publicly traded entities.
▶ 2:08:07uh on on these lists. Let me ask you a question about uh the border work. Uh Secretary Rubio, um how is it? Uh obviously you've had great success. Border crossings are down by 95%. 65,000 dangerous illegal immigrants and two 2,288 gang members from Trend Ara, MS-13, and other gangs have been arrested. How is it that after only four months in office, we've seen President Trump retake operational control of the border and return these criminal migrants to their countries of origins?
▶ 2:08:38When the previous administration told the American people time and time again, we had to have comprehensive bipartisan immigration reform, they their hands were tied because under the previous administration, it was abundantly clear that if you got into this country, your chances of being able to stay were very high, whether you got in illegally or legally. Under the current administration, it's clear that if you get into this country unlawfully, you're going to be removed the way the law requires. It's entirely incentive based. And the truth of the matter is what we faced over the last few years is not illegal immigration.
▶ 2:09:07We've had illegal immigration throughout our history, and every country in the world faces it. What we've had is mass migration. We've had it here. We've had it in Europe, but we've had it here, a mass migration event, which is dangerous, and frankly, no nothing humanitarian about mass migration for the migrants who are often abused along the way. And so the message has gotten out that we're no longer going to allow you to stay if you enter illegally by through some legal maneuver. Once you arrive here, you say magic words, you immediately kick off the asylum process and you're going to get to stay for an indeterminate period of time.
▶ 2:09:35And once it became clear that that was no longer the case, the incentive to come was dramatically reduced and as a result, you've seen the border crossing numbers which have given us the most secure border in our lifetime. Well, it's pretty clear that it wasn't legislation we needed. We needed a new commander-in-chief and uh a new secretary of state and we appreciate and applaud uh the the great work that you all have done. Um my time is expired so I will yield back. Chair recognizes Representative Jackson. Thank you so much. And we acknowledge that we miss our dear colleague uh Connley.
▶ 2:10:05Thank him for his years of service. Mr. Speaker, it was 39 years ago um here in Washington DC. I was arrested while protesting against the apartheid government in South Africa's white minority that had a non- minority white um for the greater part of the latter half of the 20th century held captive if you will in bondage which sanctioned racial segregation and political and economic discrimination against its black citizens.
▶ 2:10:35I believe your policies on South Africa at this point in your career are wrong precisely because either you do not understand the history of the country or you have grown indifferent. And I beg that you um go to your higher nature.
▶ 2:10:52That being said, I want to ask you about President's Trump ending US government's support for diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility that promotes fairness, and hiring and helps make our national security workforce the strongest it can be. In the name of advancing an anti-woke agenda, he has given himself permission to break the law, attacking congressionallymandated efforts that have enjoyed bipartisan consensus for decades.
▶ 2:11:20I believe not only in diversity is our strength as a country but in fact our workforce does not reflect our population then it merits an inquiry into what are the impediments that are leading to that outcome. Would you agree with that latter statement that diversity is our strength? I think unity is our strength. Okay. Where nation is important? Well those words you would think that they were mine. They actually are recorded from you in your Senate hearing in July 2022.
▶ 2:11:51Uh, further, do you believe that following the law is important? Yes or no? We follow the law every day. Okay. Um, well, you wear so many hats, it must be difficult to keep track of all the laws that you have supported. But yes, you did vote in favor of the bill. And I want to read a section of the bill that you did support. is section 5403 of the 2022 NDAA requires that the state department to strengthen recruitment of people belonging to underrepresented groups. I know Mr.
▶ 2:12:20Trump has asked you all not to say that as cabinet officials and I hope you have the guts to tell the president on some matters he is simply wrong. Um mandating outreach to universities, employees affinity groups and expanding paid student internships are among the actions. So I would like to know do you stand by strengthening diversity within the ranks of the state department? I stand by hiring the best people to do the job irrespective of their background the race color.
▶ 2:12:47So you're going against the very law that you had once supported which I find highly contradictory and hyper and hypocritical. I hope that you would have the courage of your convictions. Uh be the Marco Rubio, the senator that we knew and not the secretary of state that is now capitulating to that of a tyrant and that of Mr. of Donald Trump. At this point, I would like the honorable Sarah McBride. I thank you so much for your time. Thank you.
▶ 2:13:16The president was elected as far as as I recall. I've yielded my time, sir. Thank you, Representative Jackson. Thank you, Mr. secretary for joining us. We've talked a bit about the administration's proposed almost 84% cut in the international affairs budget. Not just the USA ID budget, but the international affairs budget, which includes the State Department. But I want to hone in on one line in particular, which is a 71% cut in the account that includes international disaster assistance.
▶ 2:13:45Now, we got a glimpse into what this reality would look like if this budget was implemented back in March when the administration when the US's response to a devastating earthquake in Burma was dwarfed by China's response. I think China's response was about 15 times greater than our response.
▶ 2:14:03Um, now after that, we sent a letter to you that unfortunately we did not get a response to asking several questions about the administration's decisions to essentially turn our back on the people of Burma. Now, as you said, foreign assistance, including international disaster assistance, is not a charity charity. It's a strategic investment. And when we were not there in Burma, it allowed China to fill the void.
▶ 2:14:31So I I guess my question is did you advise the president then or are you advising the president to make decisions that pull the United States back from the world stage and allow China to play the good cop, eat our lunch on the international aid stage and increase China's soft power. China spends even now a fraction of what we spend on foreign aid. It's not even close. It's it's a laughable difference. As far as Burma, the reason why we we did respond to Burma.
▶ 2:14:58problem is that the honta there hates us and they're pro-China and they were still bombing their own people right after the event happened as you as a senator has expired I yield back chairman representative uh Davidson is recognized uh thank you chairman Mr. Secretary, thank you for being President Trump's Secretary of State. People back home love you, think you're doing an awesome job, and uh they would want me to relay that to you, and I certainly feel it as well. So, thank you. Um, Secretary Rubio, Ukraine has been one of the largest recipients of US foreign aid.
▶ 2:15:27We've given Ukraine well over $200 billion in aid since the war uh began, since Russia invaded them. And uh I've voted against all of it. Uh despite Zalinsk's claims that quote when it's said that Ukraine received 200 billion in support um to the army during the war, that's not true. We received about 76 billion. It's significant aid, but it's not 200 billion. You know, Secretary Mr.
▶ 2:15:54Secretary, uh I actually am concerned that Secretary, uh President Zilinski is right. You know, as I chair the committee on national security and elicit finance, I'm highly concerned that there's a lot of illicit finance there. Frankly, Republicans tried hard in the Senate and in the House, uh, to get a special inspector general there, but when you see things like that, there's a lot of concern. We know the previous administration wasn't following the money. Will you commit that you're following the money? And can you give us an update? Yes, obviously all of our aid is going to be analyzed. We have inspector generals.
▶ 2:16:23We have a particular inspector general in that account that will look at all that spending. And if we ever identify, you know, misappropriation or movements around, then uh then we will certainly address it. Um but I think the broader point and is the one you make is that we've provided extraordinary amounts of assistance to Ukraine. But this war now has to come to an end. There is no military solution to this war. It only ends in a negotiated and settlement. And the sooner it ends, the less people are going to die, the less money is going to be spent, and the less destruction there's going to be. And that's the president's number one priority.
▶ 2:16:53End the war once and for all. For three years, no one did anything to end it. and he is doing more than anyone ever has and he's the only one in the world that can. Now obviously it'll take two sides to agree to it but the president has expended a TR and we should be very proud that we have a president that's pursuing peace and not new wars. I introduced the define the mission act when they first went to war because normally that's what you do first. Tell me what you're trying to accomplish and then I can tell you whether I agree with the kind of resources you're asking for. We never could pass that. We never got a clear answer uh from the previous administration.
▶ 2:17:23So, thank you for leading this effort on behalf of the president to define the mission that we will help secure a peace. And one of those big steps was a minerals deal. Uh, I want to be clear that that agreement on minerals with Ukraine doesn't include security guarantees, does it? There are no military guarantees. Correct. Yeah. Thank you for that.
▶ 2:17:41And I just want to turn now as the founding chairman of the Greenland Caucus to another area where we have the opportunity to talk about minerals, not just Arctic security, but Arctic opportunity in a place where maybe it would make sense to include security guarantees. Um, can you give us an update on the the administration's thinking about Greenland and the importance of that relationship? Well, the administration's view is twofold. Number one, we respect the sovereignty and self-determination of the people of Greenland and whatever they decide they want to do and what direction they're going to go.
▶ 2:18:10Um, and number two, that Greenland is critical to global security because of its location, its geopolitical importance. That is not new. That has been known and that has been viewed for a very long time. It's why we've had a military presence there since World War II, since before World War II, but certainly since then and during the Cold War. It is located in a part of the world in the Arctic region that we believe is going to become increasingly important in terms of global security. And we don't want to see Greenland fall under the influence of China or Russia or any other potential adversary.
▶ 2:18:39We want to ensure that it remains safe and it's strategically important and that's his primary view. He views it as uh critically important to global security. Yeah, it's well said, Mr. Secretary. Thank you for that. And our caucus would love to work with you and the State Department and whomever you designate to work with on Greenland issues uh in particular. We've been in touch with people there, people in Denmark, and really look forward to um helping from the legislative perspective support the administration's objectives there.
▶ 2:19:06You highlight China and they are working with Canada and the European Union to really counter what the US and the administration are trying to do and I'm really concerned about that relationship with China. Um I think one of the cornerstones of American strength is the power of the US dollar as the world's reserve currency. As we talk about stable coins uh and the future of money, China is trying to counter that. Could you talk about the future of money and the role of China?
▶ 2:19:30Well, obviously China is is trying to create an alternative world order that they dominate and we obviously are not in favor of that and will not allow that to happen. And one of the best things that we can do is get our own fiscal house in order. Yeah, well said. You know, I think the future of money is one of the most important debates that we're having. China's implemented an Orwellian central bank digital currency. They're trying to impose that in the United States. And unfortunately, they have allies, people in our own government that want to build a central bank digital currency, link it to digital ID.
▶ 2:19:57I will submit that we are not going to counter China by being more like China and I think you know the administration for leading with that saying we're not going to embrace the central bank digital currency here and working to bolster the strength of the dollar as the world's reserve currency. Thank you. My time is expired and I yield back. Recognize Representative Stanton. Thank you very much. Uh Mr.
▶ 2:20:15Chairman, uh before I make some remarks, I just want to say uh as was said earlier, Jerry Connley, who we lost um today, um a great member of this body, a passionate advocate for the people of Virginia, particularly public servants working in the federal workforce. He was a mentor to so many of us who uh came into Congress after he started and just one of the greats and he will be missed dearly. Mr. Secretary, thank you very much for being here today.
▶ 2:20:44In 2016, you warned, quote, "The world without American engagement is a world none of us wants to live with," unquote. I couldn't agree more, and I bring it up today because the threat from China has grown, not just due to global shifts outside of control, but because of political choices by this administration, short-term moves with no thought for long-term consequences.
▶ 2:21:07The Chinese Communist Party has spent years claiming America is too divided to lead and too unstable to trust. When you became secretary, many of us hoped you would help lead the fight to combat this propaganda because that's exactly what you did so well serving in the United States Senate. For example, Mr. Chairman, without objection, I'd like to submit for the record the August 2023 op-ed written by then Senator Rubio on this very subject.
▶ 2:21:37without objection. Secretary Rubio, in this op-ed, you wrote that strong, credible deterrence against Beijing is the best way to keep quote far-flung controversy from impacting our way of life. You added, quote, "If there's even a hint that the United States will not honor its security commitments, it will encourage Beijing to engage in more hostility to test our resolved." I thought your framing was especially smart here because you weren't just warning about policy.
▶ 2:22:07You were making the case for credibility and I couldn't agree more with then Senator Rubio. But here you are today as Secretary Rubio presenting a very different record. As secretary, we've seen you defend or be complicit in reckless foreign policy that Senator Rubio once warned against, like strategically incoherent tariffs that alienate our allies, alliance breaking decisions that weaken our national security, partnership neglect that isolates us, abandon commitments that shred
▶ 2:22:37our credibility, and hand China easy propaganda wins. None of this is deterring China, Mr. Secretary. In fact, my concern is that unless we course correct and fast, this administration is handing Beijing a string of I told you so moments that only strengthen their position. Look no further than the vice president.
▶ 2:22:58In February, Vice President Vance took the stage of the Munich Security Conference, not to criticize our adversaries, but in a rather stunning moment to attack our allies. In fact, he literally said, quote, "The threat that I worry about most about visav Europe is not Russia. It's not China. It is the threat from within." And just last month, the Ipsos Global Poll found that US favorability fell in 26 out of 29 countries in just six short months.
▶ 2:23:29It's also the first time in the poll's history, that more people now view China, not the United States, as the world's most positive influence. That's not just a perception problem. That's a strategic failure and the cost of inconsistency. Speaking of cost, these policies have also having Americans on edge as well. In Arizona, my home state, the Phoenix Sky Harbor loan, we have more than $750 million in annual exports at risk.
▶ 2:23:55Chipmakers in Chandler in my district face increasing costs driven by the unpredictability and supply chain disruptions. At Arizona State University, in my district, we rely on international students for tuition, research, and talent. They are being run off by the chaotic immigration policy that flies in the face of American values. The so-called brain drain is real and it's tipping the balance of global innovation away from the United States. The challenge in this next century won't be fought on battlefields.
▶ 2:24:22It'll be the fight to shape the future, technology, trade, global trust, and if we keep turning our back on what makes America strong, we risk giving China the upper hand. I'll read I yield the rest of my time to Congresswoman Cam Legerve. Thank you, Representative uh Stanton. I um Secretary, in the few seconds I have, I just wanted to go back to something you said earlier about wanting people to stop dying.
▶ 2:24:48And I hope that that includes our Afghan allies, uh 14,000 of whom were fully vetted and were ready for relocation to the United States. But that has been stopped by this administration and by you. And these are including interpreters who are actually in the foxholes with our service men and women helping to keep them alive.
▶ 2:25:08I would hope that you would stand by our allies and reverse this ban so that we can protect our national security interests and also retain credibility that we need with our allies and partners around the world. Thank you and I yield back. Yields back. And I think you left off your list the hundred billion dollar Taiwan semiconductor investment into Arizona. Now I recognize Representative Lawler. Thank you, Mr. Chairman, Mr. Secretary. Thank you for being here.
▶ 2:25:33I want to thank you for your leadership in getting Idan Alexander released uh last week. Uh that is a big step forward. Uh we still have four remaining American hostages uh being held, all of whom are deceased. Uh you know, I just uh continue to encourage you and the administration to continue to lead on that front to get them home. Um, last Congress, we passed legislation to create a special envoy for the Abraham Accords within the Department of State.
▶ 2:26:02The Biden admin administration refused uh to fill that position. I know we have the Middle East envoy. Um, but I would ask, can you commit to bringing uh this forward to the president so that we can get this position filled? Yes, that's in process. Thank you very much. Um, obviously the Abraham Accords was one of the most consequential foreign policy initiatives under the first Trump administration.
▶ 2:26:27Uh, and prior to October 7th, um, you know, I think we were we were making progress. Um, but since obviously it has somewhat stalled, how critical long-term for peace do you believe it is for Saudi Arabia to normalize relations with Israel and where do you see that in the process? Well, I think it would be a major development, one that I thought was uh moving in a positive direction until, as you said, October 7th. I think there's still a willingness to do it.
▶ 2:26:55Certain conditions are impeded, October 7th being one of them, but the Saudis have continued to express an interest, as have the Israelis, in reaching that agreement. In the meantime, we do have an Abraham Accords office that is actively working to identify a number of countries who have lined up and already and I think we may have good news certainly before the end of this year of a number of more countries that are willing to join that alliance.
▶ 2:27:16And and the last point I would make is it's also critically important that we do all we can to live up to the commitments made on the part of the United States on behalf of the countries that previously joined the alliance. be at the UAE, which is part of the effort for this trip this weekend. It wasn't some of these other nefarious purposes, is to continue to strengthen the commitments that were made to the UAE as part of the Abraham Accords, but also Morocco and other countries such as this. So, I think that this is uh important that we continue to build on it.
▶ 2:27:43But you start building by ensuring the countries that are already a part of it feel like our part of the bargain has been lived up to. Agree. Um, you were a very strong voice against the BDS movement when you were in the Senate. And as you know, there is a loophole in the current anti-boycott law that was signed by President Trump, uh, that allows intergovernmental organizations like the United Nations to pressure US companies into supporting boycots against US allies like Israel.
▶ 2:28:10Uh I have introduced the IGO anti-boycott Act to close that loophole and hold the United Nations to the same standard as foreign governments. Uh that is already in law. Would you support closing that loophole? Well, again, like any legislation, I'd want to see it, but the concept you've just outlined is one that I think the administration would be very supportive of. Appreciate it. I know uh my colleague Mr. Moscowitz touched on uh the Iran uh nuclear framework that is being negotiated.
▶ 2:28:39Uh, I think we can all agree uh that Iran should not have a nuclear weapon and I know you and the administration are working to prevent that. So, appreciate your efforts on that. Yeah, if I could respond Iran uh while they claim to never want a nuclear weapon, if you ask them, they'd say, "We're not interested in a nuclear weapon. We're just interested in enrichment." The problem is that if you can enrich at any level, 3.67 or whatever, you're 80% of the way there. All that requires now is a few months or weeks of time to get to the weapons grade. It makes them a threshold nuclear power.
▶ 2:29:10The Iranian position is they want civil nuclear energy. And if they want civil nuclear energy, meaning they want nuclear electricity for their country, nuclear generated electricity, there is a pathway to doing that. Multiple countries around the world do it without an enrichment capability. If on the other hand, they want an enrichment capability, then that is that makes them a threshold nuclear weapons uh uh power and that's an unacceptable outcome. And that's the reason why we have a problem with what they're doing now. And it's the reason why the president is imposing maximum pressure every single day.
▶ 2:29:40Increasing number of sanctions are going on. And it's the reason, by the way, why the E3, the European three, are on the verge of instituting snapback sanction provisions against them by October of this year. I I want to thank you. When it comes to maximum pressure, last Congress, you and I led the ship act. Uh we passed that into law.
▶ 2:29:59Uh and this administration has already taken significant steps to enforce this ship act as well as the Iran China Energy Sanctions Act to go after the financial institutions facilitating the trade. We previously uh in a markup passed the enhance Iran sanctions act to expand the authorities. Uh would you support that effort to continue to provide the administration with enhanced capabilities to crack down on this illicit oil trade? Absolutely. Very good.
▶ 2:30:28Thank you, Mr. Secretary. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Representative Costa. Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman, for this important hearing today. I, too, like many of our colleagues here today, mourn the loss of our dear friend, uh, Jerry Connelly, and our thoughts and prayers go to him and his family. Um, Mr. Secretary, uh, there are a couple different issues I want to touch upon here that have been raised, but I would like clarity on.
▶ 2:30:52Um, first of all, I I I would you agree that the uh transatlantic uh alliance, the partnership post World War II has been a hallmark of uh freedom throughout the Yes. And it continues to be a strong feature of our foreign policy. Yes. You said that you had not discussed postures as it relates to those in Europe as part of um your u overhaul of the state department.
▶ 2:31:18Uh, four are in France, three in in Germany, one in Italy, one in Portugal, one in Brazil, not Europe. But, uh, and then I thought you said that no determination has yet been made with those postclosures there. No, there was an article some of these are cultural places like I forget the exact ones, but they're not even embassies or consulates, but they're not being closed, but I don't know where these things are coming from. I mean, people are putting stuff out there. Now, if you could respond with a letter on that point, I would appreciate that. Sure. Well, I can tell you this.
▶ 2:31:48The console general I know in Portugal is our oldest and the consil general's uh post in Portugal is our oldest historically. I don't know where that's coming. I mean that's press report. We'll clear that up later on. Mr. Secretary. Um I you know America has been the beacon of light for democracy post World War II certainly and uh almost every president has been used as a voice of a defender of democratic principles.
▶ 2:32:18Uh do you agree um China and and Russia are adversaries today along with Iran I might add? I think both well there's no doubt in the case of China seeks to replace us on the world stage as the world the world's most powerful country in the case of Russia they clearly are do not support a world order in which the United States is plays the role it's currently played or are there an adversary in that front in the case of Iran they're a threat to regional peace I wouldn't say they're a global threat but they're an increasing threat I understand and I would even go
▶ 2:32:48further I I I consider today modern day Russia a syndicate masquerading as a country with a mob boss called Putin And so in these negotiations uh I want to do a comparative analogy. The president has indicated that uh with Iran as we've noted that maximum pressure are the tactics that will be used to engage Iran to um ensure that they do not obtain nuclear capability. Uh is that correct?
▶ 2:33:18Maximum pressure on Iran. Right. As compelling them to not seek a nuclear weapon. Right. Correct. Or the alternative is worse. Yes. Uh in the negotiations that the president is trying to seek a ceasefire and a peace between Ukraine and Russia, uh I would like to ask you uh why the president has not considered using maximum pressure on Russia to ensure which we have the ability to do so.
▶ 2:33:44sanctions are being considered as you know over in the Senate, additional sanctions uh to pressure Russia into a ceasefire mode and to a cease and to a peace agreement realizing that they've broken the last three agreements they've had with Ukraine in the last 20 years. Well, I think the president has made clear that he understands clearly he has options with increased sanctions on Russia if necessary. He would prefer that they agree to a peace deal and so it's a process of trying to encourage him to reach peace.
▶ 2:34:11If ultimately that doesn't work, the president has publicly stated, he's very well aware of the sanctions options, devastating sanctions options that he has. And I just want to make sure that we're clear about this because we have leverage on Russia and it's not clear to me that we're using it in the same sense that we're using it with Iran.
▶ 2:34:28Uh and I think frankly uh we and our allies must be together in defending democracy and certainly uh Ukraine is a democratic and intending to become more democratic wants to join with the west with the European Union as well as ultimately with NATO and I think Poland, Romania and the Baltic states are watching very carefully to America's commitment to Ukraine. Let me go on quickly here.
▶ 2:34:54Um the uh effort was raised and you commented on Armenian Narza or Bjan another country that has a Bjan that has not kept its commitments uh in the Minsk accord. Uh we've tried to get Republican and Democratic administrations to uh forgo the waiver on section 907 on military aid to Azer Bjan. Finally last year the Biden administration rightfully refused to issue the waiver. I think it should be permanent. Uh what is your position?
▶ 2:35:23Uh, and will you commit to not resisting section 907 waiver again this year that would block military aid to Asaban? Well, we haven't made a determination on that yet because what we're focused on right now is getting them to agree to to a peace agreement that does not cause them to invade a neighboring country in Armenia. We would like to prevent that from happening.
▶ 2:35:40The president's very committed at preventing wars and we've tried to outline to both sides, especially the Azarbahani side, the tremendous benefits that would come from signing a peace deal uh and not engaging in a war that we would find to be destructive, counterproductive, and the last thing we need right now in the region. And Armenia is looking for our help and our support. Representative Kaine is recognized. I yield back the balance of my time. Uh thank you, Mr. Chairman, and Mr. Secretary. It's a good to see you here today and thank you for joining us.
▶ 2:36:09As we evaluate the State Department's budget and posture, we must ensure that its structure, priorities, and resources are aligned to effectively advance US national interests. That includes ensuring global health assistance is targeted, transparent, and focused on delivering life-saving care where it is needed most. PEPAR has been in incredibly successful global health program over the past 20 years and it's something that America should be proud of.
▶ 2:36:38However, the world has changed in those 20 years and the US should begin helping other countries take ownership of their HIV prevention and treatment efforts. To ensure success, we should make sure there are planned, predictable, and negotiated time frames.
▶ 2:36:55So in this committee's efforts to reauthorize the state department, how can we define in statute the mission of the Bureau of Global Health Security and Diplomacies uh to facilitate transfer of ownership for global health programs to partner countries? That's a great question that we'd have to collaborate on in terms of statutoily defining what those benchmarks are. But I think the broader point is the best foreign aid is foreign aid that comes to an end because it's achieved its purpose.
▶ 2:37:21In the case of PEPAR where today 85% of its recipients are still receiving assistance, you want to reach a point in which one of two things happens. The transmission of the disease stops, but also the partner nation has built the capacity to be able to handle it handle it themselves. Not PEPAR specific, but many of these programs what ends up happening is even if they do achieve their initial uh goals, it now metastas morphs into some new uh target that's created in order to continue to sustain the program.
▶ 2:37:50So ideally what you want to see is foreign aid that goes into a country deals with the acute problem but ultimately helps the country have the capacity to deal with the chronic problem to prevent it from having becoming a problem. And I think that's the ideal benchmark. You define it through a period of time through gains year-over-year and ultimately designed to increase partner capacity so the day will come where they can self-sustain. I think many of these countries would like to see that happen. What cannot continue is this open-ended spending all across the world on all kinds of things. We just can't do that.
▶ 2:38:19We are by far, it's not even close. We're by far the most generous nation on earth on foreign aid by far and will continue to be by far with no other equal including China despite all this alarmist stuff. But uh but at the same time it's got to be forward our nationals interest and it cannot be throwing away taxpayer money.
▶ 2:38:37So, so recently companies have begun developing novel HIV prevention therapies that last longer and can and can increase adherence improving HIV prevention outcomes and reduce costs as this committee seeks to reauthorize the state department. How can we ensure that the Bureau of Global Health Security and Diplomacy is incur is encouraged to quickly deploy these American innovations to PEP far partner countries? Well, I think at the statutory front, we can in the reorganization.
▶ 2:39:06In fact, if you're able to do a reauthorization, we can build that into the law and into the requirements. From a management perspective, it's what we should expect of our people. In essence, every single year when we engage in something, you have to be able to outline how is this in the national interest? How do you measure success? And it has to be analyzed on a regular basis to ensure that it's delivering. You don't want to be 10 years into a program before you realize you spent all this money on a title that sounds good, but you didn't get the outcome. And now you got to keep funding it or someone will come up here and create a protest or uh you know lead an effort.
▶ 2:39:35We have this entire thing called I call it the foreign aid industrial complex of NGO on top NGO on top NG on top of NGO who have built this massive monster complex of foreign aid. In some cases one project has like 15 subcontractors underneath it before it finally reaches a local partner. That's outrageous. We cannot allow that to build and continue to to to to build in that way. Okay.
▶ 2:39:58And then New Jersey boasts uh an unrivaled biotech industry that provides many products to the PEPFAR program, including HIV diagnostics. As you integrate PEPAR's functions into the Bureau of Global Health Security and diplomacy, how are you looking to ensure that diagnostics will continue to be a key component of the PEPAR program? That's great insight. That's the kind of input we want to see and that's the kind of input we want to work with you on and and members of this committee on.
▶ 2:40:26These are the kinds of things that we can build ultimately in in a in a in a in an authorization bill, but more importantly in our internal practices again to ensure that when we're providing aid, it's the right aid and the kind of aid that helps us beat the meet the benchmarks that we've set. And and how does PEPFAR fit into your broader vision of foreign assistance that advances US national security and global health security objectives? It's a program we're proud of. It's one of the first programs we restored after the 90-day pause even before that. it uh it's one of the first programs that I've highlighted here today.
▶ 2:40:5685% of the recipients are on it, but it does need improvement. The program does need improvement. Thank you. Y back representative Elmo. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Secretary Rubio, do you know what this is? I'm sorry, my lasex is not as good as That's all right. I'll explain. This is a ready to use therapeutic food, also known as a rough.
▶ 2:41:20It's produced in the United States by Adia Nutrition in Rhode Island and Manu Nutrition in Georgia from American grown farm products. A single box that I have right here of this miracle product can save a child from dying of severe acute malnutrition in only 6 to 10 weeks. Now, since January, you have promised over and over again that foreign aid freezes will not include life-saving assistance. Russ save the lives of children uh who are starving around the world.
▶ 2:41:50Do you agree that this product is life-saving aid? It can be. Yes. Well, Secretary Rubio, the World Food Program estimates that 8,000 children die from hunger every day. Until last Friday, over 123,000 rough boxes were purchased for Sudan, but were sitting in Rhode Island in a warehouse because of State Department delays. So my question for you is are you doing everything you can to keep starving children from? There was no state department delays to that being deployed.
▶ 2:42:20There may have been other delays but it wasn't state department. There were state department delays and it is clear that you have not done everything you can do to keep these kids from starving because there areund8 there are another 185,000 boxes of roughs that the US government and taxpayers have already paid for sitting in that same warehouse. All because the State Department doesn't have a plan, doesn't have it stuff together to get this rolling.
▶ 2:42:44So, I can think of several countries where this aid is desperately needed, where these boxes of roughs could save hundreds of thousands of children's lives. And these delays have real consequences, not just for starving children, but also jobs at home. I talked to the CEO of Adia who said they had to lay off 10% of their team due to the lack of payments from the US government and a lack of clarity in March.
▶ 2:43:08So, Secretary Rubio, will you commit to making decisions needed to move the remaining 185,000 boxes of roughs to countries that need them by the end of this week? Well, I'd be interested to learn what those impediments are. Well, we've been talking about this for a while. I've sent you letters since there's no impediment on our end of this. There are impediments. I'm speaking directly to a war zone. Secretary, I'm reclaiming my This exists as a problem and you have not acted. That's false. And maybe it's the case that you have too many jobs because I know it's the case.
▶ 2:43:38It must be a lot to be the national security adviser, the national archavist, the the head of USAID. That's a lot. I understand a lot of footballs. You a football player. That's a lot of balls to catch. But the issue here is we have children who are dying. So will you commit to continuing to fund the production, transportation, and distribution of these domestically produced life-saving products to save starving children around the world? They're approved now. They are not moving.
▶ 2:44:06I just told you about 185,000 boxes in Rhode Island. I live with You need to figure out why they're not moving because it isn't an impediment from us. Sir, you need to figure out that's actually your job, sir. No, it's no impediment from the State Department. Well, Mr. Secretary, have nothing to do with us commitment. It's Sir, it seems like you refuse to make We do more of that than anybody in the world, and we're going to continue to do it. We're going to continue to do food aid. We're going to do more food aid than any country on the planet. Times 10. Well, that's a lot of talk, but I believe seeing is believing and there is not to be seen. Those are numbers.
▶ 2:44:36Those are facts. We do more foreign. Well, I've got numbers. I've got 185,000 boxes that aren't moving. So, the secretary I'm going to do you a little favor. We authorize them. Mr. Secretary, I'm reclaiming my time, sir. I'm going to do you a favor to move. Well, you ask questions, you don't want anybody answer. I'm telling you, they're And I have a question for you. So, and you're compelled to answer. Why don't you take 10 seconds now to turn to your staff and say, "Let's get this fixed." My staff knows that this has been fixed on the state department.
▶ 2:45:01Well, then you have not proven that to me if the people who are affected both here domestically and around the world are not receiving this life-saving product. Look, you staked your your career in the Senate on supporting humanitarian aid, but now you won't make a commitment or you're saying things have been done that have been done. The pro you've made a commitment. We do more food aid than anybody in the world than anybody in the world. Secretary, I'm reclaiming my time. You are speaking in generalities. I'm talking about specific.
▶ 2:45:31Speaking in specifics, we do more than anybody in the world. And we're doing more than anybody in the world right now. That's hyperbole, sir. Because this has been disrupted because of your freezing of aid. Who does more food aid than the United States? Sir, you Why are you asking me questions? My job is to ask you questions. You're the one that's claiming that we're Secretary. I'm reclaiming my time. Secretary, I'm reclaiming my client. This is why I'm introducing the Rubio Act. So you focus on the one job that the Senate gave you to serve as our Secretary of State because you are clearly distracted. Okay.
▶ 2:46:02After the last few months, I understand why President Trump has such colorful nicknames for you. You're obedient. You're you're following the rules. You will do anything the president tells you to do without regard for the law, the Constitution, America's security, or standing as a leader in the world. Unlike you, I do not fear crossing Donald Trump. I refuse to give up on these children. I will be calling you once a week until you take action to fund draft and actually prove that you're doing this job to make sure you know how many children have died on your watch.
▶ 2:46:32Will you pick up my call? No children are dying on Will you pick up my call, sir? Pick up your call. When I call you to check in on your progress anybody in the world. No, but he's made some strong accusations here. We're doing more than anybody in the world. that food is being distributed now and he knows that. Very good. Representative Mills is recognized. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Uh, first I can tell you I won't be reclaiming any time. Secretary, I will make sure that you have the opportunity to answer questions. Uh, I think that you've done an amazing job.
▶ 2:47:02I think that well before you actually became secretary, when you were sitting in the Senate, you proved yourself as a leader in foreign affairs. I can remember you and I when we were campaigning in 22 together, we were at an event with uh Ronda Santis in my district and we sat and talked about foreign policy and you're one of the most knowledgeable people I've ever met with. So, thank you for stepping up to the challenge.
▶ 2:47:22I also want to go ahead and rebut a couple of things because I believe as you do that history, an understanding of history and the understanding of our seven articles, 27 amendments in our constitution is what makes you a good legislator and a good member of the federal government. They keep talking about this $400 million plane gift to Qar and you tried to answer this multiple times, but I want to paint some history here.
▶ 2:47:45In 1945, US President FDR gifted a Douglas DC3 to King Abdulaziz, which marked the beginning of a civil aviation in Saudi Arabia. This airplane is nothing more than a reason to complain about the president that knows how to advance US interests. And it's actually more about trying to conflate optics with actual outcomes. This is a long-standing history and so I just want to go ahead and let people know what that actually is.
▶ 2:48:11Now, as you know, I was one of the first members of of Congress to go to Syria after the fall of the Assad regime. Met with uh the incoming and transitional government with Alshara, with Alshabani and with his transitional government. I absolutely support the idea of lifting the sanctions on a conditions metrics base which is allowing them to not only rebuild Syria because for those of us who understand history, the road to Damascus travels through Baghdad.
▶ 2:48:38We know there's twin and sister cities and we know that the stability of Syria ultimately impacts the outcome and the stability of the region. I think that what Alshara has done to show inclusivity and plurality is commendable in the beginning. I mean he has one of his ministers who is a female Alawite who I spoke with who said I have full authorization not just window dressing.
▶ 2:49:01He has actually talked about the plurality and inclusiveness of the government and its elections to guarantee that the Jews, the Alawites, the Christians, the Muslims and all who are there will actually be a part of the incoming government and elections. He's also working with Israel to speak right now where he's blocking weapons transports through Syria into Lebanon from Hashtel Shabi, the Iraq Iranianbacked militia to try and make attacks against Iran.
▶ 2:49:27He's working with Iraq and the United States and the CTS teams to help combat is ISIS dish to guarantee that they are still weakened, but also guaranteeing that he's pushed Iran out to make sure it's not a proxy state. It's a historical moment for Syria. 50 plus years the Russians have had a stronghold under the Assad regime and I commend you on your support for this and also uh the Caesar Act when it passed. Secretary uh Rubio, I have a question with regards to Iran.
▶ 2:49:55We understand that the nuclear negotiations are going on and there's much to be done, but could you give us some of the highlights to what these metrics and conditions will be in the administration to guarantee that not only do we see a a Iran that is free of nuclear weapons, but a potential change and fall of the Iranian regime? Well, anytime these negotiations are ongoing, uh you want to be delicate about what you say publicly because it could upend them.
▶ 2:50:20And obviously I remind everybody that no matter the nature of their government in foreign relations, the people on the other side are in politics too. Um and so they have their own balances that they need to have in terms of what they say publicly. What I think has been abundantly clear and the president said is number one, Iran will never have a nuclear weapon. And he's discussed that there's one way to do it which is not a ideal way and the other way to do it is for Iran to agree to a deal. What is a deal that does not allow Iran to get to a nuclear weapon?
▶ 2:50:46It is a deal that doesn't just say we commit not to getting to a nuclear weapon and taking them at their word but ensure that they do not have the capacity the continued capacity to enrich. If they can enrich then you are basically a threshold nuclear power that at any time can accelerate that process and get to that point. So that is the goal of these negotiations to create an incentive model where if they give up their enrichment capability they will receive some sanctions relief commensurate with it. That's the hope.
▶ 2:51:14Um that's what we're working on because the alternative would be something far more destructive and we seek to avoid that if possible. Thank you Mr. Secretary and obviously to stop the funding of the proxy militias like Houthis like Hamas like others which I know that you have been adamant about. Uh I want to switch to Brazil if I may. Mr. Secretary as uh you're certainly aware the alarming human rights decline in Brazil. We've seen pervasive censorship political persecution targeting the entire opposition including journalists and ordinary citizen. what they're now doing is an eminent politically motivated imprisonment of former President Balsinaro.
▶ 2:51:44Um, this crackdown has extended beyond Brazil's borders, impacting individuals on US soil. Uh, the 2023 Financial Times article actually talked about this. Um, what do you intend to do and would you be looking at Supreme Court justice sanctioning of uh, Alexandra Deorris under the Global Magnitzky Act? That is under review right now and it's a great great possibility that will happen. Thank you so much, Mr. Secretary. With that, I yield back. Representative Jipal. Thank you so much, Mr. Mr. Chairman, thank you Secretary Rubio for being here.
▶ 2:52:12On March 21st, 2025, the State Department approved the revocation of a student visa for Romesa Ourk, a Turkish citizen who is a graduate student at Tus University uh apparently simply for writing an op-ed. According to an internal State Department memo, you took this action under your discretionary authority to revoke visas.
▶ 2:52:34And soon after you revoked her visa, armed and masked plainlo officers snatched Miss Osurk off the street and transported her to a prison in Louisiana. Mr. Secretary, do you really think that Miss Ourk's op-ed results in a foreign policy consequence? I believe that case involves someone whose visa we never would have granted had we known ahead of time. Asking you that question. And I'm asking you if you think an op-ed if an op-ed which uh but that's exactly in fact what happened.
▶ 2:53:04The state department wrote a memo concluding that you did not have sufficient grounds to revoke Miss Ostster's visa. There was no evidence showing that she'd engaged in any activities were a threat to national security. And in fact, in May, a federal court ordered Miss Ostster's release from detention, noting that the sole basis, sole basis for the government's detention appeared to be the fact that she co-authored this opinion piece in the TUS newspaper in March of 2024.
▶ 2:53:31Where in the Constitution does it say that the Secretary of State can override the First Amendment uh protections of free speech? Is there a footnote that I missed? There's no constitutional right to a student visa. So it but is there a constitutional right? Is it does it say somewhere that Marco Rubio gets to determine whether which speech is appropriate and revoke student visas based on what you think constitutes free speech? There's a statute there's a statute says the secretary of state gets to determine whether someone is a threat.
▶ 2:54:01We deny visas every day all over the world. Do you think that the Immigration Nationality Act trumps the Constitution of the United States, Mr. Secretary? Well, Congress can always change the law if you want, but I'm telling you, I have the authority. I will continue to revoke the visas of these people that come here to tear this Mr. Secretary because you are talking about revoking student visas based on what somebody says.
▶ 2:54:22And that means that you are trumping the uh legal supreme court, the supreme law of the land, which is the Constitution of the United States. Why did the administration, Mr. Rubio, why did the administration need to use masked, armed, unidentified agents to whisk somebody off the street and deny her counsel for almost 24 hours after You'll have to ask the agencies that did that work. I'm not responsible that I'm responsible for revoking the visas of these people that come to tear this country apart.
▶ 2:54:51I'm talking about this particular case where you revoked the student visa of a Turkish citizen Turkish citizen who was a graduate student who wrote an opad that you didn't like and suddenly you allowed for masked men to whisk her off the street and you have multiple jobs. Apparently you're the national security adviser as well. So don't tell me it's not your job who snatches her off the street.
▶ 2:55:13We don't do the snatching, but I can tell you we do the visa revocations about the national security consequences of people, masked men on the streets, snatching people off the streets. If these are legitimate law enforcement agents carrying out proper arrests, why are they hiding their identities? Because then radical crazies will try to hurt them.
▶ 2:55:32So you so you think that US agents who have almost always gone without face coverings even when they're arresting some of the most some of the country's most dangerous criminals suddenly have so much to fear from a graduate student who wrote an op-ed that they need to be masked. Is that is that that law student was a guest in the United States on a student visa? No one's entitled to a student visa. You revoked her student visa based on an oped which trumps the supreme law of the land which is the constitution.
▶ 2:56:02Someone's coming up here to stir up problems on our campus. We're going to revoke their visa. She didn't do any of that. She wrote an oped. She wrote an op-ed and I'm talking to you about her particular case on your facts. You reclaiming my time. You revoked her student visa because she wrote an op-ed. Would you revoke I have another question for you. Would you revoke the visa of someone in the United States who published claims that quote, "Jews are an untrustworthy and dangerous group." Yes, ma'am. We will revoke the visa of anyone who's in this country as a guest who's here to talk.
▶ 2:56:31Are you going to revoke the visa of somebody who made that case? Look at it. I'm looking I'm looking to get crazy. It's not just about revoking you reclaiming my time. Can you explain to me why the Trump administration granted refugee status to Charles Klein House, the white Africer who tweeted that exact statement that I just said? There's the case. You granted you who granted that person to different process that someone that applied here through a totally different process.
▶ 2:57:01Student visas are a privilege. deny them all the time and we'll revoke revoked a visa based on an oped and then you allowed for time is expired snatched somebody off the street that's your claim that's not accurate recognize ranking member Meeks for a closing statement I'll be brief because this really is a sad day um but I want to in my closing just say thank you to the men and
▶ 2:57:32women of USAID who did their jobs, who have been forgotten about by this administration and this secretary of state. You know, when you think about pathogens without passports that could kill millions, it was USAD teams. They were on the case to figure out how to strengthen lab surveillance and testing. They no longer can do that.
▶ 2:58:00When you think about more than a decade of gains by authoritarians and oligards, USAD teams were building new tools to help independent media survive and to provide insurance so anti-corruption and NOS's could fight back against specious lawsuits. They've been all wiped out. all of those organizations.
▶ 2:58:18When you think about the extreme weather caused by climate change that was wiping out livestock and farmland and driving the mass migration of millions, it was USAD teams were helping scientists and farmers experiment with different v varieties of droughtresistant seeds while hustling up private sector partnerships to stay ahead of devastating droughts. This is who USID was.
▶ 2:58:40This was the same organization that uh Senator Rubio was supporting and talking about when he traveled and to come here today and to hear his remarks and not even you know well he did say one good thing. He said that he recognized that most of the people in the state department and most of those uh foreign service agents were good people. They were great people. They served our country well.
▶ 2:59:04They deserved more than they've gotten under this administration and under your leadership as Secretary of State. And I yield back. Thank you, Mr. Secretary, for taking the time with us today. Countless times you were not given the opportunity to respond to things. I'm going to take my time for my closing statement and yield you that time to respond to anything you wish to. No, I appreciate it. Thank you for the chance to interact with all of you. And um obviously I don't agree with some of the assessments, many of the assessments that are made here today, but I'm proud of the work we're doing.
▶ 2:59:31We're going to give you and deliver for our country a state department that can deliver effective foreign policy in a way that's driven um from our regional bureaus. I keep going to this because it's really important. That is the treasure of our state department is our regional bureaus and our embassies. That's where the action needs to be and that's where it needs to happen. That's where the best ideas are coming from. Um the ranking member in his closing remarks said most of the people are good people they are. They're even some of the people that lost their jobs. We didn't fire them because they were bad people. We fired them because their function was no longer needed.
▶ 3:00:00um and or or if they were removed that I'm proud of the reforms at the State Department. To date, I believe there's been less than we've had some people leave early as they always do and retire, but by and large we've only had about 200 less than 200 people removed from positions as a rift because we closed down the global engagement center and one other bureau. But we've undertaken a very meticulous and careful effort to devel develop a state department that is going to be able to deliver results for the American people. The bottom line is this. We live in an era in which our foreign policy has to be driven by the national interest.
▶ 3:00:30What is good for America? What makes us stronger, more prosperous or safer? That's it. That's our foreign policy. And everything we do, foreign aid, diplomacy, uh trade deals, uh arm sales, all of it has to be driven by that consideration. What the answer to that question is is different in different countries and in different parts of the world. They just are. That's the way foreign policyy's always been. That's the way it needs to be again if it's going to be successful and that's what we're committed to delivering and hopefully being able to work with you. We'll provide you.
▶ 3:01:00We've received all the input from various members of this committee on both sides of the aisle. We're almost done with our comment period. We'll have our final proposed reorganization that will be available to you in a congressional notification at that point, an official notification, not the preliminary. And then we can continue to work from there. And if in fact you're going to undertake the work of re reauthorizing the state department, I think that would be phenomenal. We would welcome that and the opportunity to work with you to create these structures in a permanent and enduring way. Thank you. Point of order.
▶ 3:01:31Mr. Chairman, members of the committee, additional questions for the secretary and we ask that you respond to these in writing. Mr. Chairman, committee rules, all members may have five days to submit statements, questions, Mr. Chairman, point of order for the record. Subject to length limitations. Without objection, the committee stands adjourned. Point of order, Mr. Chairman.