▶ 0:21:13>> -- waiting for three more. We have a short business meeting. We will conduct prior to go into our full hearing. So, be patient with us. Three of our colleague sam told her on the way. As soon as we get there -- our colleagues, I'm told, are on the way. As soon as we get there we will go.
▶ 0:26:08>> -- everyone's cooperation, we have a brief business meeting to move some nominees. Thank you to the minority for their cooperation. We will start with Ms. cate dillion, recommended she should be confirmed? Second. Is there debate?
▶ 0:26:33Sen. Shaheen: I would like to express my reservations about Ms. dillon. Her responses to the questions at the hearing left me concerned over willingness to work with this committee.
▶ 0:26:45Sen. Shaheen: She did not outline a plan to protect the eca bureau against unprecedented efforts by the office of omb to undermine programs and was completely unresponsive when I followed up with her to understand who and which regional bureau is responsible for functions once carried out by the office of global women's issues. I intend to oppose her nomination.
▶ 0:27:08Chair Risch: Thank you, senator. Is there for their debate on the nomination? >> I did not have a chance to meet with her individually but my staff did. And conveyed their alarm at the lack of relevant experience and qualifications. This is a critical bureau for the state department, a critical assistant secretary position, and I will also oppose and hope we will see a nominee who has the skills and relevant ability to lead at a critical moment in our world.
▶ 0:27:38Chair Risch: Further debate? There being no further debate, the clerk will call the roll. >> [clerk calling the roll]
▶ 0:28:24Chair Risch: The yays are 11, the nays are 10.
▶ 0:28:30Chair Risch: We have the nomination of Mr. a moly I do wally, is there a motion? -- Mr. ademola adewale-sadik, we send with a do pass confirmation recommendation. Is there debate?
▶ 0:28:49Sen. Shaheen: Mr. chairman, I intend to vote for this nominee. I'm glad the administration has nominated someone to be the executive director of the african development bank, but I want to point out the administration has also propose zeroing out funding for the african development bank, which I think is inconsistent with not only the nomination, but the policy that we should be pursuing. So, I hope that the nominee, Mr.
▶ 0:29:17Sen. Shaheen: Ademola adewale-sadik, will address the administration's concerns with the fund and not just walk away.
▶ 0:29:24Chair Risch: Further debate? No further debate, the clerk will call the roll. >> [clerk calling the roll]
▶ 0:30:13Chair Risch: The days are 16, the nos are five.
▶ 0:30:19Chair Risch: The nomination of Mr. yeouk kim to be the representative of the united states of america to the association of southeast asian nations summit. Is there debate? There be no debate. The clerk will call the roll.
▶ 0:30:44Chair Risch: >> [clerk calling the roll] the
▶ 0:31:15Chair Risch: Yays 15, the nos are three.
▶ 0:31:24Chair Risch: Thank you very much, the motion is passed. The nomination will be sent to the floor with a due pass recommendation. Now, the ranking member and I have negotiated on three places. Number pn 893, 894, 8 95 consisting of a couple hundred or so people. We have gone through these.
▶ 0:31:55Chair Risch: We believe we really want to get these people moved. Important positions they would be sent to. With that, is there a motion to send the three lists with recommendation that these people be confirmed to their positions? It has been moved and seconded. That these three this be sent to the floor as indicated. Is there debate?
▶ 0:32:23Sen. Shaheen: I think it is very positive progress that we are finally getting these foreign service officer lists, but it has taken way too long. We are a year and a half into this administration. We still have ambassadors in places around the world who we don't even have nominees for.
▶ 0:32:45Sen. Shaheen: I think it is well past time this committee receive and approve the performance of approve the perform -- the foren service officer promotion list at that I hope we will send a strong message to the state department we expect to see these lists move much more expeditiously in the future.
▶ 0:33:02Chair Risch: Thank you, senator shaheen. On the bright side, it is not often we get to move -- we don't often get to move a couple hundred like this. So, that is very significant progress. With that, is there further debate? There being no further debate, the clerk will call the roll. >> [clerk calling the roll]
▶ 0:33:55Chair Risch: The clerk will report. We had a unanimous vote to send 200 of these to the floor. Great cooperation and progress. Thank you very much, the nominations will be sent to the floor to move forward with recommendation that they do past. Thank you very much. Thank you everyone.
▶ 0:34:14Chair Risch: Senator cruz, I know you have other things you have to get to and others do too, but nonetheless we have an important hearing this morning and we want to welcome two witnesses this morning to help us out on an issue that all of us, every member of the committee, is interested in. Reforming the united nations. Assessing the united states' efforts and priorities. We welcome mike waltz and jeff bardo's to the committee.
▶ 0:34:49Chair Risch: I will make a few remarks. I will turn it over to the ranking member to make a few remarks. We will then turn it over to you, gentlemen. I know you have some good information for us. We will then go back and forth on questions between the majority and minority. And hopefully make some progress here. This is an incredibly important subject that all of us talk about from time to time.
▶ 0:35:18Chair Risch: None of us seem to have much ability to do much about it, but on the other hand you do have a lot to do with it. Both of you, thank you for being here today. It is almost seven months to the day that you are both confirmed to the senate. You have accomplished remarkable and unprecedented reforms across the u.n. And I know you plan to do even more this coming year. You have a target rich environment in front of you.
▶ 0:35:49Chair Risch: As you know, the united states has historically been the most generous donor to the united nations. That is an understatement. We have consistently paid 25% at minimum of the u.n. And peacekeeping budget and 22% of the human and regular budget not even including our voluntary contributions which easily reach the billions over the last few decades. That is a staggering amount of money. This massive, generous contribution has given the american people very little return on their investment. The u.n.
▶ 0:36:16Chair Risch: Has become an inefficient bloated bureaucracy that has departed from its original mandate, maintaining international peace and security, to instead focusing on politicized mandates and woke ideology. I would like to say that was breaking news, but it is not. It has been happening for some time. You and then agencies have deep-rooted anti-american and anti-israeli biases and even provide preferential treatment to our adversaries.
▶ 0:36:44Chair Risch: This is not what the american people signed up for and it certainly is not what they want to pay for. I'm glad president trump stood up for the american people and withdrew the united states from organizations that do not serve our interests, like unesco and the ill-fated human and human rights council. -- u.n. Human rights council. I believe that you had the hardest jobs in trying to reform the u.n.
▶ 0:37:12Chair Risch: I'm pleased to have taken that challenge in hand and are demanding radical transparency, real accountability, and enacting actual reforms to hopefully transform a broken body into one that actually works for the american people. In today's hearing I hope the committee can discuss the unprecedented reforms you have achieved over the last seven months and how you will capitalize on this momentum to further align the u.n. With the administration's priorities. With that, senator shaheen.
▶ 0:37:38Sen. Shaheen: Thank you, Mr. chairman. Welcome, ambassador waltz and ambassador bartos, we are delighted to have you before the committee. The war in iran and the struggle over the strait of hormuz underscores a basic point. American power is strongest when we are exercising it with allies. From world war ii through the cold war, our major successes have come through broad, multilateral coalitions.
▶ 0:38:09Sen. Shaheen: Because alliances multiply american power. But unfortunately, instead of working with nato allies like france, germany, and the united kingdom, the administration has been criticizing them for refusing to join the U.S. effort in the strait of hormuz. As a result, we are now operating without shared burden, political cover, or international legitimacy. That is reflected in how the united states is voting at the united nations in substance and who we are lining up with.
▶ 0:38:40Sen. Shaheen: Increasingly, the united states is voting with russia, china, belarus, and north korea. In february, on the fourth anniversary of russia's full-scale invasion, the united states abstained from a general assembly resolution reaffirming ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity. That resolution passed one hundred seven-12, as I'm sure you know, and we were on the side of the 12. More concerning, the united states advanced a proposal to strip out that language.
▶ 0:39:12Sen. Shaheen: Although that effort failed, it was supported by russia, hungary, and belarus. Weeks later, the united states supposed to resolution morning attacks on ukraine's energy grid threatened nuclear safety. A resolution backed by our allies across europe and partners like canada and australia. However, the united states joined russia and china in opposing it. Sadly, it is not limited to ukraine.
▶ 0:39:41Sen. Shaheen: The united states is becoming increasingly isolated from our partners in multilateral forums. We are supporting resolutions but not leading outcomes. We vote for u.n. Action but not leading a sustained, diplomatic effort to end, for example, the war in sudan as it enters its third year. We are now voting against resolutions on gender, human rights, development, and climate that have previously passed by consensus.
▶ 0:40:09Sen. Shaheen: For example, in the recent vote on the annual conclusions of the u.n. And commissions on the status of women, the document that sets out recommendations to protect women's rights and expand economic and political opportunities for women, only the united states -- one more time -- only the united states voted against it. That kind of isolation has consequences. We have withdrawn from international organizations and in some cases stopped paying our dues to the united nations.
▶ 0:40:40Sen. Shaheen: Congress has made clear on a bipartisan basis that the united states should stay engaged, and our allies are watching whether or not we do. I just returned from a bipartisan delegation to taiwan, japan, and south korea. What we heard consistently is as the united states pulls back, china is stepping in more aggressively. We see that dynamic of the united nations.
▶ 0:41:05Sen. Shaheen: China is now the second largest contributor to the human and budget and largest troop contributor among the permanent members of the security council. Over the past decade, the number of chinese personnel in the u.n. System has doubled while U.S. representation has declined. Beijing is using this to shape outcomes and advance its priorities. So, I'm not clear about what the strategy is here.
▶ 0:41:29Sen. Shaheen: I don't understand how alienating our allies, stepping back of the u.n., aligning with adversaries on key votes advances U.S. interests. I know both of you understand these dynamics. I appreciate what you are doing at the u.n. And your efforts for reform. I think all of us believe the u.n. Should be more effective and efficient, but I just don't understand some of these moves, and I don't see how they help the united states. Thank you, Mr. chairman.
▶ 0:41:58Chair Risch: Thank you, senator shaheen. We will turn to our witnesses. Ambassador waltz, we will start with you. We welcome julie, always good to have you join us. I know you have some important matters to take up with us, ambassador, so the floor is yours.
▶ 0:42:16Mr. Waltz: Thank you, Mr. chairman, ranking member shaheen, members of the committee, I understand the opportunity to appear before you today. I think we've made a number of strides in reforming this organization. I will say out of the gate that we use this committee's name and the ranking member quite a bit as we are driving reform.
▶ 0:42:44Mr. Waltz: Your oversight strengthens our hand in new york. When the team and I are pressing the u.n. To spend american dollars wisely, I remind them the united states senate, the american people, are watching. Last year, senators, the american people returned president trump to the white house with a clear mandate, to put america first in our foreign policy.
▶ 0:43:11Mr. Waltz: That included a hard look at the united nations and of these international organizations. From the beginning americans measured it by a simple test, that if the united states is going to be the largest funder and the biggest bill payer of their hard earned money towards the u.n., the u.n. Must work for american interests. 80 years later, frankly, the u.n. Has drifted.
▶ 0:43:37Mr. Waltz: It's budget has quadrupled in terms of assessed and voluntary giving over the last 25 years, yet we have not seen a quadrupling of peace. Wars raged, dictatorships are honored at human rights agencies, bureaucracies have grown, and results have lagged. Meanwhile the u.n.
▶ 0:44:00Mr. Waltz: Pushes costly ideological agendas from the 2030 agenda to the failing sustainable development goals instead of focusing on the basics, focusing on peace and security. Yes, americans ask, our family members, our constituents asked, is it worth it, is money being well spent? Honestly, I wondered the same thing when I first arrived at new york.
▶ 0:44:29Mr. Waltz: President trump's answer was clear when he gave me, when he nominated.me for this job the u.n. Has tremendous potential, but it needs to do its job, realize that potential. My charge, our mission's charge is to get the u.n. Back to basics in conflicts, deliver peace, deliver life-saving assistance. To that end we had notable successes.
▶ 0:44:55Mr. Waltz: On gaza, when we came in war was raging, dozens of hostages, including americans were in the god-awful tunnels being forced to dig their own graves. Aid was still at a standstill. President trump changed that. He put forward a comprehensive 20-point peace plan. It was celebrated by world leaders, including the palestinian authority. We brought it to the security council and got it endorsed without opposition. 13-0.
▶ 0:45:25Mr. Waltz: That framework now does a number of things. It anchors an international stabilization force, put in place local palestinian governance, and aid has been moving and exceeding the u.n.'s own standards since the plan was put in place. Now you have a world bank-managed fund focused on reconstruction funded largely by regional partners, not american taxpayers.
▶ 0:45:53Mr. Waltz: I know a number of you have asked, what is our approach and model going forward. That is emblematic of the model. American leadership, american diplomacy, sharing the burden and getting actual results for the people that we represent. We have also applied it in haiti, building support for a gang suppression force that now the u.n. Is providing the logistics for, cutting the cost for that effort by 3/4. Not U.S. troops.
▶ 0:46:24Mr. Waltz: International troops restoring order and taking on the gangs. In sudan, we are pushing for humanitarian corridors. We do think we are close to getting that deal across the finish line. We are pressuring warlords and not handing out blank checks.
▶ 0:46:41Mr. Waltz: On western zahara, a 50-year-long conflict -- sahara, a 50-year-long conflict, I often question what is the point in these meetings, but sometimes as we saw in lebanon, western sahara, getting all sides in the room is a victory in and of itself.
▶ 0:47:03Mr. Waltz: At the same time we are closing and downsizing missions that have outlived their purpose from lebanon, iraq, yemen, columbia, we have cut roughly 200 million, reduced boots on the ground, no more mission sitting around for 30 or 40 years. An important reform led by ambassador bartos and his team, we had been paying for decades for these peacekeeping missions for 90,000 around the world.
▶ 0:47:31Mr. Waltz: If they bring their equipment they get paid, whether they use it or not. The incentive was use it as little as possible, incur as little maintenance as possible, and collect as much money -- believe it or not, we had to drive that reform. Now, they have to use that equipment. On the humanitarian side, we are using pooled funding to force them to use the same warehouses, airplanes, back office is.
▶ 0:47:59Mr. Waltz: On the development side we are heavily engaging the private sector. Let's lower barriers to capital, drive forward investment, and create jobs, not dependency. We are calling that trade over aid. We are continuing to engage in these key bodies, these international regulatory bodies that set standards, like the international telecommunications union, the world intellectual property organization.
▶ 0:48:25Mr. Waltz: But we are finding things that will be bad for industry, like the carbon tax that was almost placed upon all global shipping that would have passed on $1 billion a month. Finally, senators, I will say, in terms of the human in itself, we drove -- the u.n. Itself, we drove through a painful process that has to be done through consensus -- imagine if everything in the congress had to be done by consensus, all 100 to get anything done. That is the u.n. System.
▶ 0:48:58Mr. Waltz: [laughter] not 60, 100. 190 nations joined us in cementing the u.n.'s first budget cut in its history ever. That will save over half $1 billion in the overall budget and save our dues over 100 million dollars a year resulting in nearly 3000 headquarter bureaucrats are being cut, result in 25% of peacekeepers around the world -- allowing
▶ 0:49:29Mr. Waltz: These peacekeeping unit commanders to send underperforming or some that are even accused of sexual exploitation and abuse -- to send them home and clean house. That is just the abuse in terms of -- that is just the beginning in terms of reform. We have a ways to go. We have work ahead of us, 80 years of bloat and growth ahead of us. Case in point, the civil servants of the u.n. Make 117% of what an american makes.
▶ 0:49:59Mr. Waltz: They get a 60% contribution to a pension fund that is over $100 billion under management. They get a private school and secondary school paid for. As a former congressman I could not stand for our constituents and say that that money is being well spent. So, we are looking at pulling back a lot of those excessive benefit packages.
▶ 0:50:26Mr. Waltz: Again, we have our work cut out for us. We have a great team here. Ambassador bartos has the very un-enviable job of doing nothing but reforming the u.n., and he has a great team of civil servants and foreign service officers behind him. With that, I will conclude and tell you, conclude with the president means it when he says there is so much potential.
▶ 0:50:54Mr. Waltz: When we look at some of these conflicts that have sat around for 30, 40, 50 years with peacekeeping forces that cost nearly $1 billion a year, we have to tie them to a political process. Our special envoys in the state department and great team there are driving those processes and then we are hooking the peacekeeping forces and missions to those processes so that they can work themselves out of a job.
▶ 0:51:21Mr. Waltz: We can share the burden with like-minded nations. Finally, as I say to my family members who ask about the human and all the time, we need one place in the world where everyone can come and talk. I want that to be in the united states, not brussels, moscow, beijing, or anywhere else. With that I will conclude and it is an honor to be with you.
▶ 0:51:46Chair Risch: Thank you you, ambassador. Well said. Mr. bartos, you don't have any prepared remarks. Which we are all interested in. I will start there. I think ambassador waltz opened up an area that I think is appropriate to focus on. That is -- I have always been a minimalist as far as the linen is concerned.
▶ 0:52:16Chair Risch: They started with a good idea, a place where everyone can come together and it debate. It is more than that today. Thousands and thousands of people who work there and billions of dollars spent. I told the secretary-general I can't tell you how many times to get back to basics. If you look at the charter of the u.n. It was put together to stop conflicts, wars, countries were fighting each other. It doesn't even come close.
▶ 0:52:46Chair Risch: You have two very major conflicts going on right now with iran and ukraine and who knows how many of the smaller conflicts that are going on. The u.n. Is powerless to engage and doesn't do much about it. When I asked the secretary general he goes on and on about the programs on d.e.I. And medical things, things like that. They are spending our money. We do that ourselves. I guess that I am a minimalist.
▶ 0:53:18Chair Risch: A minimalist approach, if you could just do that, would be a huge, huge benefit to mankind. Mr. bartos, why don't you talk about the view of other people that you deal with at the u.n. As far as their view of how engage the u.n. Should be and what is the proper role of governance as far as america is concerned, the proper role of the u.n.. The floor is yours.
▶ 0:53:48Mr. Bartos: Thank you, Mr. chairman. Good morning to you and the committee. I did not have prepared remarks, but I want to say it is an honor to be here with you today. It's a very important topic and working with you and your team, your excellent team, with the ranking member and her excellent team, we have our team at the management reform section. Throughout the mission we have worked hard to keep a close collaboration and coordination with this committee.
▶ 0:54:16Mr. Bartos: I have learned a ton working with not only of the staff from the majority but the ranking member's death. Your guidance, as I shared yesterday -- ranking member's staff. Your guidance, as I shared yesterday, we use your chart often in our negotiations.
▶ 0:54:35Chair Risch: Sometimes without our permission. [laughter]
▶ 0:54:39Mr. Bartos: Yes, sir, but effectively. What we were able to achieve, the budget we closed in september with 193 votes, was a remarkable achievement made possible, you track it from january 20 when the president was sworn in, his vision and leadership drove that. Our outstanding colleagues at the state department took that from noon january 20 all the way through to today.
▶ 0:55:07Mr. Bartos: In september investor waltz -- ambassador waltz and I joined the team. We hit the ground running not knowing where anything was, but we got a lot done. In that sprint to the end, we were able to take the outstanding work of our career foreign service officers, civil servants in the management reform section who had been chomping at the bit to drive reform for most of their careers.
▶ 0:55:33Mr. Bartos: We were able to take that good work, make sure it fit with what we were trying to achieve to execute the president's agenda. That is when we saw the $570 million budget cut, the first time in history of any budget cut let alone 15%. Almost 3000 posts cut. U.S. leadership was indispensable in making that happen. We were quite literally at the center of all of it. While the press may cover that the U.S.
▶ 0:55:58Mr. Bartos: Is not doing this or that, the reform effort, the president's vision and leadership, direction from secretary rubio and ambassador waltz, working with colleagues in the house, that drove her form and U.S. leadership brought everyone together. Our team worked 10 to 20 hour days at the end of the budget process and 44 hours straight. Calls, meetings, meetings, meetings.
▶ 0:56:23Mr. Bartos: Ambassador waltz was the first rep from the united states to come down to the basement of the human in late at night during the negotiations to put his mark on what the president expected. That's how we got it done. As ambassador waltz said there is so much left to do. We have made a good, positive start towards reform, but the u.n.
▶ 0:56:45Mr. Bartos: -- I will share with you briefly, coming back from my trip from africa in february -- talking to the ad talk about what they do well, the delivery of humanitarian aid at scale in remote locations at a reasonable, predictable price day in and day out and unfortunately year in and year out. Watching that happen on the ground is outstanding. The message that I have been trying to deliver to all u.n.
▶ 0:57:18Mr. Bartos: Leadership from the secretary, deputy secretary general, through the cabinet of the leadership team at the u.n.'s focus on what you are excellent at. To your point, minimalist. You are excellent at this, do more of this. There is a lot you are not very good at and a lot that is destructive not only to our interests but the interests of the west, to freedom, and sovereignty. Stop doing the things that are destructive and focused on what you are excellent at. Is it getting through? We will see.
▶ 0:57:47Mr. Bartos: We are seeing more nations use the terminology we started using about back to basics, focus, results on the ground. That was not a phrase you heard from other nations before we got there in september. Results on the ground, delivering for the people the u.n. Is meant to serve. That is what we are trying to focus on every day, it is an honor to do this work. Thank you for having us here today.
▶ 0:58:09Chair Risch: Thank you. We don't get good news in this committee very often. When you hear that you guys are actually able to negotiate a $570 million cut, that is big news. You will not hear about this on the cable tv channels. That is not what they want to report. You are to be commended for that. We certainly recognize that on this committee and we are appreciative.
▶ 0:58:38Chair Risch: 570 million dollars is not loose change, particularly when it comes to the fact that 100 million of it is U.S. taxpayer money. 3000 posts eliminated is not a small matter. When it comes to parking in new york city, you are going to be highly thought of as things change a little bit, particularly during the general assembly. Congratulations on that.
▶ 0:59:04Chair Risch: We want to encourage you to continue that approach of getting them to focus on what they do well and focus what their basic obligation is under the u.n. Charter. That is to promote peace, create peace and everyone work for peace.
▶ 0:59:23Chair Risch: It's incredibly frustrating to see these folks in the security council where you cannot even condemn russia for invading a country and crossing boundaries and trying to take land, when that is a direct violation of the very foundation of the united nations and its charter to do business. They can't even pass a resolution. Not only can't they do anything about it, they can't even condemn it.
▶ 0:59:51Chair Risch: That is just incredibly frustrating. The -- whatever the secretary-general comes to see me -- I'm sure that he has to take his blood pressure medicine before he comes in because I go at him pretty hard. The ranking member, senator shaheen.
▶ 1:00:09Sen. Shaheen: I would like to make a correction to something you said. You said the general assembly cannot condemn russia's action in ukraine. The united states voted with russia against condemning the war in ukraine. The vote was 107-12 and we were one of the 12. I share your frustration about a lot of the votes that the u.n. Takes.
▶ 1:00:38Sen. Shaheen: That is one where we were on the wrong side and we continue to be on the wrong side. I'm not going to ask you all to respond to that, because whatever you say I'm not going to agree with. I will be very upfront. With respect to that vote. Against ukraine. In support of russia.
▶ 1:00:55Chair Risch: It's complicated.
▶ 1:00:57Sen. Shaheen: I do want to follow up, ambassador bartos about your comments about what the u.n. Does well, because I agree the humanitarian assistance is important. Our foreign assistance funding for the world food program has fallen by half since this administration took office in 2020 five from $4 billion to $2 billion including a decrease in U.S.
▶ 1:01:24Sen. Shaheen: Commodity assistance from american farmers, corn, wheat, soybeans, other commodities were backlogged by the administration's foreign assistance review. Now we know the number of people in acute food crisis is expected to jump to a total of 360 3 million people. That is really the result of the war in iran and what it is doing to food -- the fertilizer, price increases for fuel and food.
▶ 1:01:55Sen. Shaheen: I guess this is directed at both of you. Can we count on the administration to utilize the available, appropriated funds to provide funding to the world food program and other u.n. Humanitarian agencies to mitigate the impact of this crisis?
▶ 1:02:11Mr. Waltz: You can, senator. I will say a few things in that regard. The administration has taken a different approach that a number of our partners have asked for for some time and pulled funding. Even though those funds have cut, as have all humanitarian aid budgets around the world as we all wrestle with our debt.
▶ 1:02:38Mr. Waltz: In fact, one of the things that is getting lost in the headlines has been an increase of our european partners and their defense funding has come from their humanitarian and development assistance funding. They have moved one over the other. A lot of consternation over U.S. aid to being pulled into the state department. The united kingdom did that seven years ago. Australia did it five years ago in order to align and make those dollars more efficient. That is our goal as well.
▶ 1:03:06Mr. Waltz: I cannot tell you how many times I've pulled up to a little baby ministry in the middle of africa when I was operational that may be has 10 people inside and there are 18 united nations cars outside with 18 drivers from 18 agencies. They are now using pooled vehicle fleets, u.n. Uber, p ooled aviation and human resources.
▶ 1:03:34Mr. Waltz: We are really pressing them hard and actually getting a good response. To the individual agencies that may have been cut, we are putting it with the office of the coordinator for humanitarian affairs. Case in point, the first tranche went out to sudan for $200 million.
▶ 1:03:52Mr. Bartos: I would add to that, senator, when I was on the border of sudan in the northeast part of the central african republic a couple of months back , a very difficult meeting with sudanese refugees who had fled the atrocities, many walking as far as khartoum. I met with the men and women separately.
▶ 1:04:21Mr. Bartos: When I met with the men most of whom were farmers, their message to me to take back to washington to new york was, we are excellent farmers, we have fertile soil, we know how to do this, please, help us stop the conflict so we can go home and take care of ourselves. They were clear. Thank you for taking care of us, for providing the food, medicine, shelter, safe harbor, but we want to go home.
▶ 1:04:48Mr. Bartos: It is the tie in, and we are conscious of it, the tight end between peace and security and emergency response that we are constantly watching and engaged with not only in our mission, for we have outstanding humanitarian coordinators within our mission who worked throughout the political section , but also with our colleagues at the state department who are constantly traveling through the region to try to get peace and security, stability, so that we
▶ 1:05:19Mr. Bartos: Can get people back to farming. In the meantime, when I was there, every bag of food that I saw had the american flag on it. The rtuf, high calorie for children who are in serious caloric deficit, provided by american companies. We are highly engaged. Our colleagues at the state department are highly engaged in making the system work.
▶ 1:05:42Sen. Shaheen: I appreciate that and I think that members of this committee share the view that any time we can end the conflicts, that is the critical thing to do. In the meantime, we hope people won't starve while they are waiting for that. Thank you.
▶ 1:05:59Chair Risch: Senator ricketts.
▶ 1:06:00Sen. Ricketts: , thank you, Mr. chairman. The leader of the united nations will select a new secretary general and this will mark a consequential moment for the future of the institution. For the united states it is the largest financial contributor, an opportunity to man reform. We should support leadership that prioritizes accountability, transparency, confronts anti-semitism, and pushes back against adversaries like communist china.
▶ 1:06:28Sen. Ricketts: Concerning lee, one of the candidates gaining traction, her record raises serious doubts over whether she meets that standard. As the high commissioner for human rights, she was given a platform to investigate credible reports that communist china was obtaining over one million uighurs in internment camps carrying out forced sterilization and using coerced labor.
▶ 1:06:55Sen. Ricketts: She conducted a controlled visit and stopped short of labeling these actions genocide. The report did have serious allegations of mass detention, sexual violence, and forced sterilization's. The diplomat claimed that sections with regard to the forced sterilizations were watered down to the final hours of the report being released.
▶ 1:07:23Sen. Ricketts: She also has promoted the view that abortion is a fundamental human right. These actions reflect poor judgment, misplaced priorities, and a failure to uphold the u.n. 's core mission. This disqualifies her from leading the u.n. I recently cosigned a letter to secretary rubio urging the united states to use the veto to block her nomination. Based on her record, do you believe Dr.
▶ 1:07:51Sen. Ricketts: Bachelet would advance meaningful reform at the u.n.?
▶ 1:07:58Mr. Waltz: Thank you for the question, senator. I agree with you. This is really a turning point year for the u.n. In terms of new leadership. It is 25-year terms. We could be looking at the next secretary-general over the next decade. I'm not in a position today to publicly say who we will or will not support --
▶ 1:08:28Sen. Ricketts: I asked you --
▶ 1:08:30Mr. Waltz: Or who we will use our veto for, but I tell you that I share your concerns. I'm sure that I'm safe and speaking for the secretary, he shares your concerns. From a broader perspective, the conventional wisdom up in new york is it has never been someone from latin america and there has never been a woman, therefore it must be a latin american woman. We have taken the position of we just need the best.
▶ 1:09:02Mr. Waltz: This institution desperately needs strong, effective leadership and I can assure you reform, reform, reform along the lines of development aid, humanitarian aid, getting back to basics on peace and security will be at the top of our criteria. Ambassador barto's and I are conducting meetings as we speak. I want to underline that I share your concerns.
▶ 1:09:23Sen. Ricketts: Should the united states be prepared to use its leverage to block candidates like Dr. bachelet who failed to meet the standard?
▶ 1:09:31Mr. Waltz: The united states will be prepared to ensure that the next secretary-general is aligned with the american values and interests.
▶ 1:09:38Sen. Ricketts: The u.n. Special rep and tour on the palestinian territories has repeatedly used her position to advance extreme inflammatory claims against israel. She has accused israel of genocide claiming that it has a license to torture and using rhetoric that many have identified as anti-semitic including language that trivializes the holocaust.
▶ 1:10:04Sen. Ricketts: She also directly targeted american companies accusing firms of complicity in war crimes calling for investigations and potential prosecution. That is why the united states decided to sanction her. What is concerning is that since this has happened she has continued to double down. She has continued to accuse israel of genocide and promote false narratives on the world stage doing so under the banner of the united nations. At some point this is about whether the u.n.
▶ 1:10:29Sen. Ricketts: Is willing to charge all rate -- willing to tolerate anti-semitism. Do believe the u.n. Has taken meaningful steps to address francesca albanese's conduct?
▶ 1:10:43Mr. Bartos: No. This is one of the examples where the u.n. -- this is very simple. They are doing stupid things. They are poisoning their brand. It is self sabotage. The message I delivered to the leadership at the u.n.
▶ 1:10:58Mr. Bartos: When I talk about my observations about the outstanding work they do to deliver life-saving aid in remote locations at scale with a robust supply chain, the contrast to that and what I say to the leadership -- I will clean up my language because we are in the U.S.
▶ 1:11:15Mr. Bartos: Senate -- how the heck do you allow someone to put on your uniform like this lunatic, francesca albanese, and poison the good work of the humanitarian workers on the front lines risking their lives to save total strangers. It is inspiring to see. How can the same organization allow this lunatic to put on the uniform and poison all that good work? It is self sabotage of the worst.
▶ 1:11:45Mr. Bartos: In corporate america where we both come from this business would be out of business for behavior like this. I made that point. Where we need to get better, stronger, smarter is I'm heading to geneva next weekend I will be meeting with many of the perm reps who can decide it is time to fire this lunatic. Am I going to be successful? I look forward to reporting back on those conversations but it is time to operationalize.
▶ 1:12:14Mr. Bartos: Ambassador waltz's leadership, the president's leadership, our team's leadership on sanctioning this lunatic was the right thing to do and it's time to make sure she is fired along with other special rapporteurs poisoning the good work and good name of the brave humanitarians in the field. It has to happen now. This self sabotage has to stop.
▶ 1:12:33Sen. Ricketts: I appreciate that answer and agree 100%. There are many of us who feel the u.n. Is a deeply anti-semitic organization. To the extent that you can get rid of the bad actors who contribute to propagating that, I think you will do the u.n. A huge favor.
▶ 1:12:50Chair Risch: Thank you. I concur with those statements and I really concur with your analysis and approach to this thing as to how when you have something that is decent you have this incredible poisonous thing going on.
▶ 1:13:09Chair Risch: I used the same analogy when it came -- this organization within the united nations that was absolutely poisoning the rest of what the u.n. Tries to do. I hope you keep that up. Senator coons.
▶ 1:13:29Sen. Coons: Thank you, chairman, ambassador waltz, ambassador bartos, it is nice to have you with this and appreciate your service at the united nations. A question about the war in iran and a concern that I have and dedicate most of my time to talk about your good work trying to advance u.n. Reforms. I'm encouraged at the outset ambassador waltz and representative barto's to say that you believe the human and is doing good and valuable work.
▶ 1:13:58Sen. Coons: That there are entities like the wipo where we have to participate. We have to push back on chinese influence and competing views that would impact our role in the world, safety and security. If they get back to basics they can contribute to the world, humanitarian relief, peace and security. Hearing about your recent trip to three countries in africa to see peacekeeping, refugee support, humanitarian aid delivery was encouraging.
▶ 1:14:27Sen. Coons: There is plenty that we disagree about. I want to focus on a few things we agree on and if concise questions, if I could. Ambassador, we are six weeks into a war in iran. We haven't had the secretaries of defense, state, or any senior representative in front of us. So, you may be surprised that we agree on a lot. An unchecked regime is a profound threat to us, our allies, our values.
▶ 1:14:55Sen. Coons: A nuclear armed iran is unacceptably dangerous. It is in our interest that the strait of hormuz be free and open and internationally controlled. This far into this war on gravely concerned that we still have an ayatollah, the son of, we haven't controlled their enriched uranium, we haven't reopen the strait of hormuz, and of the president announced today the deployment of thousands more U.S. troops.
▶ 1:15:23Sen. Coons: We may be on the verge of major combat operations on the ground in iran. I hope and pray this for holds and the blockade is effective and it is a better deal than what the jcpoa achieved.
▶ 1:15:41Sen. Coons: If the tempo of this war resumes again and we lose more american service members and spend more of the american taxpayer dollar, one of my core concerns is the lack of any effort to consult and inform congress or seek our authorization. We share an understanding that the president has not asked for a declaration of war, is that correct?
▶ 1:16:02Mr. Waltz: The president has not asked congress for a declaration of war.
▶ 1:16:09Sen. Coons: And we have not declared were officially in decades, but we have, in the previous conflict in the persian gulf, had hearing after hearing after hearing and votes in congress for authorization of the use of military force. We also had a number of conflicts that respect of the war powers resolution, 60 day termination clock, which if we were following that, we would have about 15 days left.
▶ 1:16:33Sen. Coons: Simple question is, are you aware of any plans to seek authorization from congress if a full-scale ground war begins or if this conflict resumes, the cease-fire stops, and would you support congress authorizing this conflict so that the war fighters we are sending into this region know that they have the support of the american people through their elected representatives?
▶ 1:16:56Mr. Waltz: Senator, thank you for the question. I certainly would not and should not get ahead of the president and his engagement with congress and certainly will not presume that we would have, as you described, a full-blown ground combat. I think we have seen the president, as we are seeing right now, there is a whole slew of options in between where we are now in some type of ground combat.
▶ 1:17:25Mr. Waltz: Taking the leverage away from iran, they are trying to punish the world with the closure of the strait of hormuz, with attacking civilian shipping. I can tell you, in the u.n., we had a human record, 135 nations joint our rain, and -- joined our rain in the united states. It was incredibly notable to see that kind of unity.
▶ 1:17:57Mr. Waltz: I am glad also that we agree that we cannot have a nuclear armed iran, and I am thankful the president is taking decisive action now before it is complete.
▶ 1:18:09Sen. Coons: Before I ran out of time, we were not briefed on an imminent threat or presented information in a classified or open setting that justified the idea that there was an imminent threat. We cannot pursue negotiations. In the absence of either, clear request and authorization, it has given me a great pause. We share views on the dangers of the region, and increasingly aligning adversaries around the world, iran, russia, china.
▶ 1:18:41Sen. Coons: I'm hopeful you will convey the message back that a prompt briefing on what was the imminent threat that precipitated this conflict and an urgency around requesting authorization. Instead, we will simply keep voting on war powers resolution's here that will send a divided message, and I do not want to send our young men and women into harm's way with a divided message from this congress. If I could take 30 seconds, Mr.
▶ 1:19:08Sen. Coons: Chairman, I want to say, I appreciate that you are making progress in reducing the bloat and personnel and overreach in expenditures at the u.n. I hope you will also listen to the ranking members, and upfront which I agree with strongly, we are better off when we are with our allies, when we are voting in the human and when we are acting in the you and, in concert and partnership with the countries that share our values, standing up to those actions and statements that do not but also partnering with those that do.
▶ 1:19:40Sen. Coons: The conflict in ukraine and russia's aggression, where we should be standing much more closely and consistently with partners and allies, the resolution of the war in iran, or the urgency in deploying and using the humanitarian funding that has been appropriated, I look forward to working with you and making sure that we make the u.n. An effective and meaningful ownership for peace that it can and should be. Two thank you, senator coons.
▶ 1:20:09Sen. Coons: Good to hear your initial statements on the matters regarding iran that we all agree when -- agree with concerning nuclear weapons. So the record is totally clear, it is true that the administration did not go to the 535 members of congress and indicate the imminent threat, but a number of people were well advised of the threat,
▶ 1:20:39Sen. Coons: Particularly those of us who work --
▶ 1:20:43Sen. Coons: I have access and have asked for it repeatedly and have gotten nothing. Two as do I, and I have.
▶ 1:20:49Sen. Coons: The inequality, is the point I am trying to make. If you do not inform and brief democrats and republicans in the relevancy of their roles, I am the senior democrat of defense appropriations, I should know and I have not been briefed.
▶ 1:21:05Chair Risch: Thank you so much, we will move to senator hagerty.
▶ 1:21:11Sen. Hagerty: Thank you, Mr. chairman, and he went to the gentleman today for your willingness to serve. I am heartened to see such strong leadership at the united nations. Delighted to have you here today. I would like to talk to you, ambassador waltz, a bit about our allies and their support of our efforts, particularly in iran. If I think about it, president trump has been rather concerned about the response of some of our allies, even allies who serve as permanent members on the un security council.
▶ 1:21:42Sen. Hagerty: I wanted to get your thoughts on the dynamics of the u.n. Security council. How are our allies working with us and would you like to see more from allies?
▶ 1:21:55Mr. Waltz: Thank you, senator. While there is a lot of consternation, I would say, specially focused on our european partners and their positions, which, frankly, most americans find outrageous -- we are not asking them to commit ground troops are asking them to commit other forces. Simple overflight rights, simple use of bases we have contributed to for many decades.
▶ 1:22:26Mr. Waltz: I do not think they are unfair asks and will certainly affect the relationship going forward. But here is the good news, and here is what I absolutely think backfired, is backfiring, on iran for the foreseeable future. Our gulf allies have never been more united. They have had real issue with each other in yemen, sudan, and other places.
▶ 1:22:50Mr. Waltz: But right now, as they get bombarded, iran could have responded in all kinds of ways. I think some people expected them to perhaps attack our bases in the middle east, but to launch the hundreds and thousands of drones and missiles into resorts and hotels, in civilian neighborhoods, civilian infrastructure is absolutely outrageous.
▶ 1:23:18Mr. Waltz: And I was very encouraged to see 135 countries align with bahrain , with the gcc, and stand firm to condemn that in international law through the u.n. Security council. And going forward, many of these -- it is a tough neighborhood, qatar, uae, others. Qatar had a free trade zone in iran, had banking services iran used, shares a gas field.
▶ 1:23:47Mr. Waltz: They are solidly on our side in this conflict. They have seen iran for what it is, and they are all thanking us profusely at the highest levels that we have taken action before iran blackmailed the world and region with a nuclear weapon.
▶ 1:24:06Sen. Hagerty: I think the world has had an opportunity see what iran truly is, as you say. It is heartening to see allies step up and also disheartening to see some long-standing allies who I would have thought would have been standing shoulder to shoulder with us behave in such a feckless manner. I very much appreciate your leadership.
▶ 1:24:27Sen. Hagerty: And I hope showing a mirror to those members that have been our allies for a long time, particularly on the you win security council, that the united states will lead from a strong position -- particularly on the you in security council.
▶ 1:24:43Mr. Waltz: I want to be clear there, senator, look, we share the same values, share the same goals. We can be friends and family and have disagreements, but I would not call it a divorce by any means. But we do need our european allies, regardless of their political position -- there is a real lack of military capability in many ways, and that is being exposed right now as iran tries to hold the world's economy hostage.
▶ 1:25:12Mr. Waltz: We cannot have a situation, whether it is the strait of gibraltar, the bering strait, straight -- strait were two parties have a conflict, regardless of you think of it, uses international waterways to impose collective punishment on the rest of the world. So we are taking strong action in the security council, and there is even discussion now, finally, of the u.n.
▶ 1:25:35Mr. Waltz: Lading -- labeling the irgc a terrorist organization, which is exactly what it is.
▶ 1:25:46Sen. Hagerty: I applaud that. I want to raise one other issue, concerned we all have, and that is the united states is the largest funder of the united nations. It is a simple question we ask ourselves, how effective is the u.n.? Are we getting our money's worth and return on our investment? I will start with you, Mr. bartos, then Mr. waltz.
▶ 1:26:08Mr. Bartos: Senator, I think it is a mixed bag, a great question that we ask ourselves every day and our team has worked on. Some colleagues and career civil service have worked on it for a decade or more. We care deeply about the organization and making it fit for purpose in making it work. So on the humanitarian side, from what I got to see in the field, they are doing really good work.
▶ 1:26:33Mr. Bartos: Any of my fellow pennsylvanians and fellow floridians, if they were in the field and qatar or kenya, they would be really proud of seeing those american flags helping, inspiring courageous people who fled atrocities to seek red shoe, -- seek refuge, and the u.n. Is taking good care of them.
▶ 1:26:58Mr. Bartos: With the senator points out, it is right, we have tackled in this administration the pervasive, unconscionable bias against not only our ally israel and against the west, but U.S. companies through special repertoire and so-called human rights council, it has to stop, and the u.n. Has to stop doing stupid things. We are not getting our moneys worth there, so on the peace and security, it is a mixed bag.
▶ 1:27:26Mr. Bartos: The central african republic, the mission, it is trending in the right direction. Some missions are not getting it done, and we will see the sunsetting of some later this year because of ambassador waltz's leadership and the team's leadership and the vision and leadership the president and secretary have asked us to execute on. So I think it is a mixed back. God willing, we have a couple more years to drive these reforms, and I hope to report back to you before the end of 2028 that we have achieved a whole number of reforms.
▶ 1:27:57Mr. Bartos: I think it is a mixed bag and we recognize we have a long way to go.
▶ 1:28:02Haggard -- Sen. Hagerty: It is encouraging.
▶ 1:28:07Sen. Shaheen: I want to correct, our understanding is the european partners have not denied us flight rights. There was one flight that france denied over a paperwork issue, but they are giving us overflight, use for the war in iran.
▶ 1:28:26Chair Risch: Senator, I am not absolutely certain of that. At the very beginning, I think there was an absolute prohibition of flights, and they have domestic political issues at home to do that. And I agree with that, that has softened. But it was a horrible mistake made at the beginning, particularly as ambassador waltz indicated, where we had actually paid for the bases to land in.
▶ 1:28:56Chair Risch: But that is an argument for another day. Let's move on to senator murphy.
▶ 1:29:04Sen. Murphy: Thank you, Mr. chairman. We are having a discussion about the iran war right now because, Mr. ambassador, you are the most senior member of the president's national security team to testify before this committee, on the most significant military engagement the U.S. has entered into in the region in decades. Those of us on the democratic side do find it amazing that we still have not had an open hearing in this committee, the armed services committee, on this conflict. The u.n.
▶ 1:29:34Sen. Murphy: Has historically been at the center of the development of the laws of war, which help prevent millions of unnecessary civilian deaths and conflict. The U.S. has traditionally been at the center of the process. President trump has said that if iran does not comply with his demands, that he will end iran's civilization, with specific threats to target civilian infrastructure.
▶ 1:30:01Sen. Murphy: This looks to a lot of us, and to the world, like a promise by the president of the united states to commit war crimes. I am sure you do not agree with that assessment. But we have never had a president before threaten to end an entire civilization and double down on that claim if that country does not cede to the demands of the united states.
▶ 1:30:28Sen. Murphy: So what does the president mean when he says that if these negotiations do not work out, he will end iran's civilization?
▶ 1:30:39Mr. Waltz: Senator, I think that statement, in the broader context, he also talked about attacking infrastructure, bridges, power plants, and we all know iran has a long history of co-mingling civilian and military of hiding weapons in hospitals and schools, and using what could be just pure civilian infrastructure to also power factories for drones, missiles, and the irgc controls nearly 50% of the economy.
▶ 1:31:10Mr. Waltz: I think it looks like, frankly -- look --
▶ 1:31:15Sen. Murphy: I guess, what does it mean to end a civilization?
▶ 1:31:19Mr. Waltz: We have to look at the fact that you have a regime that literally chants death to america for the last 47 years and has acted on it, killed thousands of americans, has slaughtered its own people. How many machine gun bullets does it take over the course of a week to kill 40,000 of its own people?
▶ 1:31:40Sen. Murphy: Does that merit a threat to end civilization?
▶ 1:31:44Mr. Waltz: Senator, it was some tough talk, and the result was we had the highest level engagement in the history of the iranian regime, with the vice president and speaker of the parliament less than a week later. We had a ceasefire 48 hours later. They clearly got the message, and they clearly came back to the table.
▶ 1:32:04Sen. Murphy: I guess it is an open question as to whether we should try to pursue our aims by threatening another nation with mass civilian casualty. I do not know that that is something we should celebrate that we were able to get our demands by threatening to kill --
▶ 1:32:21Mr. Waltz: Look, as a former military member, and I feel safe -- I save speaking for the military, they take every caution possible to avoid civilian casualties. But this regime responded, and again, if we focus on the results over the rhetoric, they came to the table, they got the message, they put the ceasefire in place. They have not honored it with the strait of hormuz. Now we have talks on going.
▶ 1:32:47Sen. Murphy: Let me ask you about the strait, because that is impacting our constituents and a significant way. Did the administration anticipate that iran would close the strait, or was that a surprise?
▶ 1:33:02Mr. Waltz: Oh, I can tell you having formerly worked at the pentagon and been in the military for 27 years in the committees I sat on in congress, that has been war games over and over and over again by centcom. As you know, the centcom commander was the former fifth fleet commander out of bahrain.
▶ 1:33:24Sen. Murphy: So it was anticipated?
▶ 1:33:27Mr. Waltz: Well, it was anticipated, to my knowledge. Again, I am sitting up at the u.n.. Absolutely. But at the same time, the measures they took to sink nearly two dozen mine layers, to go after those land-based missiles that they are using, to go after the drone -- not just the drones but the manufacturing capability, was to drastically reduce that threat. Which is why I think you see no dozens of ships moving over the last few days.
▶ 1:33:58Sen. Murphy: Dozens of ships moving compared to hundreds normally.
▶ 1:34:02Mr. Waltz: Well, sure. Iran, in violation of national law, declared now the strait of hormuz its own waters. It is essentially punishing the entire world, and I think the president should be applauded for flipping the script, because now their ships cannot.
▶ 1:34:17Sen. Murphy: One clarification, is it a goal of a word to enact regime change? If so, have you accomplished that goal? The president has referred to the regime having changed and that being a successful byproduct of the war.
▶ 1:34:33Mr. Waltz: Senator, I think the president has made his goals quite clear from a military standpoint. The vice president made it clear in islamabad, open the sea lanes, no nuclear program, end decades of support of terrorism, and negotiate an arrangement that is verifiable and enforceable.
▶ 1:34:53Sen. Murphy: So not regime change?
▶ 1:34:56Mr. Waltz: If the regime changes in some fashion or form, I tell you what, the regime has to change its behavior. It is unacceptable and cannot have a nuclear weapon.
▶ 1:35:05Sen. Lee: Thanks so much to both of you for being here. Thanks for all you do on behalf of our country. With respect to both of you, I want to begin by thanking you for your tireless work to improve things within the u.n., especially to advance american interests at the u.n..
▶ 1:35:26Sen. Lee: Cannot imagine -- actually, I can imagine, but I can only imagine that -- how much work this has to have entailed, to bring about that reform. There is an immense difficulty involved in trying to reform this 193 member state organization. Especially one as deeply flawed and often backwards as the u.n. Is. Organizations as large and bloated as the u.n. Tend to resist change.
▶ 1:35:56Sen. Lee: It is almost an organic response. Yet, through your efforts, the u.n. Did something for the first time, something remarkable. It cut at least by $570 million. Both of you and president trump should be committed for your work to reform the u.n.. But I want to zoom out on that for a second. I do not want to merely make the u.n.
▶ 1:36:20Sen. Lee: More efficient and more streamlined, because if we lose sight of the ultimate goal, then reform efforts can be a little bit like putting lipstick on a pig and just calling it a reformed pig or something like that. The ultimate goal, in my view, has to be something that involves advancing U.S. interests. The interests of the united states of america. And it is getting harder and harder, at least for me, to see how the united nations does that. The u.n.
▶ 1:36:50Sen. Lee: Aggressively defends and demands a very rigid orthodoxy in terms of the type of multilateralism that the U.S. faces at the u.n. And it demands that we relinquish sovereignty, often to serve the interests of adversaries like china.
▶ 1:37:15Sen. Lee: But in an age of great power, a competition like ours, multilateral institutions cannot find themselves, cannot allow themselves to become impartial to one great power over another great power. Our adversaries flourish in a system we created because of how that system was designed and how it has evolved. We see this from time to time at other multilateral institutions, but especially within the u.n.
▶ 1:37:48Sen. Lee: We cannot rely on the u.n. And cannot let it continue to be a drain on U.S. resources and efforts, especially if it will be undermining us. Ambassador waltz, I would like to start with you. I frequently hear that if the U.S. were to disengage at the u.n., either completely or to whatever degree, then china would step in and fill the gap. Some say that that is the reason that we have shoveled billions upon billions of dollars into the u.n.
▶ 1:38:17Sen. Lee: And continue to do so to the tune of tens of billions of dollars a year. Even though these are efforts that do not really help us, do not advance U.S. interests. It our main objective at the u.n., as you see it, is it to counterbalance adversaries like china, or does the U.S. materially benefit from the u.n. In other ways?
▶ 1:38:45Mr. Waltz: Senator, I think it is a fundamental question and one that we wrestle with every day. But I would say both. For example, for our industries, it is kind of one of those things, if we did not invent it, somebody else would, for entrepreneurs and businesses, we have to have their ip protected and treated a certain way.
▶ 1:39:11Mr. Waltz: When it leaves our shores and is outside of U.S. jurisdictions, intellectual property organization is incredibly important. I do not know about you, when pilots are flying around the world, I want them speaking english. I want air traffic controllers and mechanics trained at a certain standard, international aviation organization. Things like spectrum, space, telecommunication, radio, undersea cables, international sea beds, how that is treated with the new mining efforts.
▶ 1:39:40Mr. Waltz: Essentially, everything that is regulated here, and as painful as that is, is regulated internationally. Now you have e.u., russians, chinese, and everyone else involved. My argument is we have to get out there and fight, block, tackle, and went for an american industry and for the american people. To your point on how else we benefit, bert and sherry is a key component. We have -- burden sharing is a key component.
▶ 1:40:11Mr. Waltz: I do not want american troops in some of these places, like what president clinton did in the 1990's. Now we have an international force, and rather than paying $1 billion a year as we were under the last administration, we will cut that bill by three quarters and hopefully at least arrest the problem so they can get some kind of political process moving forward. I can cite you other places where we are pushing that burden sharing, that america first approach, and that fight and block and tackle approach.
▶ 1:40:42Mr. Waltz: We just not have not -- we just have not done it and some of these organizations, and we need to be.
▶ 1:40:47Chair Risch: Senator kaine.
▶ 1:40:51Sen. Casey: Thank you, Mr. chair, and the witnesses. -- Sen. kaine: thank you, Mr. chair, and witnesses. I think a challenge you have that pretty much everybody in america would agree with, america first, but most people in america would not agree with america alone. I think the interpretation of the actions of the administration, a lot of people are wondering whether it is america first or america alone.
▶ 1:41:19Sen. Casey: I would like to introduce for the record the list of organizations and treaties the U.S. has withdrawn from during president trump's first and second administrations, five-page list, if I might share. Folks see that, they see the president trash talking allies, talking about canada is a 51st state or an invasion of greenland, connected to a nato ally.
▶ 1:41:48Sen. Casey: They look at a president willy-nilly imposing tariffs on allies, including allies with which we are in trade surplus, like australia, not trade deficit. And they raise the question, is this about america first or america alone? They look at the president's threats to withdraw from nato and asked the same question. I think those questions have been very sharpened by the war in iran. It is a war where the president has not sought congressional authorization, as other presidents have in the past.
▶ 1:42:20Sen. Casey: It is a war where the president did not consult in advance with allies whose economies are being significantly affected by the war. It is a war that the administration has not yet presented to my satisfaction to congress a clear rationale or a clear plan, and the information that has been presented thus far has only been presented on class -- classified so we are not able to share fully with our constituents who have kids who
▶ 1:42:52Sen. Casey: Could be in the theater of war, what we know about it. We are still awaiting the first sets of hearings. Mr. secretary, it is unfair for you to be the first kind of visible before us, because these are questions that are not completely in your remit, and I get that. But the issue of this war has really sharpened this question of, is the administration pursuant america first policy or america alone policy?
▶ 1:43:18Sen. Casey: As you know, it has cost 13 service members their lives and others injured, innocent civilians have been killed, which is always the case even under the best of circumstances. It is sad that you cannot avoid that. And the economic consequences to the united states are sharp, and constituents are paying more for a gallon of gas than they were on february 27.
▶ 1:43:43Sen. Casey: $8 million coming out of virginians pockets every day, and this is spread throughout the country and world. Allies like australia are really suffering because they import oil, and with the escalating oil costs, what it has done to them since february 27. Do we care about allies or are we pursuing an america alone strategy?
▶ 1:44:10Sen. Casey: To the honorable waltz, you have an ambassador's rank, you have talked about the president wanting to make sure that iran does not have a nuclear weapon. And we know this, but just in case there are folks who are watching who do not know this, the united states over the course of two years have negotiated a deal with iran, with our european allies, and with adversaries, china and russia, and the first page of
▶ 1:44:41Sen. Casey: That agreement said as following, iran reaffirms that under no circumstances will iran ever seek, develop, or acquire any nuclear weapons. That was a forever promise. There are some aspects of the deal that were 10 or 15 year promises.
▶ 1:45:01Sen. Casey: There were two forever premises, one was succession to the additional protocol requiring a truce of inspections by the iaea, and the second was this, iran would never seek to acquire or develop nuclear weapons. Iran abided by that until the united states, under president trump's leadership, tore up the deal, unilaterally. The international atomic energy agency said it was working, allies said it was working.
▶ 1:45:33Sen. Casey: President trump's first secretaries of defense and state urged him to stay in the deal, that it was working. The president tore it up. And what I find tragic is we have service members now losing their lives because the united states destroyed a diplomatic deal. When you make diplomacy impossible, you make war inevitable. So I am going to ask this one question.
▶ 1:45:58Sen. Casey: At what point should the deep public unpopularity of the war be a factor that the nation's civilian decision-makers need to take into account to decide whether to continue it or not?
▶ 1:46:12Mr. Waltz: Senator, there is a lot in that question, and I will tell you, one, nato is far better because of the tough love it has received from this president and from this administration. We have gone from seven of 30 to 30 of 30 in the last 10 years. It might be some mean tweets and tough love, but they have gotten the message, and we now have every nato ally meeting the minimum.
▶ 1:46:40Mr. Waltz: And if you would have said 10 years ago they would be going to 5%, you would have been left out of the room on the international organization, yes, it is 66, but it is out of 400. We have never taken a comprehensive review of were all the money is going and what we are getting for it. When we have organizations like the pan american institute of geography or the permanent form of the people of african dissent or the international cotton advisory committee, I think we ask those tough questions.
▶ 1:47:08Mr. Waltz: I want to direct those dollars or be pulled out of into those --
▶ 1:47:13Sen. Kaine: Human rights of latin america --
▶ 1:47:17Mr. Waltz: Into those organizations directly affecting our businesses. Finally, on iran, I just looked at two polls this morning, 70% -- and this is according to a widely used poster, 74% agreed that iran can never have a nuclear weapon, and they have shown their true colors. Rest mucin has it at 54% that says -- rasmussen has it at 54% says they never can.
▶ 1:47:47Sen. Kaine: We controlled it diplomatically. We ripped that up. It is a badness.
▶ 1:47:51Mr. Waltz: That deal would have had iran flushed with cash, terrorist proxies flushed with cash. The enrichment component has expired.
▶ 1:48:01Sen. Kaine: It does not forbid us from going into those activities.
▶ 1:48:05Mr. Waltz: The iaea went to its board of governors for the first time in decades, said enron was absolutely not in compliance.
▶ 1:48:12Sen. Kaine: After the U.S. to up the deal.
▶ 1:48:15Mr. Waltz: No need to enrich to 60% pure no country in the world has.
▶ 1:48:20Sen. Kaine: And they would not have. They did not do that until we tore up the deal. We should not have tore it up.
▶ 1:48:26Mr. Waltz: Senator, they were cheating on the deal before the deal. That was exposed in 2018. You were only allowed to see certain sites with a months advance notice, and they had a slew of hidden military sites that not only are allies but the iaea exposed.
▶ 1:48:44Chair Risch: Senator kaine, I have been really generous. We have had this debate here a number of times now. But I appreciate that and we are off subject. Thank you for those remarks. Senator scott.
▶ 1:49:01Sen. Scott: Thank you, chairman. Today's hearing on reform and the united nations could not come at a more important moment. Across america, families are asking whether their tax dollars are working for them or against them. As secretary rubio said, with every dime we spend, you asked, does this make america safer, stronger, more prosperous? We need to be able to tell constituents absolutely yes. I am introducing two bills to do that. First is to stop support for unra act of 2026.
▶ 1:49:31Sen. Scott: It has operated as a permanent refugee -- evidence has clearly shown that employees actively supported hamas, promoted anti-semitic and extremist content in schools, even participated in atrocities against israeli civilians. This bill will make permanent what has been U.S. policy since october 7, end all funding to unra and any entities related to it or any that may come after it.
▶ 1:50:00Sen. Scott: This will revoke the privileges that unra officials hold under the organization's community sect. So those who support terrorism can be held directly accountable , rather than be shouldered by diplomatic status. It ensures U.S.
▶ 1:50:14Sen. Scott: Taxpayers will never again be forced to sponsor state department identifying this as supporting terrorism, and the american people should not have to hand over their hard-earned money to support organizations that funnel resources to state sponsors of terror. The second bill I am introducing is the igo anti-boycott act.
▶ 1:50:37Sen. Scott: 1970's, congress acted to stop the arab attempt and passed laws to make it clear an american company would face financial consequences if they participate in the boycott, and it worked. Today, however, the same campaign of economic pressure works through international bodies. U.n. Agencies another other igf pots that have blacklisted israeli companies and seek to delegitimize israeli economy.
▶ 1:51:04Sen. Scott: The principle is simple, when congress can never let the whim of an international body override the security, prosperity of the american people. America's sovereignty means we will decide what we support, whom we trade with, and who we defend. My bills affirm our commitment to allies will never be supported to the agendas of unaccountable international organizations. To say clearly than america stands for accountability, freedom, allies who share our belief in liberty, not those who rip us off by taking our tax dollars to defend terrorists.
▶ 1:51:34Sen. Scott: I want to thanks senator hoeven, senator scott, senator ricketts, senator hagerty, and others for their support. I want to invite you to share any thoughts you have on these bills and on the broader question of how the united states can ensure contributions to international organizations advance, not a road, our values.
▶ 1:51:52Mr. Waltz: Thank you, senator scott. I, for one, certainly appreciate your leadership on this. Obviously, we will have to look carefully at the text of it, but I certainly support it in concept. The president, one of the first things he did coming out the gate was put an executive order in place, no funding to unra. Congress has voted for years. Unfortunately, off and on, to not fund unra.
▶ 1:52:22Mr. Waltz: I hope, pending a hard look at it, that your bill moves through the senate. Secretary rubio has said unra has been completely infiltrated by hamas and has to go. The good news is, with the national committee for the administration of gaza, which sits under the board of peace, instituted and established through the u.n. Security council they will start taking on those functions, both aid delivery, public services, and the most important, education.
▶ 1:52:53Mr. Waltz: We are working with a number of our gulf arab partners and muslim majority nations on education reform, curriculum reforms, so we do not have that next generation of gazans and palestinians getting absolutely radicalized and pushed towards violence with hamas' stated goal of eliminating israel as a nation and the jewish people.
▶ 1:53:19Sen. Scott: What are you most proud of that you have gotten accomplished?
▶ 1:53:24Mr. Waltz: I will tell you, getting the president's 20 point peace plan stamped under international law, seeing the entire world, including many european partners, stand with him, celebrate the plan, then getting that through the council of 13 to zero.
▶ 1:53:44Mr. Waltz: As I told the council members, you had two choices, you have hamas continuing to rule gaza, you had the idf in terms of occupation of gaza, or let's work together and try this new path.
▶ 1:53:58Mr. Waltz: I have to tell you, too, seeing those hostages come out, having their families come and visit, jeff and I, and hugged us when they never thought -- I do not think anybody thought we would see every single living and deceased hostage come out of those tunnels.
▶ 1:54:18Mr. Waltz: It was -- and I think the president, his team, special envoy witkoff, jared kushner, the secretary deserve enormous credit through history for saving those lives. There was not a single hostage through those tunnels for the first time in a decade, and that is something.
▶ 1:54:37Sen. Scott: I think both of you for your hard work.
▶ 1:54:40Mr. Waltz: Thank you, senator.
▶ 1:54:47Sen. Van Hollen: H
▶ 1:54:51Sen. Van Hollen: Thank you. With respect to unra, that is inconsistent with U.S. intelligence committee reports, so I urge you to review those reports. I know sometimes some in this administration do not pay attention to them, but I urge you to do that. We can agree that the u.n. Would benefit from reform.
▶ 1:55:13Sen. Van Hollen: I hope you will also agree that we should work collectively to uphold international law, including international humanitarian law and the geneva convention. All of which the united states helped shape in the aftermath of world war ii. Would you agree with me on that?
▶ 1:55:30Mr. Waltz: Absolutely, senator, of course.
▶ 1:55:33Sen. Van Hollen: Good. Now, we need to enforce that. When you were a member of the house, you said that president biden needed to make clear that "putin is an absolute war criminal." do you stand by your statement that putin is an absolute or criminal?
▶ 1:55:50Mr. Waltz: I will tell you, senator, statements I made as a member of congress are very different than what I make now as an ambassador to the u.n. Working for president trump and representing the U.S.
▶ 1:56:04Sen. Van Hollen: Are you retracting that?
▶ 1:56:06Mr. Waltz: I support president in everything he is doing to try to end this.
▶ 1:56:12Sen. Van Hollen: I found it very interesting that you called upon former president biden to condemn putin in this way and you will not call upon president trump to do the same thing. As you know, he has refused to do what you called upon president biden to do.
▶ 1:56:27Mr. Waltz: It is quite difficult to mediate the end of a war if you take such a maximalist approach, and on being a diplomat and mediator and fulfilling his goals, working for him and his agenda, is very different than when you are elected member of congress.
▶ 1:56:44Sen. Van Hollen: It was a simple question. You are not asking this president to do what you asked the last president to do. Would you agree that we should enforce and that there be consequences for war crimes? And let me ask you a different way, would you agree it would be a violation of international law to blow up a bunch of civilian infrastructure in iran because iran did not agree to open the strait of hormuz?
▶ 1:57:14Sen. Van Hollen: That would be a violation?
▶ 1:57:17Mr. Waltz: Actually, that is incorrect. We have a long history -- we could look at video after video of the bridges that we bombed in world war ii and vietnam, conflict after conflict, of power plants in serbia --
▶ 1:57:34Sen. Van Hollen: Mr. ambassador, this was not my question. Mr. ambassador -- I am going to have to. Mr. ambassador, that was not my question. President trump threatened to hit civilian infrastructure if iran did not open the strait of hormuz. We all know international law and know there are some exceptions to the general rule that you should not hit civilian infrastructure. The enemy is occupying it. But my question was different.
▶ 1:58:00Sen. Van Hollen: You do not think it is a violation of international law to blow up a bunch of civilian infrastructure because the government of iran refused to open the strait of hormuz? You think that would be a violation of international law?
▶ 1:58:12Mr. Waltz: I think president trump will use every bit of leverage he has. And if you have military units using bridges to go down to the strait of hormuz and attacked international shipping and launch missiles into resorts and airports and ports across the strait, that is absolutely -- I got to tell you, as a veteran who had to pull these triggers, I think the president is absolutely --
▶ 1:58:37Sen. Van Hollen: I know you all like to talk rather than answer questions. But let me ask you this, your testimony is if you have an authoritarian regime anywhere in the world, because they are an authoritarian regime and do not obey U.S. demands, you can wipe out their civilian infrastructure. Let me ask you this, would it be violation of international law to destroy civilization? Would that be a violation of international law?
▶ 1:58:59Mr. Waltz: I think what you're talking about, senator, is a mean tweet that got -- with a regime that is genocidal, chants death to america, and you talk about tough language that actually the result of it was diplomacy. The result of it was the highest meeting in the history of the united states and the iranian regime. Was a return to the ceasefire. So you focus on what he says rather than what he does.
▶ 1:59:27Sen. Van Hollen: I think we should return to the time the strait of hormuz was open at the start of the war, then they got more radical and more extremist -- let me ask you this, I am going to submit some questions for the record on sudan, but I have one simple question. Did you see that secretary rubio had confirmed in earlier testimony that the rsf was committing genocide incident?
▶ 1:59:56Mr. Waltz: I did not see that. But we have a number of actions in the u.n. Security council sanctioning the leadership of the rsf.
▶ 2:00:08Sen. Van Hollen: Do you agree our partner with the uae should not be sending weapons to the rsf, which the U.S. government has concluded is committing genocide?
▶ 2:00:19Mr. Waltz: I would submit they are outside entities providing weapons and funding to both sides of the conflict. Special advisor -- senior advisor has led the effort to pull the quad countries together, and we are getting incredibly close to at least having humanitarian corridors to provide lifesaving aid, which the u.n. Will take the leading role in.
▶ 2:00:41Mr. Waltz: If that happens, we then want to move that to the security council, which would be not nearly enough progress but would certainly be a better situation than right now.
▶ 2:00:50Sen. Van Hollen: Any thing else that conflicts with the U.S. government and genocide other than the rsf?
▶ 2:01:00Mr. Waltz: Not to my knowledge.
▶ 2:01:02Sen. Van Hollen: I would think given those facts, we should get the uae to stop sending weapons to the rsf. Would you agree?
▶ 2:01:10Mr. Waltz: I would agree we should get all sides to stop sending weapons.
▶ 2:01:15Chair Risch: Senator barrasso is up next.
▶ 2:01:19Sen. Barrasso: Thank you, Mr. chairman. Ambassador waltz, great to see you again.
▶ 2:01:40Mr. Waltz: Thank you, sir.
▶ 2:01:42Sen. Barrasso: About a week ago, the u.n. Council elected some of the world's most notorious human rights abusers to roles on committees that are charged with protecting human rights and civil society. Islamic republic of iran, world's leading state sponsor of terrorism, is now going to help shape policy on women's rights and counterterrorism? That is what we saw happen a week ago.
▶ 2:02:07Sen. Barrasso: China, cuba, nicaragua will decide which human right scripps received accreditation at the united nations. And the united states, the only member to object. Are there specific reforms that you would support to prevent these serial human rights abusers from securing these kinds of u.n. Roles in the future?
▶ 2:02:28Mr. Waltz: Thank you for the question, senator, and it is one of the constant evaluations we are having, are some of these organizations so unredeemable that it is not worth another dollar of hard-earned taxpayer dollars, good money, after that, like the human rights council, that opens nearly every one of its meetings condemning israel, that has the so-called special repertoires, these experts that have a boycott list of american
▶ 2:02:59Mr. Waltz: Companies doing business there, and why this is so insidious is then they take these lists to these international organizations, like the icc and international court of justice, and try to de-bank them. They even had things like a george floyd commission, so you have these serial human rights abusers staffing committees to come pass judgment on our judicial system.
▶ 2:03:27Mr. Waltz: In that case, the president made the determination we will walk away. In other cases, we are getting in there and blocking and tackling the situation with iran you just mentioned is incredibly unfortunate, especially that we had a number of european allies support the nomination, which was outrageous.
▶ 2:03:43Mr. Waltz: The united states bought it and we actually supported other candidates from other organizations, like commission on the status of women, to ensure iran, which serially abuses women, killed the young girl for daring to not wear a hud job -- hajab, we were able to support some candidates and defeat them. We do not win them all. This time, we will walk away.
▶ 2:04:12Sen. Barrasso: We are going to move on climate agreements, and I think president trump did the right thing to restore fiscal sanity and energy reality. He officially ended our participation in the paris climate agreement. We stopped a dangerous practice. We are no longer subsidizing our competitors' economies while hampering our own. On january 7, the president went further, directing the withdrawal from several international organizations.
▶ 2:04:39Sen. Barrasso: We will no longer be the world's atm sheehan for radical climate policy. How can the U.S. ensure that -- we will no longer be the world's atm machine for radical climate policy. How will they continue this instead of what the u.n. Wants to do which is undermined as?
▶ 2:04:57Mr. Waltz: Regardless of where you are on either side of the aisle on climate, I hope you agree we do not need seven u.n. Agencies with their own headquarters, staff, executive boards focused on the climate issue. We were very proud in the month that the united states was president of the security council to have secretary of energy chris right there to preside over the council.
▶ 2:05:18Mr. Waltz: And talk to the world on that stage about energy addition, not transition, with the demands of ai, he said, I said, we cannot win the ai race on wind and solar. It is physically impossible. When we look at where ambassador bartos's just visited, places in africa, they just need to eat.
▶ 2:05:39Mr. Waltz: In fact, because of these ridiculous policies pushed by the u.n., these people are dependent on burning wood because these renewables do not work or provide enough energy and because they have been dissuaded from using things like coal and clean gas. So it is something where we have a lot of work to do, these policies in terms of esg and discriminatory policies emanate from these u.n.
▶ 2:06:08Mr. Waltz: Bodies appeared we were able to defeat what would have been the world's first global carbon tax, which would have levied $1 billion a month on global shipping that is powered by fossil fuel. It was insane. Again, some you walk away, some you fight and win. Rest assured, you have fighters here.
▶ 2:06:28Sen. Barrasso: I want to turn to the other fighter, ambassador bartos. Specifically status of china being a developing nation. The world's second-largest economy, second largest contributor to the u.n.. In september, they announced they would no longer be seeking special treatment, given the developing countries in the wto agreements, but how can the U.S. use china's world trade organization announcement to instigate a change of their designation of being a developing country?
▶ 2:06:59Sen. Barrasso: Clearly, they are not.
▶ 2:07:00Mr. Bartos: Thank you for the question, senator, and it is great to see you. I never miss an opportunity when I engage with u.n. Officials to mention that the large developing nation with a space program called china, and they always chuckle. Leadership understands how absurd it is, and it is something that we are focused on .
▶ 2:07:23Mr. Bartos: And the abuse that china is able to use by that designation in the system, taxpayer dollars from many contributing countries to go to delve out -- development aid in that country is unacceptable, something that as we negotiate budgets, not only do we have a budget negotiation coming up on peacekeeping, we will have the main session in the fall right after the general sibley, and it is something our team is focused on.
▶ 2:07:48Sen. Barrasso: Thank you. >> thank you, Mr. chairman. Thank you for bringing up human rights and women's rights. I am going to talk about women also. Thank you for that lean in. Ambassador waltz, I am concerned that the administration is retreating from attacking efforts to support women and girls globally despite sec. Reveals commitment to the contrary. The U.S.
▶ 2:08:17Sen. Barrasso: Has withdrawn the only human agency focused on women and women's health issues. U.n. Women and the u.n. Population fund, and human sec. -- u.n. Secretary general's office of sexual violence and conflict. Sexual violence against women and conflict. And the U.S. was recently the only no vote on the annual guiding document for u.n.'s commission on the status of women.
▶ 2:08:45Sen. Barrasso: Ambassador waltz, how and where is the administration carrying out support for women and girls globally, as they are often victimized in conflict and through just other governmental factors in their country, and they are really suffering?
▶ 2:09:02Mr. Waltz: Senator, thank you for the question. I would say two things. One, as a green beret, I served all over the world and have seen over and over again, and societies where women thrive in business, politics, civil society, from the village level to the municipal level to the national level, that is a better society for it. And you have far less extremism because of it.
▶ 2:09:28Mr. Waltz: The famous words of nobel peace prize laureate malala yousafzai, the thing extremists fear the most is a girl with a book. I was co-chair of the women's peace and security caucus in the house. The second point is, I would not conflate to the extent we can funding to an organization compared to importance of the issue.
▶ 2:09:56Mr. Waltz: Secretary rubio is committed to it and I am for the reasons I just laid out for you. But as we look through these organizations, many are duplicates of, many are symbolic. Many were not delivering the results that I think the american people -- despite some of the titles appeared where we are supporting is our funding that I talked about earlier, in unicef, world food program, and international organizations, the migration that do support women and girls in crisis.
▶ 2:10:25Sen. Rosen: It is really important. Perhaps we can meet off-line. Unicef has a lot of issues with trying to uplift children and taking care of children with some of these other programs. Maybe we can talk about some of these.
▶ 2:10:38Mr. Waltz: I have met with their leadership. Of note, we have the first lady is the first first lady ever to preside over the security council --
▶ 2:10:47Sen. Rosen: I have a limited time. Let me get to my two minutes. I agree, when women lead, we have less extremism. And that is a good way that we fight terrorism, it really is counterterrorism to support women and children. But the administration has also vastly expanded the global gag rule to include not just reproductive health but also gender-based and lgbt policies and programs and applied multinational organizations for the first time.
▶ 2:11:16Sen. Rosen: It is likely again to have a huge impact on women and girls and other vulnerable communities. Are you telling infected organizations about the policy? What is the status for waivers for international organizations so they can continue their work with non-us funds?
▶ 2:11:34Mr. Waltz: I will say very quickly, I am happy to hand it over to ambassador bartos, we are engaging on the implementation. As we speak, our chief lead advisor for the state department was just in new york, the undersecretary for foreign assistance is heading to geneva to sit down with these agencies on the implementation.
▶ 2:11:56Mr. Waltz: It is go forward, not existing awards or existing grants, but as we implement new grants together, the lawyers are working through effective implementation. I can tell you, we are committed to getting lifesaving aid to people in need and also reform development aid so it is creating jobs and not dependency.
▶ 2:12:15Sen. Rosen: Thank you. Did you want to add something to that.
▶ 2:12:19Mr. Bartos: It is a great question, senator, something I can report to you. Good to see you. Our team in new york, I personally met with a legal counselor at the u.n.. The undersecretary general in charge of the budget, we are working closely with our colleagues in the state department and have taken a whole of mission approach and working collaboratively with the state department to address this issue and make sure we are very effective up in new york, effective interlocutor to make
▶ 2:12:49Mr. Bartos: Sure the concerns are heard and we are finding solutions.
▶ 2:12:52Sen. Rosen: I think we do have to remember, as we fight terrorism around the world, co-counterterrorism's -- subcommittee, it is important that we look at marginalized communities, how they are being attacked, how they are being used as pawns often times, and how they may be subject to the will of our adversaries for their survival or their families survival.
▶ 2:13:19Sen. Rosen: This lets places like china and ever tear it -- adversaries to have more influence, so protecting these vulnerable communities, protecting women, children, this is a way, to your point, to stop terrorism or china or other folks from getting into communities and working against america's best interests, so there is a diplomatic mission to protect us women's rights.
▶ 2:13:44Chair Risch: Senator cruz.
▶ 2:13:45Sen. Cruz: Thank you, Mr. chairman. Ambassador waltz, a view minutes ago, senator van hollen was berating you about the military conflict in iran, asserting that the president's threat to attack civilian power plants was a war crime. It has long been said that you can have your own opinions but you cannot have your own facts, and what senator van hollen said was both factually and legally incorrect.
▶ 2:14:12Sen. Cruz: The pentagon has a manual on the law of war. Here is what the pentagon's manual on the law of war says on the question senator van hollen was racing. Electric power stations are generally recognized to be of sufficient importance to a states capacity to meet its wartime needs of communication transported industry, so as it usually to qualify as military advancements during armed conflicts.
▶ 2:14:43Sen. Cruz: It further notes, economic objects associated with military operations or with war supporting a war, sustaining industries have been regarded as military objectives. Is that consistent with your long-standing its experience, both with military conflict and with the laws of war?
▶ 2:15:04Mr. Waltz: Of course, that is consistent. Both as a legitimate military tactic and target. In my experience as a veteran and also now sitting in the world's flawed but premier international legal body.
▶ 2:15:20Sen. Cruz: Let's turn to a different topic. Within the state department, the usaid oig has traditionally taken a leading role in tracking the terrorist diversion of american systems. When it comes to aid flowing into hamas-controlled gaza strip, that task can only be described as incredibly daunting.
▶ 2:15:42Sen. Cruz: The biden administration port unaccountable billions of dollars into hamas-controlled gaza strip, and they deliberately off you skated where it was going and to whom it was going. We have only begun to see the outlines of that. A recent report in the washington free beacon revealed that numerous u.n. Agencies have been stonewalling oig's efforts to track their ties to terrorism and how they spent american aid.
▶ 2:16:09Sen. Cruz: They are even refusing to disclose whether they used american money to directly pay the salaries of hamas terrorists. Oig sent letters to six separate agencies, asking them to name all employees who worked on U.S. government funding of wars and provide contact information.
▶ 2:16:37Sen. Cruz: How concerned should we be about these dynamics and what should we be doing?
▶ 2:16:42Mr. Waltz: I share your concern. One of the reasons unra should be defunded, I think we should put it in law that it is permanently defunded and why an american lead, not only board of peace, but the civil military coordination center, headquarters, coordination center is in israel right now, it is so vital and effective.
▶ 2:17:12Mr. Waltz: It is pulling together the israelis, the egyptians, all the humanitarian aid agencies, and d conflicting and ensuring that as we provide that aid into gaza, and much of it is absolutely needed, that it does not get diverted like we have seen for decades and decades. Think of the hundreds of kilometers or hundreds of miles of tunnels, concrete, and steel. These things, I mean, they had factories underground.
▶ 2:17:41Mr. Waltz: They just use those to improve the lives of their people, one can only imagine. One of the many reasons hamas has to go. It is one of the reasons that this structure that we have set up under american leadership, from the international stabilization force, to the civil military coordination center, I think is the best chance we have had, perhaps ever, to finally resolve this conflict.
▶ 2:18:07Sen. Cruz: One final topic. As you have said and I believe this is widely shared by the committee, china poses the greatest geopolitical threat to the united states over the long term. That threat is global, systematic, and includes a sustained effort by the chinese communist party to shape and in many cases dominate the international organization. China has taken over international organizations, made them unaccountable, use them to advance chinese interests against the united states and our allies.
▶ 2:18:35Sen. Cruz: This pattern has been repeated over and over again across dozens of international organizations. Can you speak more broadly about china's systemic effort to shape international organizations, and what specific steps are we taking to counteract the chinese communist party's efforts to do so?
▶ 2:18:54Mr. Waltz: I think the biggest near-term step we should and are doing is to make sure we have american or like-minded allies in some of those key organ -- international organizations that most americans have never heard of that absolutely affect their everyday lives.
▶ 2:19:13Mr. Waltz: Again, whether it is governing ai, governing intellectual property, governing how we export our crops and where they go, kind of the world fda, for lack of a better term. We have to have american leadership their. We are aggressively running qualified people to the extent we cannot have american, we have like-minded individuals.
▶ 2:19:39Mr. Waltz: We hope to focus going forward where china is incredibly active, literally funding interns and junior officers into these organizations and then kind of growing them up from within. With that comes the demand that the organization uses deepseek, uses huawei, whether it is airports in africa or organizations that govern our daily lives and the global economy.
▶ 2:20:05Mr. Waltz: I can assure you we are in there, they are the second largest funder. But we are the largest. We establish these organizations, and we have to get in there.
▶ 2:20:19Sen. Cruz: Thank you.
▶ 2:20:25Sen. Lee: Looks like we have gotten participation by everyone who is going to ask questions, so mike since you're thank you to both of you for all you do and for the benefit of your testimony today. The information of our members, the record for this hearing will remain open until the close of business tomorrow, april 16. We ask the witness is to respond as probably as possible.
▶ 2:20:55Sen. Lee: Your responses will also be part of the record for this hearing. With the thanks of the committee and its members, the hearing now stands adjourned.