I think that is a lesson to be learned. That is one of the ways that we are going to have to make these changes so that we can get a hold of our spending so that we are not forced in really draconian cuts that would be much worse than this that we have seen in other countries.

I want to thank you, the ranking member, and all the members who have participated in putting together these very fine bills.

I think this is something, it is like anything else in life, if you have got a problem, if you ignore it it is not going to go away, it will get worse, and it is going to be worse to deal with and more expensive and more costly.

The horrific human rights abuses committed by Kim Jong-Un are an integral part of his power structure.

Access to the U.S. market should be dependent upon fair and balanced trade.

We must reauthorize the North Korean Human Rights Act to continue supporting human rights in North Korea.

This legislation will update U.S. law on Taiwan's participation in the WHO to improve our strategy to promote Taiwan's place in the world health.

I suggest that that is a dangerous and shortsighted approach to budgeting.

The importance of East Asia to U.S. interests is beyond doubt.

I came up here, I was one of the guys that wanted to get rid of foreign aid.

Yet, here we are 20 years and we see it is not true.

I am proud to support this amendment as well as the underlying text.

I am looking forward to sending this along to the full committee with the fixes made by Ranking Member Sherman's substitute amendment so we can get this important policy right.

The subcommittee will come to order.

We need to pay attention to... trade practices that are not conducive to open trade and honest trade.

We focus on aid not trade--I mean trade not aid, so that we can wean countries off.

If we create a vacuum we know the rules of nature--nature abhors a vacuum--it will be filled by somebody.

East Asia and the Pacific represents the opportunities and challenges of this century like no other part of the world.