the United States is not a declining power, that this is not an inevitable thing that is going to happen.

America's greatest days are ahead of it, and we hope that they will be with us.

I had the chance, the honor, to travel with Senator McCain to Singapore, along with Senator Barrasso, to the regional security conference, and was struck at how broadly our regional allies and partners expressed concern at withdrawal from…

If confirmed, will you work with this committee to explore ways to lift the hiring freeze for eligible family members?

I think it is clear that there is a strong and deep relationship between Ethiopia and China.

I hope you will convey a sense of urgency about both the consultation and the forward progress.

That would help the fragmentation of Europe. That would be a big win for those who want Europe to fall apart.

I think you need to explain it to us, but, I think, more importantly, you are going to need to explain it to the people that work for you, who right now are mystified as to why the State Department seems targeted by these policies in a way…

when we are considering people who live in caves and who are deeply dedicated to their work against us, I think we would be wise to assume a longer, rather than a shorter, timeline of their determined unwillingness to negotiate and their…

You are the third senior-level nominee to tell this committee that the State Department is going to consult with Congress on the reorganization. We have gotten plenty of promises on consultation, and no consultation.

We have to make clear to the Taliban they cannot outlast us on the battlefield.

I am, frankly, gravely concerned, given the role that Vladimir Putin's Russia has played in the North Korean challenge, in Ukraine, in our recent election, that he will choose this moment to actively engage in opposition to our interests…

I am committed to advancing that dialogue as I engage with senior leadership in the--in Bahrain, in the Government.

It is a top-down-driven redesign. I would be challenged to find a single employee who thinks that many of these policies are in the best interest of the State Department.

Are you concerned that, if President Trump fails to certify Iranian compliance with the nuclear deal, absent any credible evidence of Iranian cheating within the four corners of the deal, that will deeply strain our relations with our…

I think you represent the very best of public service and of leadership at home and abroad.

I think that is the target, to undercut the credibility of the political system, which is the most nefarious approach that one can take to another nation-state.

I believe that we are safest and strongest when we lead with our values.