Uzbekistan has emerged as one of the most repressive countries in the former Soviet Union.

Hamas rejects peaceful efforts to end the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and continues to call for the destruction of the State of Israel.

This is an incredibly important position that you have been nominated to, and I have three lines of questioning that I will pursue: one is on Taiwan; one is on Iran; and the other is intellectual property issues.

The problem is that Taiwan has been seeking this help since 2006, which precedes this administration.

I mean, it is very rare that we get 44 Members, in a bipartisan way, of the U.S. Senate to join together to send a message to the administration.

I would hope that you would make that also a top priority on your portfolio.

The abhorrent and deplorable actions of the Syrian Government against the Syrian people must end immediately.

Any proliferation and additional work by Iran on nuclear arms is of paramount importance and of concern to the United States.

U.S. companies are losing tens of billions of dollars because of violations of intellectual property rights.

I expected that formal answer. Let me go further, since you are going to be the United States Ambassador to China.

I think it is incredibly important to get someone into this position as the Ambassador at Large for International Religious Freedom.

I believe from my conversations with you, not only as it relates to the Ecumenical Patriarch, but other concerns I have in the world, that you will be a strong advocate and not a shrinking violet in this respect.

In your opening statement you mentioned the work that is done with various country diasporas that exist in America.

If confirmed, it would be an honor and a privilege to serve my country in this new capacity, and join my colleagues in working to extend U.S. leadership at and through the United Nations.

I am hopeful that we will get it to the floor and that we'll see positive action in the near future.

We hope that your nominations will go forward and be quickly confirmed by the full Senate.

The best way we can help now and in the future is by supporting the Syrian people's right to freedom and dignity.

It is time for us to start thinking about the day after Assad.