Political Quotes

“Madam President, we heard news a week or so ago that the U.S. Government, through the Agency for International Development, was conducting a program in Cuba titled ZunZuneo. It was an attempt to set up a kind of alternative twitter account, and the intent was certainly noble--to increase access of ordinary Cubans to information that would help and assist them. I have no issue with programs such as this. I think overall they are good. The more we can have people have Internet access and meaningful content is good, but I and many others do have an issue with the Agency for International Development--USAID--undertaking this program. USAID's mission is to help with humanitarian needs and to promote democratic development around the world. It need not, should not, engage in covert--or in their case they are saying it wasn't covert, they are calling it discreet. Either way, it casts suspicion on other activities that USAID is undertaking around the world. USAID is in some very tough places around the world--delivering supplies into South Sudan, for example. We work with the people in Syria--not within the country but just outside the country. We work in many dangerous parts of the world, and the last thing we need is suspicion cast on USAID where people think it is an arm of the CIA. It just shouldn't be done. I think USAID does great work around the world and shouldn't involve itself with work of this type.…”