Jeff Flake

Sometimes our diplomatic efforts are overlooked by the general populace

The administration's decision to nominate an Ambassador in Somalia offers at least a glimmer of hope for movement on the security and governance front.

This hearing of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee will come to order.

I hope that the spotlight that is being put by the Committee on this subject will help in stopping others from being victimized in the future.

I just want to thank you and the Committee and Ranking Member McCaskill for holding this hearing.

I, like Senator McCain, believe we need to get to a point where the Choice card is used universally.

The Central Office needs to come through. It needs to declare that it stops today, and then give teeth to it.

It is time to live up to the VA's mission today, 'To care for him who shall have borne the battle and for his widow and his orphan.'

We take issue with whistleblower retaliation at the VA very, very seriously.

I appreciate the testimony that has been given. This will help us as we formulate policy and move forward and work with the State Department and the administration on U.S. policy toward Burundi and the region.

The steps that we take now to encourage peaceful transitions of power may encourage other leaders in the region.

No peace will be possible as long as Nkurunziza remains in power.

I would assume it is a little difficult for somebody like Museveni, who has been there since 1986 and is planning to run again, to speak with much credibility about leaving after the two terms that that Arusha Accords spells out.

I am happy to be part of the legislation giving the authority, and I hope we can get it through.

Thank you, and thank you for the testimony, and thank you for what you are doing at MCC.

The conventional wisdom has been that Tunisia, at least, has some of the democratic institutions that will help it as it moves forward.

If there is no further business to come before the Senate, I ask unanimous consent that it stand adjourned under the previous order. There being no objection, the Senate, at 6:46 p.m., adjourned until Tuesday, October 20, 2015, at 10 a.m.

The number-one priority in Arizona is to make sure that when Arizona or any other state voluntarily contributes their water to the health of the Colorado system, the contributed water actually stays in the system and does not disappear…

I am pleased that the Chair is committed to move forward on a West-wide drought bill that addresses the water needs throughout the West.

Thank you. I again thank the Senator from Wisconsin and others I will name later for working so hard on this bill. The Senator made sure that it moved through his committee expeditiously, that we got it to the floor in the Senate and also…

We are here to discuss the process for the Border Jobs for Veterans Act that is going to pass shortly. I yield to the Senator from Wisconsin.

Let me just say what a pleasure it has been to work with Senator Markey on this.

Thank you again and thank you, Ranking Member Markey, for your help here.

If there are monies that are going somewhere that should be better spent, could be better spent elsewhere, then we want to know about it.

Welcome, Senator Udall.