Brad Sherman

Now, this nuclear deal was not supposed to be a 'get out of jail free card' for everything that Iran does.

The entire country has been captivated by ISIS. The beheadings on YouTube provoked us all. But the Shiite extremist alliance based in Tehran is more dangerous and more evil.

I might point out, if we really cared about Taiwan's defense we would just amend the law that provided most favoured nation status to China and say this law is void if China takes military action against Taiwan, its ports and its shipping.

If five Embassies closed in Taipei from countries that many Taiwanese could not find on a map would that shake confidence?

You need to study political science by running for office. There are no long-term political objectives. There are short-term political objectives.

My own belief is that countries make foreign policy decisions to respond to short-term domestic political needs.

The problem with it I find with strategic ambiguity is that it means that if you're going to keep the foreign power guessing as to what our policy is then you cannot inform the American people of what.

We will continue to work hard. We will continue to fail.

I will relate to you something that happened in this subcommittee.

With the notable exception of our own State Department, every foreign ministry I have talked to--almost everyone--has said that their number-one goal is trade and exports.

The United States has a strong interest in supporting the people of Taiwan and those interests are enshrined in the Taiwan Relations Act.

While the regime in Beijing is currently engaged in a concerted effort to restrict human rights, we look only at Taiwan as a country where democracy flourishes.

We're failing every year. Every year we run a trade deficit.

So please don't talk about trade ties. Talk about exports.

What has the State Department done? What have you personally done to create a circumstance where we are running a trade surplus with Taiwan?

The clear message should be that the United States believes in the power of dialogue and we unequivocally support the right of the people of Taiwan to determine their own fate.

I am also committed to upholding the letter and spirit of the Taiwan Relations Act, which has underpinned the relationship now for 37 years.

This hearing's title focuses us on ISIS. There is also the Shiite alliance headed by Tehran including Hezbollah, Assad and many of the forces in the Baghdad government.

So bomb the transmission lines inside or outside of ISIS controlled territory.

In Iraq, the Iraqi Government provides free electricity to ISIS. Are we willing to bomb the transmission lines through which that free electricity flows to Mosul?

We ought to be looking at whether we should provide visa waiver to those who have visited Turkey.

The dam should be kept running. That doesn't mean you have to send the electricity to ISIS.

You are a governmental entity, but it is--in some parts of the entity it is one bank, one vote.

Are you willing to call the attorney general and say, 'We have this thing handled so well that you can start criminal prosecutions because they are not too-big-to-jail anymore?'

Are you going to break up the too-big-to-fail institutions?