Antony Blinken

We need an additional number of civil and foreign service employees to scale up the Indo-Pacific strategy.

When I began this role, I committed to restoring Congress's place as an equal partner in our foreign policymaking.

We have seen that these--some of these laws are ripped from the playbooks from Russia, China, and other places.

I think there are a number of countries, for example, where looking at some marginalized groups that have been particularly victimized, like the LGBTQI+ community, there are some countries where we have actually seen real progress in…

I could not agree with you more. I think this is among the top, if not the top challenges that we face.

I do, but it is also based on the--what we hear.

The short answer is by as necessary working around the governments when we do not have effective partners.

We have had an almost perfect storm that has built up between climate change, between COVID, and of course conflict, and now, exacerbated dramatically by Russia's aggression against Ukraine.

President Biden is firmly committed to advancing a free and open Indo-Pacific, which is why this proposal asks for an 18% increase in our budget for that region over FY 2023.

We need more people to address some of these emerging priorities and emergencies.

Be happy to do that.

Keeping our promises to those who served with us remains an unwavering priority.

We can't do more with less. We must increase our investments in our diplomatic and development tools if we want to strengthen our national security.

I do, but it is also based on the--what we hear.

Our national security hinges on this work.

The budget will sustain our security, economic, energy, and humanitarian support for Ukraine to ensure that President Putin's war remains a strategic failure.

The United States has a positive vision for the future: a world that's free, secure, open and prosperous.

We have been, even since the withdrawal from Afghanistan, and ending the war, the largest single humanitarian contributor to Afghanistan.

The first set is posed by our strategic competitors--the immediate, acute threat posed by Russia's autocracy and aggression.

We put something together that I think is going to bear very good results.

Be happy to do that.

The United States has a positive vision for the future: a world that's free, secure, open and prosperous.

We have an obligation to make sure that the taxpayers' money is being used the way it was intended to be used.

The administration continues to stress that Lebanon needs a president free of corruption.

I am determined to continue to do that and very much appreciate the work that we have been able to do with this committee over the last couple of years and look forward to the work ahead.