Antony Blinken

The United States has an enduring interest in the Black Sea region and we are working on a strategy that will strengthen our political, security, economic, and energy cooperation with the region and promote democratic resilience.

It is hugely important to our ability to attract, but also retain the best talent and we are in a competition for talent.

I think it is premature to get to that.

This budget will help us continue the fight against HIV/AIDS, while advancing health security more broadly.

I am committed and determined to make that information available to Congress.

We continue to press Lebanese officials at all levels on these priorities.

It is hard to overstate the importance of the Black Sea grain corridor.

We know there's more to do, and we're looking forward to working with Congress to accelerate modernization efforts.

The budget will help us push back on advancing authoritarianism and democratic backsliding.

If we are going to achieve our national security objective, it is critical to ensure our diplomatic corps is putting the right people with the right tools, and the right resources, and training in the right places to carry out their work.

The post-Cold War world era is over and there is an intense competition underway to determine, to shape, what comes next.

I very much appreciate the leadership of this committee; particularly you, Senator Graham, on this issue.

I think that with your leadership what Congress was able to do in putting together the CHIPS and Science Act is one of the most important achievements we have had in our ability to compete effectively, particularly with China.

Russia continues to use global food supplies as a weapon of war.

Keeping our promises to those who served the U.S. remains an unwavering priority.

I have been very engaged on seeing what we can do to help Armenia and Azerbaijan come to a peace agreement.

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

I agree with you, the Taliban is taking steps that are digging an even deeper hole for the people of Afghanistan.

Our national security hinges on this work.

We are meeting at an inflection point. The post-Cold War era is over, and there is an intense competition underway.

Isn't it time for us to view the world through the lens, frankly, of the beginnings, the early stages of a geopolitical conflict?

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

I made a commitment that I would see a marker of my success or not in this job whether or not the institution made real progress in building an institution that actually reflects the country that we are there to represent.

We have a proposal for $400 million to counter specific actions by China that counter our interests in the Indo-Pacific and beyond.

This budget will also strengthen our efforts to outcompete the PRC.