"I would like to call to order this hearing of the Subcommittee on African Affairs of the U.S. Senate Committee on Foreign Relations."
"I hope to hear from our four witnesses today about the implications for the long term of potential reductions in foreign assistance."
"the Pentagon's budget is more than 10 times larger than that proposed for the Department of State."
"I am pleased that recently both Secretary of Defense Gates and the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs Mullen have expressed their strong support for increased resources for the State Department."
"America is the first great nation that became great not by what it took from other nations, but by what it gave to other nations."
"Our dollars do help. They help us enormously promote democracy, improve economic development and prosperity."
"I support and see real value in your work to build capacity to fight corruption across dozens of countries in the world."
"I think it is a good example of where U.S. influence and leverage played a very positive role."
"We believe that Joseph Kony remains one of the most serious threats to stability in the central African region."
"I am grateful to the whole panel for your testimony today, for your participation."
"Helping African countries realize their full potential and succeed as economically viable democracies is in our national interest."
"If fledgling democracies are allowed to fail and undemocratic regimes are allowed to endure unchallenged, then people will lose confidence in democracy and free market economic principles."