Chris Coons

I want to thank Senator Coons for working on this issue and scheduling this hearing.

As we consider the future of Power Africa, it is clear Congress, in my view, has a critically important role.

I am also thrilled that in the House, Chairman Royce and Ranking Member Engel have introduced and cleared through their committee the bipartisan Electrify Africa Act.

I hope you will let us know what we can do.

We want to make sure that it is directed at the right place and that we are good stewards of the taxpayer resources.

It is important to consider areas where the initiative can be strengthened and improved, including through its expansion and sustainable and robust budgetary support.

Thank you, Madam Secretary. Good luck on your upcoming trip to Ghana and Nigeria. I very much look forward to hearing about it.

I just, in closing, would love to hear your thoughts on how we can ensure an appropriately funded, fully functioning, strong Patent and Trademark Office.

I'm all in on both of these.

American manufacturing has been making a comeback over the last 4 years.

I believe in their value. I want to work with you to strengthen their efficacy and reach.

Last year, Congress demonstrated its commitment to helping victims of child abuse by appropriating $19 million under the Victims of Child Abuse Act.

I just wonder if you wanted to take a moment and explain, as an entity that literally pays for itself, what enforcement actions you pursued last year.

If we are able to get additional funding for IT, I think that is the next key initiative we might want to invest in.

We must ensure that taxpayers are able to communicate with the IRS in a timely and efficient way.

I just would urge you to searchingly reconsider whether we have all the resources we need for this critically important fight at this time.

We need to increase the enforcement funding so that this particularly important grouping within the Department is able to enforce aggressively sanctions against Russia, against Iran, against Syria, against North Korea.

There are customer service reasons to really focus on an increased investment in IRS responsiveness and customer service.

The United States is playing in helping the citizens of Ukraine to stand up to Russian aggression.

We want to fully take into account views, right and left and center, wherever they come from, and get this right.

I think we all share a deep concern about the use of inappropriate criteria in determining whether certain political organizations are qualified for 501(c)(4) status.

I think you need more resources. I think we need to make it credible to the Islamic Republic of Iran.

The only reason Iran is at the negotiating table with us today, and the only reason we have any chance at ending their illicit nuclear program through peaceful means, is because of the vigorous and thorough enforcement of very tough…

What more can we do to ensure that the assistance that we are providing goes to the intended beneficiaries and through channels that we expect, particularly with regard to lethal aid?

I have previously met with the Ambassadors from both Jordan and Lebanon in my Appropriations Committee role and was struck both at their gratitude for and their intense need for additional humanitarian assistance from the United States.