Political Quotes

“as we close debate on the Commerce, Justice, State appropriations bill, I would like to make a few comments on the funding for the foreign affairs agencies. I want to express my appreciation to the Chairman and Ranking Member of the Subcommittee for their efforts to provide adequate funding for the foreign policy agencies within the tight allocation they have. The United States is a great military and economic power, with extensive interests overseas. To protect those interests, we need both a strong military and a strong diplomatic corps. "Diplomatic readiness" is more than a slogan; it represents a commitment to ensure that our diplomats, who stand on the front lines of our national defense, have the resources to perform the many tasks we entrust to them. I commend the Committee for providing, in particular, the necessary funding to modernize the Department of State's information technology. The Department made some bad choices in previous years, and is now saddled with antiquated computer and telecommunications technology. Information is central to the task of diplomacy, and we are undermining our interests substantially unless we properly equip the Department with modern technology.”