Debbie Wasserman Schultz

Would it be your assessment that the relationship between the United States and Russia has improved or deteriorated over the last several years?

With all due respect, a statement from the United States Ambassador to Russia is not empirical evidence that we are getting $10 million worth of value out of the Open World program.

We do ask for the tangible results and we hold other programs accountable.

I agree, for what the goals of Open World are, it is a small amount of money.

All politics is not just local, it is personal.

What is the $10 million worth of value that we get from Open World?

How do you work towards that without a plan? You are only just now realizing that that is a good idea? This is unfathomable to me.

It is hard for me to understand. I mean, it is 2013 and we have been having this conversation for 5 years.

My recollection is that we directed you in the report language to hire a development director.

Including them in the total is not entirely accurate.

Counting in-kind contributions toward your private fund-raising total presumes that you would have been appropriated those funds.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Ambassador O'Keefe, I want to continue the conversation about your outside fund-raising.

But no way to run a rodeo, Mr. Chairman.

We must see ourselves as stewards who should strive to leave this institution and its facilities better than we found them.

My family is among the 1 million visitors. My children's favorite place in the Capitol complex...

Now, it is no longer a coal-fired power plant, and a lot of the credit goes to Ms. Wasserman Schultz that you are using gas-fired now, and you are going to go to cogeneration.

So we have got to stay on pace in the Historic Preservation Trust Fund, or if we don't, then the project will be delayed?

Oh, thank you. Okay.

We are just costing ourselves more money down the road by deciding not to spend resources on these problems now.

Note to self: Bring both books.

And what is your view on the impact on the recovery if you take a purely cuts-only approach versus a more balanced mix of spending cuts and revenue?

The across-the-board spending cuts scheduled to take place this Friday would eliminate 750,000 jobs in this country in 2013.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I only have one question, because I think Dr.

You know more than most that we are operating in a time of great uncertainty with the prospect of sequestration the day after tomorrow.

Ms. Wasserman Schultz. Mr. Chairman, I just wanted to ask that for the record because it is an innovative, important issue.