Marco Rubio

Venezuela's further slide away from democracy is deeply troubling, and the July 30 Constituent Assembly elections imposed on the Venezuelan people undermine their right to self-determination.

Human rights in Cuba remain a significant concern. President Trump's new Cuba policy is an important step in the right direction to put pressure on the Government to address these troubling issues.

As these elements of our partnership expand-they cannot come at the expense of speaking candidly with the Vietnamese Government about its violations of the rights of its own citizens.

We encourage Iran, and all of Afghanistan's neighbors, to fully support the Afghan Government and to put pressure on the Taliban to enter peace talks.

If confirmed, this will be one of my top priorities.

The United States is fully committed to Article 5.

I will continue to press Allies to increase their defense spending to meet the Wales pledge.

We have repeatedly voiced concern about these issues and urged the Government of Bahrain, at the highest levels, to reinvigorate its reform program.

The United States' commitment to Article 5 is ironclad.

We have raised this repeatedly with Canada.

As President Trump has made clear, it is no longer politically sustainable for the United States to maintain a disproportionate share of NATO's defense expenditures.

I am confident that the largest percentage of them live in New Jersey and New York and, hence, they are my neighbors and some of my closest friends.

The fact that it is not full of Senators is actually a good sign.

I am an enormous supporter, as is the ranking member, of the Alliance for Prosperity.

It is important for us so we can advocate for it.

Are each of you committed and prepared, able, and willing to defend such unilateral measures on the part of the administration if that is the direction they go with regard to punishing those responsible for basically trying to nullify the…

Peru has seen enormous growth, as you pointed out, and they have seen a reduction in poverty as a result as well, about a half-way reduction in poverty in Peru.

It has also become a transit point for migration.

I hope in Peru, which I want to applaud and, for that fact, Costa Rica as well and I believe Guatemala to some degree--has been good at the OAS.

If at any time there is a need for greater services, it is important for those of us here on these committees to know about it.

It began one of the most difficult periods not only in my life and your lives but in the lives of our country and the world.

I am concerned that with the loss of the Trans-Pacific Partnership, at least the U.S. participation in it, that the hope of some vehicle by which greater economic engagement, even at a bilateral level, has perhaps been set back.

It is my sincerest hope that, in combination with the countries that each of you, if confirmed, will be serving, along with the other four G5 nations in the hemisphere, Mexico, Canada, Brazil, and Argentina, we can pursue a way forward…

If confirmed, I will press Portugal to meet the 2 percent defense spending pledge made at the 2014 Wales Summit.

NATO must adapt to the challenges of the future.