We need another more substantive strategy for dealing with it.

It is time for the Administration to take seriously the threat China poses to American values and interests.

Look, you have seen the texts like I have seen the texts. It is U.S. taxpayer money teaching these young kids, these young Palestinian kids, how to be a terrorist.

We always beat ourselves up and do not talk about the successes.

Well, thanks for that. I got to tell you I understand all the arguments. But look, if UNRWA is in I am out, period.

The proposed budget also fails to include funding to meet the U.S. obligations of the Budapest agreement relating to Ukraine.

with my colleagues Senator Mike Crapo and Congressman Mike Simpson, I rise today to recognize the career and service of Connie Flohr, manager for the Idaho Cleanup Project. For more than 22 years, Flohr has been a key member of the…

With all the money that has gone in there... were unable to find any significant corruption in Ukraine.

Prior to the war, Ukraine had a well-deserved reputation for being one of the most corrupt countries in the world.

We must also work more closely with Russia's neighbors to help them unwind the corrupt networks that both smuggle in sanctioned goods and undermine local governance.

It strikes me, too, that there are two very different buckets here. One is where the government itself is involved in the corruption versus ones where the government is trying to do something about it or at least looking the other way.

Are you in agreement that there has been-- they have found no significant instances of corruption and siphoning off U.S. taxpayer money in Ukraine, or not going where it should go?

Strategic corruption, the weaponization of corrupt practices for geopolitical gain, is a key vehicle for Russian and Chinese malign influence.

They say, 'Well, things have changed because it is unpatriotic to be corrupt.'

Corruption is an issue that undermines the health, safety, security, and economic prosperity of billions of people around the globe.

In fact, corruption is China's largest export.

Russia keeps its war machine running by using corruption to evade sanctions.

So it seems like that is a pretty attractive bait to put out there for getting countries to bite.

I have been intrigued by the fact that the Chinese have been modestly successful in these policing agreements that they have entered into with some of the countries.

Through these compacts we partner with them to advance economic prosperity, provide for U.S. military veterans from these nations, provide cooperation in areas of law enforcement and judicial training, and much more.

I would strongly suggest that you guys revisit your efforts in that regard and see how you might be able to make them more attractive so when they do bite on the hook that it is our hook and not the Chinese.

I passed the Secure Embassy Construction and Counterterrorism Act--I assume you are familiar with that--and it was in 2022, and it provides State with much needed flexibilities to stand up our overseas missions.

this is a bipartisan issue, and we should do that.

We have had a long history of friendship with the Pacific Islands, and this hearing comes as we usher in the next chapter of U.S. commitment to the region.

Further, our security partnership with these states are critical.