Sam Brownback

I sent you a letter in February about USAID's programs and capacity to help address the underlying causes of conflict in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

I like your heart and I like your attitude, but there is a resource issue here.

It's the blood diamonds issue, only got four commodities you're dealing with.

We can't afford to have a process that costs $700 million to develop a drug that has a market potential of a $150 million.

This Comprehensive Peace Agreement's been one of the great successes, I think, of foreign policy for the last decade or so for us.

I want to recognize you and your longstanding commitment to these difficult issues around the world. You've hung in here for years and done a great job of it and I really want to recognize and acknowledge that.

I hope you can look at it because I think it's really key for us to get Congo and probably, as I mentioned, four countries in that region more stabilized so we get less money going to the protagonists that are in that region.

I really hope you look at other ways you can support that.

I've got a couple of other issues I want to raise with you, but I hope that's something you can do.

The United States must have strong relationships and a strong and productive presence in Southeast Asia.

I think we have the chance here to defund the militias that are--that are really just wreaking havoc all over Eastern Congo.

We've appropriated to the State Department I think it's $20 million for Internet firewall, getting through the Internet firewall.

I really urge you to look at it.

We want you to sell the minerals, Congo.

We got to get the money away from the militias.

I close on this comment. Years ago, I had a chance to carry the bill for Congress to give Mother Teresa the Congressional Gold Medal.

Because what I'm finding for a number of wind developers, they have to have an anchor buyer.

I really appreciate you guys doing that.

If I could, I'd like to welcome a Kansan, Mr. Hesse, the CEO of Sprint.

We've got a new concept now, we call 'stranded wind.'

We must leverage technology to create a more sustainable future.

I noted to you in my opening comments that our debt is now 90 percent of GDP, our total debt, and that most economists believe when you get at that 90 percent level you have a significant drag on your overall economy.

Unless offsetting actions were taken to reverse the accumulation of additional government debt, future incomes would tend to be lower than they otherwise would have been.

It is not about us. Sometimes I think we think this is about us. It is not about us. It is about the people that we represent and the people you try to help every day.

To be frank with you, I don't think the Senate bill does enough, but it damn sure beats standing still.