Ben Cardin actually said...

"My concern is are we giving countries a free pass who are partners in our counterterrorism campaigns, on human rights and poor governance?"

"I would think that democracy and governance funding is a clear indication of our commitment to good governance and human rights."

"From fiscal year 2013 to 2015, the security assistance budgets for Africa have gone up from a half a billion to a billion."

"Civility begins with building strong and stable democratic processes, addressing individual and collective grievances..."