Ben Cardin

Why should we not be looking at regional issues when we look at the countries that are involved; when you deal with trade, or you deal with transportation, you deal with energy.

I would urge my colleagues to vote against this amendment because of how it is paid for. Seniors who have $85,000 of income have to pay a higher Part B premium today. We have indexed that because, as I think Members on both sides of the…

We want to gauge our OECD partners to make sure that we have more uniform rules in determining allocations of costs and revenues.

I filed the Progressive Consumption Tax Act that incorporates two major provisions that seem to be reasons why we have not been able to advance this in the past.

If we could reform our tax code... to be more in harmony regarding how we collect taxes, as the OECD countries are, so that we would end up with the lowest marginal tax rates among the OECD countries, would it not make some of these…

Everybody should pay their fair amount.

To me, you can never put a stamp of approval on this election under those circumstances.

In 1975, the Soviet Union, in order to show that they were truly a democratic state in the eyes of the globe, joined us in establishing the Commission for Security and Cooperation in Europe.

Malaysia has been elevated in its relationship with the United States as a TPP partner.

I do not see a path forward at this particular moment. That is very frustrating.

If they do not, what should we do?

I would just urge that we have to figure out a way to break through the bureaucracy of the State Department to make this a much higher priority than it is today.

This hearing is particularly important as we talk about democratic transitions in Southeast Asia.

We have been urging working with Transparency International to develop standards where we can report on the status of anticorruption in the countries of the world.

It has to be part of the equation.

I would point out that one thing you could do at State is work within the bureaucracies of the Department of State to put a higher priority on the damage of corruption.

You just violated a tradition of the United States Senate. Senator Byrd would not be happy.

It would be wonderful if just the U.S. example would be enough to change behavior among those who have power.

I think this debate has been extremely interesting. I think it makes it clear that Congress needs to act.

But I am throwing out a radical change here. I am saying not only bring the three grantees together. Why should there be a difference between the three grantees and the Voice of America?

I just tell you in my experiences with the Voice of America and the people who work for the Voice of America, they are top flight. They are good people.

All of the journalists, whether they work for the government or work for the grantees, must have independence.

I agree with Senator Corker. We are fighting propaganda. I understand that. But the way we fight propaganda is through the truth, through information, and part of that is the Internet.

I would hope, as we look at a reform bill, that we have your input as to how this committee and the comparable committee in the House of Representatives, the Foreign Affairs Committee, can carry out our responsibility as authorizing…

You do not know when the next hot spot is going to break out in the world.