Ben Cardin

I know our committee is going to continue to be very aggressive.

We need to use that to our advantage. You know, you cannot control what Congress does.

There is no required action by the administration to evaluate every human rights violator around the world, that is correct.

We believe we need the flexibility to determine, in consultation with Congress, when financial and other sanctions will do more good than harm.

We can do it. We have done it successfully; at times, when the administration did not want us to do it.

We want to go after the cases where they can have the most impact, not only on the individual, but on the circumstances within a country and those who are fighting for human rights.

We have led the creation of global standards and binding legal frameworks to prevent and combat graft.

I am particularly proud of the Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act that was passed by this committee and enacted into law in the last Congress.

The United States has been the global leader in fighting modern-day slavery.

We are helping emerging democracies like Sri Lanka and Ukraine recover stolen assets.

We are the first country to criminalize bribery by our companies overseas.

We need to put a price on carbon. We have to put a price on pollution.

Paris, to me, is going to be an important moment in our global commitment on the problems of climate change.

If we don't take aggressive steps, the world depends upon U.S. leadership.

The U.S. Congress is not [getting good reviews internationally].

I wanted to call up Amendment No. 3, and I will withdraw it. This is the Grow America Act which would increase the 6-year authorization to $478 billion consistent with the President's budget.

I think the Grow America Act would do that. I would encourage us to keep an open mind if we can get the additional revenues for a more robust plan than is currently being submitted for approval here.

I would hope that we could get additional revenue, which is not this committee, and have a more robust transportation commitment at the Federal level.

I congratulate you for reaching, with Senator Boxer, I think a fair compromise, one that I will strongly support.

We cannot let next month go without accomplishing those goals.

I agree, bottom line, we have to find the revenue so that we have a 6-year reauthorization that does not create another cliff at the end of the 6 years.

If they do not complete the Appalachian Highway, it is going to be very difficult to attract the type of industry they need.

It is critically important. If we do not get it done now, then we know we are going to be punting again.

A rebalance to me means that because of the importance, because of the growth, that we are going to evaluate how we can do things more effectively in that region.

I share a concern that we understand what that really means and whether we are devoting the adequate resources to it.