It is hard for me to understand how they think because of the nature of their leadership.

It seems to me and knowing their DNA, they are not going to voluntarily agree to allow for a free press and dissent, et cetera.

We would like to know that answer to see how we can counter that with an effective strategy.

A sudden regime collapse would create a highly unstable and politically intolerable situation for China, South Korea, and Japan.

I introduced a bill... called the North Korea Sanctions and Policy Enhancement Act of 2015.

Our goals for North Korea are pretty simple. We want to stop proliferation. We wanted a denuclearized peninsula.

I think that is not a bad model.

I do not think that the status quo, and a status quo which we tolerate through strategic patience, is really a viable alternative.

If that is the case, if it is regime survival, one could also argue then advancements on human rights, particularly freedom of expression, knowing this government, is going to be extremely difficult because I think they look at that as a…

There is no nation in the world with a more egregious human rights record than North Korea.

There is no country in the world that is equal to the extent of human rights abuses as North Korea.

We have to work very closely with our close ally, the Republic of Korea.

Do not make it violent. Disagreement is fine.

if this strategic policy will not change behavior, then I believe Congress needs to change the behavior.

It is a nuclear weapons state. For me, the answer to that is absolutely not, and it had better be absolutely not.

The mission of the agency is critically important to this country.

We have got to work in Japan. We have got to work with China.

the policy of strategic patience in my view has been a strategic failure.

I will just add if you look at the TPP sections on good governance and human rights, you see that we are developing some international standards that are not our standards but are minimum standards.

The United States should never engage in negotiations with Pyongyang without imposing strict preconditions that North Korea take immediate steps to halt its nuclear program, cease all military provocations, and make credible steps to…

North Korea now poses a grave threat to those well beyond South Korea.

There is only one country that has the capacity to not only be involved but to represent universal values that can give us lasting peace in the region, and that is the United States.

If we do not use the opportunities we have to make those advances it will come back to hurt U.S. interests and security interests.

I think this is going to be the downfall of Vladimir Putin's adventure in Syria, that he is going to be seen as really working against the Sunni Muslim population around the world.

I would not call it a light touch, our involvement in Iraq, Afghanistan, Syria, the Middle East generally, GCC with our military presence.