Ben Cardin

Thank you for your commitment to this. We know it is not an easy task.

First, Mr. Chairman, thank you for holding this hearing.

One of the advantages of our system of government, the separation of branches, that we can use the power of both branches working together for the same objectives.

Last year there was a disagreement between the Administration and those of us in Congress on meeting the conditions of conditionality, but one thing is clear.

The United States cannot sit on the sidelines, as you pointed out. It has got to be a collective action.

I think you run into a comparable if not more severe challenge to the legitimacy of the body--of the entities that would be coming before the tribunal.

I strongly support our efforts to help the ICC. I strongly support our efforts to help the Ukrainian prosecutor in any way that we can.

Where in this budget do we see your priorities of expanding normalization between countries in the region with Israel?

I am going to--he sort of wanted to give up on Egypt and Saudi Arabia. I am not.

I think we could have put a much brighter spotlight on human rights and on our values on these areas than I see in the budget you submitted.

If your objective is for us to advance our values, why would you put us in a difficult position?

Both of you have said that our foreign policy and your--our aid needs to be wrapped in our values and to protect human rights.

I think you need one.

There is no question about Russia's crime of aggressions, no question about their committing crimes against humanity and genocide.

Twenty-eight years is a long time to be living under a bridge type of arrangement for governance.

We are not going to let them blow up Bosnia.

It has been 28 years since the Dayton Accords, and the structure there was to end the conflict.

I applaud your efforts on behalf of anti-corruption. I think that is critically important.

Thank you for your leadership on the Chesapeake Bay.

It is so important for the agencies to have the resources necessary to carry out our policies, and part of that is permitting.

How would you make sure Maryland's input is heard?

The permitting process is there for a good reason

Including the expansion, I hope, into the southern part of our State.

Thanks for that explanation. We will try to help you with getting it specifically called out.

I am glad to see a significant increase in the President's budget. This has been a bipartisan effort in our Committee.