Angus King

I would argue that we have what he proposed, except we do not have the disclosure.

It seems to me there is a difference...

I am very worried about billionaires' feelings here, I got to tell you, because it is really touching.

What is the difference? How do I tell my person--that they are there have to be disclosed, but a billionaire in California who is trying to buy a Maine Senate seat does not have to be disclosed.

In a time of resurgent authoritarianism around the world, with hostile actors looking to benefit from instability and division in the United States, reinforcing guardrails to prevent manipulation of our political process could not be more…

Don't you think the American people have a right to know who is trying to influence their position on policy or on elections?

Ultimately, this is not about helping Democrats or Republicans. It is about making sure that all Americans have the means to hold political leaders and those working to elect them accountable.

Assume for a moment, we could draft a language that would narrowly tailor it strictly to elections and political candidates. Would that be satisfactory to you?

I commend the Administration for taking the initiative to create this office within the State Department.

I commend it to you as an urgent piece of legislation.

Democracy is a promise. Democracy is also a choice.

Voting laws and practices that impose unnecessary hurdles on voters, especially voters of color, in order to exercise their fundamental rights are also wrong.

Election laws that perpetuate attacks and harassment and impose criminal penalties or hefty fines on election administrators just trying to do their jobs are wrong.

These laws undermine our democracy and its promise.

I urge this Committee and the full Senate, the world's greatest deliberative body, to not just speak out loudly against the misinformation and lies, but to stop it in its tracks through legislation and any means that you can.

Our policy toward China is all over the place.

I think that ought to be part of the strategy.

We've got to get over our aversion to the idea of industrial policy.

This isn't like the Department of Agriculture or the Department of Commerce... We're it.

Are you willing to say no to the Director of the CIA, and the President of the United States?

A secret agency is an anomaly in a democracy.

I am a cosponsor of a piece of legislation introduced by Senator Angus King of Maine, the Preventive Home Visit Act.

The Ukrainians have to be very careful to not get trapped obviously.

One of Putin's strategic goals is a land bridge, from Russia along the Black Sea to Crimea.

It's really dangerous, and I think it's clearly the case, either he got bad intelligence and has been getting bad intelligence all the way along or he got good intelligence and didn't listen to it.