Jeanne Shaheen

They want their kids to go to school. Taliban don't believe in that.

Do the people of Afghanistan distinguish between the Taliban and ISIS?

I think your point in your testimony about the need to provide a long-term commitment to Afghanistan that people can count on, so they don't feel like we're going to be leaving at the end of each year, is very important.

I think we have failed to address the rules that allow one person to hold up nominees indefinitely.

It is always going to require savvy diplomacy on the part of the United States.

Sounds like the Senate.

I do not disagree with that. What I am interested in is, What can we do?

Well, thank you. I could not agree more.

Making sure that the people are in place who can help lead that fight is absolutely critical.

What kind of message does it send to Sweden that 265 days after the Ambassador was nominated... we still have not taken up confirmation of the Ambassador to Sweden?

We need to do more to support EU during these challenging times, and to be very clear about how we stand with respect to Russia, and not send any mixed signals.

It is my understanding that Adam Szubin has been held up and we have never heard a reason why he is being held up in that committee. Is that the Senator's understanding as well?

Shame on us if we do not require the provisions that were passed in the reauthorization to be implemented by all of the government agencies involved.

These are programs that have had broad bipartisan support, and they have had that support because they have been so effective.

Well, thank you very much, Mr. Chairman, and thank you for calling our first hearing of the year to discuss the need to reauthorize both the SBIR Program, the Small Business Innovation Research Program, and the Small Business Technology…

I think we ought to make these programs permanent so we do not have to go through this process periodically.

On the Senate Small Business Committee, we recently held hearing on this issue so we can get started on a bill to make the program permanent.

The SBIR program ensures that small businesses have an opportunity to conduct R&D for federal agencies, including Defense agencies.

I recently convened a meeting with my Small Business Advisory Council in New Hampshire and there were a number of issues raised that I would like to discuss.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. General, congratulations, and thank you for being willing to take on this task.

I agree that that should be a priority for us.

Obviously, North Korea's recent actions show that it is going to continue to defy the international norms, UN Security Council resolutions, and all other reasonable actions that we would expect from that country.

So, you recommend the Secretary of State go to the region and engage more aggressively.

I think--I appreciate your willingness to speak out on that.

I think we could do it here. It would have been better to do it a long time ago.