Bob Menendez: “I come to the floor today to urge my colleagues to vote for cloture for Elizabeth Allen, the President's nominee for…”

“I come to the floor today to urge my colleagues to vote for cloture for Elizabeth Allen, the President's nominee for Under Secretary of State for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs. When we think about Russia's illegal, unprovoked invasion of Ukraine or China's coercive economic practices, we have to realize we are in competition with more than just conventional militaries or economic prowess. We are in a battle over what kind of world we want to live in. And we want to live in a world where people are free to speak their minds, free to start a business, free to worship as they choose and marry the person they love. These are the fundamental freedoms that shape the United States and the values that drive our foreign policy. When it comes to explaining American values and our foreign policy to the world, one of the best tools we have is our public diplomacy programs. At a time when our adversaries are pouring billions of dollars into propaganda, targeted disinformation and misinformation campaigns--often about the United States--we need an empowered Bureau of Global Public Affairs to tell the truth about U.S. foreign policy. We need to highlight the millions of dollars Americans invest in public health, infrastructure projects, and humanitarian relief around the world.…”