Bob Menendez

What should not be a debate, in my view, is the nature of our democracy programs and creating access to information.

We ultimately feed the regime versus feed the people.

The regime has become not less repressive, but more repressive and more selective.

The regime blocks the access to both the Internet and to these platforms.

What I do not respect is the siege upon one part of our democracy programs to the exclusion of all others.

Those commitments should not be decided by picking and choosing which country we somehow like and which countries we do not.

I think as part of its overall development program, the democracy programs that have been run by USAID are critical.

I think it is consistently unfair that one set of democracy programs has the greatest scrutiny of the Federal Government in the absence of all others.

I have kind of leaned your way in opening up relationships between the United States and Cuba, but we have lost me on Gross.

I want to know when was the last time that it was against the stated purpose and goals of the United States of America to undermine a tyranny.

When was the last time that undermining a tyranny is counter to the stated purposes of the United States of America?

I think we should do everything we can to provide the people of Cuba and other repressed societies full access to the Internet.

For more than 50 years, the United States has had an unwavering commitment to promote freedom of information in the world.

I commend you for helping people have a less-controlled platform to talk to each other.

I do not believe that USAID's actions... are in any way a cockamamie idea.

If there is no further business to come before the Senate, I ask unanimous consent that it adjourn under the previous order. There being no objection, the Senate at 7:57 p.m., adjourned until Tuesday, April 8, 2014, at 10 a.m…

This evening cloture was filed on the motion to proceed to the equal pay bill. Under the rules the cloture vote will be Wednesday morning. ____________________

I come to the floor to speak to two issues, both in the Western Hemisphere, that I think are incredibly important. I come to the floor to speak about labor rights in Colombia and labor rights of workers around the world. Three years ago…

Just because you had an election does not make you a democracy.

I think it is important for the people in Venezuela to know that the United States condemns these acts of violence.

I appreciate enormously the clear message in Senate Resolution 365 that deplores the repression and the violence against the people of Venezuela.

Never has the need for American leadership and engagement in the world been greater.

Our national security interests are priority number one and they cannot be jeopardized.

I thank my distinguished colleague from Connecticut for his engagement and for recognizing our former colleague, Senator Lautenberg, whose passion for public transportation was unmatched in this body. He understood the nexus of why it was…

I shortly am going to make a unanimous consent request on S. Res. 404, a resolution I submitted honoring the life and legacy of Cesar Chavez. This resolution has been blocked by my colleagues on the other side of the aisle every time it…