Bob Menendez

I cannot believe that the United States, sitting on the IDB board, permitted such a loan to occur 2 weeks before the election.

I worry about that, and I look at the German Government's announcement that it was cutting aid to Nicaragua due to the EU's concerns about irregularities in that Presidential election.

I am a strong believer that the relationship between the United States and India is a critical one.

The principles of democracy, of conflict resolution, of economic stability and social inclusion continue under this administration.

I appreciate Secretary Clinton's statement in January noting that the elections were not conducted in a transparent and impartial manner and that the entire electoral process was marred by significant irregularities.

It's important for all of you, as you go to your new posts, that you be firm advocates on behalf of democracy, on behalf of freedom, on behalf of the right of the people of these countries to self-determination.

Where was the international outrage when Ortega altered the constitution, allowing him to run for a third straight term?

This is incredibly important to us.

The United States strongly supports the principles of judicial independence and separation of powers.

If the Secretary fails to grant the waiver, is it your understanding that the United States would be obliged to vote against the loans and grants to Nicaragua at the IDB World Bank and IMF?

Sometimes the United States is more interested in stability than it is in democracy.

Repression is as wrong in the Western Hemisphere as it is in the Middle East.

It's better for our country, for our region, and for the world for people to have a voice in selecting their own leaders.

America's relationship with our neighbors in the region can best be described as a partnership.

You're going to be uniquely positioned to be a strong voice on behalf of these principles that have not just made our Nation great but have made the world safer and more prosperous.

The United States needs to be a clear and bold voice on behalf of liberal democracy, on behalf of self-determination, on behalf of people having their basic human rights respected.

If confirmed, you'll serve the U.S. Government as its highest representative to the countries to which you have been nominated.

The wide range of bilateral issues that confronts these embassies is as broad and complex as America's multifaceted relationship with the region itself.

Freedom of the press is restricted. The 2010 local elections were largely a sham.

It seems to me that the Ukraine is at a crossroads. It is backsliding on human rights.

The energy sector has great potential, but it seems to be largely a mess right now.

One of your mandates is to facilitate innovation through transparency, and one study suggests that half of the country, over a hundred million adults, cannot find $2,000 in an emergency if given 30 days to do so.

That is something that I think is welcome to a lot of the Members' ears here.

In the worst financial crisis in generations, consumers were not protected from the tricks and traps, and Federal regulators were often more concerned about the interests of Wall Street than Main Street.

By the same token, when you see a market that goes from the regulated process to the unregulated process, there is a reason----