Bob Menendez

I do think it is important to name and shame those who, in essence, voted to allow a continuing--that is the way I look at the vote.

The reluctance of the international community to act in defense of democracy has allowed the situation to deteriorate incrementally, but consistently, to the point where today it has become a full-blown humanitarian and security crisis.

They not only overwhelmingly express rejection of Maduro's efforts to further consolidate his own power but also show the hemisphere and the world the power of organization and mobilization in the face of an autocratic president.

I have 100 percent confidence that if democracy is destroyed once and for all in Venezuela on the 30th, in terms of the Maduro regime, the President of the United States is prepared to act unilaterally in a significant and swift way.

Even as their president prevents international support for the basic humanitarian needs of its citizens, blocking an effort by the National Assembly to facilitate international assistance, they are voting to demand fundamental freedoms.

The more than 7 million Venezuelans who braved intimidation and violence from their president to express themselves in a peaceful democratic process are testaments to the remnants of democracy that still thrive in Venezuela.

If on the 30th of July they move forward with this constituent assembly, which is a fraud, it will be--for the first time in my recollection--nullification of the constitution of the democratic order of a nation in this hemisphere in…

I will have real problems with the nominees unless I get substantive answers to my written questions.

I share the views of many on the committee that it is both long-overdue and desperately needed.

It is a little difficult here to vote on someone, because I understand at the end of the day, anyone who is nominated by the administration will ultimately pursue what the administration decides is its policy.

I can see the benefit of a foreign tax credit. I can see the detriments of it.

In my experience, one of the theories was that it was to avoid double taxation on the amounts paid into State and local governments.

I think it depends on what the comprehensive package looks like.

I think as part of tax reform we should look at every individual provision in the Internal Revenue Code.

I do not know that reconciliation does that.

I find it hard to understand. Do you believe that it is fair to force individuals and families to face double taxation while large, multinational corporations are able to avoid such treatment?

The President's tax proposal and the House Republican Blueprint called for the elimination of the State and local tax deduction, which would hike up taxes on thousands of New Jerseyans and millions of Americans across the country.

The purpose of the deduction is to save families from double taxation by the State and Federal Governments.

I do not want to be responsible for giving imprimaturs to things that I really fundamentally have a problem with.

I have serious concerns when people have been told to fill out forms and do memos that basically talk about how your service would be moved into another direction.

In China's case, it was purely what they did as it relates to the lack of their standards meeting under the Trafficking in Persons Act.

It is not a matter of making improvements. It is a matter of whether they do it or don't do it.

I would be very interested in understanding why he rejected the advice of State Department experts.

Mr. Chairman, this is why reform of the existing legislation is so important.

That is ridiculous. That is beyond--beyond--the whole notion that, in order not to freeze the deliberative process internally in the State Department, as it relates to these rankings, that, in fact, that we should not have access to a…