Political Quotes

“Mr. Speaker, I yield myself as much time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, let me start by thanking my friend from Texas once again, the ranking member of the Foreign Affairs Committee, Mr. McCaul, for his hard work on this measure. I am glad to be a cosponsor. Mr. Speaker, our development efforts around the world accomplish so much. Whether it is helping build a road that links a small village to a trade hub, working with governments to make their justice systems more transparent and accountable, assisting communities to get clean drinking water, or expanding access to broadband internet in rural areas, American development work is making differences you can see in people's lives. It is also projecting our country's character of compassion and generosity. So when I travel around the world and I see the USAID logo--it is that recognizable seal of two hands clasped in friendship--on the front door of a new school or a wastewater treatment facility or a pallet of food on its way to refugees, it makes me proud. It really does. The people benefiting from that assistance should know where it is coming from, too. We should signal to the world our commitment to development is a core pillar of America's global engagement. This legislation reaffirms the obligation to brand our foreign assistance while continuing to provide needed flexibility to ensure we are not putting our partners or aid recipients at risk.…”