David Cicilline

I firmly believe that we need a State Department that is fully equipped to keep us safe.

The President of the United States who continues to express admiration for the thug Vladimir Putin.

Members of this administration have given mixed messages when it comes to the role of democracy and human rights in our foreign policy.

Isn't it sort of a perversion of the process that you have as really the only stated goal cost-cutting?

I think we all agree with that.

The Women, Peace, and Security Act makes sure that women are meaningful participants at all levels of foreign policymaking.

We never deviate from our values. We protect Americans' national security, promote our prosperity, but never undermine our values.

Our American values are, for us at the State Department and for me as an American, they are immutable.

Development contributes to stability. It contributes to better governance. And if you're able to do those things...

Where there is a diplomatic void, we have no eyes, we have no ears, to detect the next threat or the next opportunity.

That money is going into the nuclear weapons program and that has to end because of our sanctions.

With respect to the second part of the bill, the judicial review part, I mean, if in fact the bill had the first requirement, the active supervision, and a procedure to be sure that it is being followed, States would either be required to…

Isn't enforcement and promoting competition critical to avoiding the harms of consolidation such as depressed wages, reduced opportunity, and workplace inequality?

Many leading economists agree that the concentration of labor markets gives corporations the ability to hoard profits at the expense of workers.

In the same way that excessive licensing hurts workers, entrepreneurs, limit market mobility and innovation, so too do non-compete agreements.

Right now, nearly a third of American jobs require a State license.

That is why House and Senate Democrats have proposed A Better Deal, a bold economic agenda that will give workers new opportunities to get ahead.

Creating economic opportunity for working Americans must be a national priority.

These sanctions sound good in a press release, but if they are not actually being honored by the parties, they are not effective.

I guess my question is, I think most military experts would acknowledge that there is not a good military option.

What are the tools that you intend to use, and why aren't we already using them?

I think we have heard from a number of my colleagues in response to those questions about pretty clear noncompliance by the Chinese.

It seems to me that this suggestion that China is the center of gravity is right.

The President needs to lead on the global stage, pushing China and Russia to enforce sanctions effectively.

We need principled and visionary leadership.