Jim DeMint

We are not going to have economic and political freedom where no religious freedom exists.

Americans end up paying for programs that do not align with our national security and foreign policy objectives.

What would you do in Afghanistan?

Programs that duplicate each other, and outdated mandates, must be streamlined, eliminated, and merged.

So I think the United States is at its best when we live our values and live our interests, try to influence others to meet our national security priorities, but not do so in a way that tries to impose upon other people what we believe.

The White House continually denied reasonable requests from Senators on this side of the aisle for access to information.

I believe American taxpayers deserve more accountability for their dollars.

U.N. peacekeeping missions must have more accountability--much more.

clarity of purpose is very important for us.

We respectfully request that Ms. Aponte be removed from post as soon as possible, so that El Salvador may enjoy the benefits of having a better person as a government representative of your noble country.

The United Nations has been unacceptably slow to reform.

I don't think there's much, if any, disagreement in this room that not only will the administration demand results from the U.N. and from the administration itself, but this committee will demand results.

Those sanctions... secured the release of the political prisoners in 2008.

What do we need to be doing to assist the people to make sure they know the world is supporting their freedom?

The government's behavior is unacceptable in this day and age, and the regime must be held accountable for its actions.

What do we do? We need to speak with one voice.

How big a factor are they in creating dangers in other parts of the world?

We should be adopting policies toward Belarus based on what happens inside Belarus not through a Russia prism.

Europe and the United States share a common set of values and we have a long history that is founded on the ideas of freedom and economic opportunity.

His response was essentially, if you will pardon the expression, a middle finger to the United States and to the European Union.

Thank you, Madam Chairman.

Lukashenko is a threat not only within his borders but beyond his borders as well.

While Senator DeMint sympathizes with the victims of this tragedy, he's concerned that Congress should not retroactively change the law to specifically affect pending legislation.

We shouldn't be jamming a major arms control treaty up against Christmas. It's sacrilegious and disrespectful. What's going on here is just wrong.

Reserving the right to object, Madam President, this is a nation of laws, not of men. It destroys that whole foundation to our legal system when we make retroactive law.