Gerry Connolly

We cannot take the entitlement mentality to the issue of deploying U.S., scarce, limited, precious U.S. assets anywhere in the world.

Aid is a tool. It is an investment. It has a return on it.

These are not choices that we have to make in terms of either/or, these are choices that both need to be made.

Aid is not an entitlement. There has to be accountability. There have to be metrics, otherwise it is not worth doing.

How do we measure success in a program that has changed quite dramatically since its first conception?

How in the world can we be investing money in a program that has no milestones and no metrics?

I am concerned that to them it seems like a second tier issue that will fade in our attention.

To protect our enduring interests we must ensure that the root causes of the upheavals of the past year... are answered by the emergence of greater freedom, greater dignity, greater opportunity.

The MENA Incentive Fund represents a new approach for our engagement.

Our forward-leaning engagement helping the region meet its challenges through partnership is one of the best bulwarks we have against Iranian ambitions to dominate the region.

We are not just a bystander in this drama nor do I believe we can afford to act that part.

President Obama and Secretary Clinton have been crystal clear that the United States will judge these parties based not on their words, but on their actions.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman, and I want to thank our panel for being here, and you for holding this hearing.

Was this panel sworn in?

I thank the chairman and look forward to working with him and the ranking member, as well as Mr. Langevin of Rhode Island, who has been a leader on this subject, to advance legislation that will address executive branch organization in the…

Well, I think you will forgive the American people for wondering a little bit about how effective their tax dollars have been invested when that is the outcome, even if it is one guy.

Those are all good metrics for our inputs, but what about the output?

If I can, Mr. Ambassador, that is already sort of a consequence of the failure of the government.

I met with a number of young people from my district earlier this week on the subject of Joseph Kony and the LRA, and I was very impressed and remain impressed at the mobilization online that has occurred throughout this country and indeed…

I thank the chair. And something that you said, Dr. Lynch, intrigued me.

I have to say to you, Ms. Olson, the numbers available to me are quite clear. They are not ambiguous.

Would you agree if those numbers are accurate, that would suggest that the de facto income tax in this Country is becoming more regressive, not more progressive?

According to one study, the percentage of income paid in taxes for the top one-tenth of 1 percent of taxpayers in that top bracket has declined from 70 percent to 40 percent.

It puzzles one why Congress wouldn't seize on that opportunity as one measure to put a real dent in the debt without having to create weeping and gnashing of teeth.

We are making incredible and, in my opinion, sometimes egregious policy decisions that are going to do real damage to the United States of America.