Russ Feingold

I think one of the assets that we need to build for our diplomacy is to show the Israeli people that our leaders, both Democrat and Republican, form a consensus with respect to support for Israel, support for its security and well-being.

I would like to note the many challenges to democracy we are seeing across Africa today. I have long said that promoting and supporting democratic institutions should be a key tenet of our engagement with Africa, as good governance is…

although I know the Obama administration strongly supports human rights and adherence to the rule of law around the world, I have been struck by several very public examples where this important issue has gotten short shrift--most notably…

this is not where I hoped we would be, 8rac{1}{2} years after the USA PATRIOT Act became law. Congress should not have passed that law in such haste in 2001 and ought to have enacted meaningful reforms to it years ago. That is why I voted…

defeating al-Qaeda and dealing with the broader problem of violent extremism requires that we use all of the tools at our disposal

today I am introducing the Support Renewable Energy Act of 2010 with my colleague, Senator Ensign. This bill would modify the Renewable Electricity Standard currently drafted in the American Clean Energy Leadership Act to ensure that all…

I have authored a bill that now has 63 cosponsors and which requires more strategic attention and resources to help address this violence.

A stronger State Department is vital to our Nation's security, as is expanding and strengthening our work in such areas as economic development, good governance, respect for human rights, respecting the rule of law, and conflict resolution.

Frankly, my goal is to be effective in what we spend so that it actually assists those Cubans who are fighting for freedom.

I have concerns about supplemental spending bills, given that they fall outside of the normal budget process.

It needs to be restructured in such a way that it is completely independent from the Executive, and it needs to have its own source of funding.

While Christmas Day attacker Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab's actions were clearly more influenced by conditions and actors in Yemen...

I'm concerned that abuses and discriminatory policies by Nigeria's security forces, particularly against Muslim communities, could also feed into extremism.

What we need to do is reiterate over and over and over again and through every method we can the unacceptability of military intervention, and we should support the efforts of groups like the African Union, for example, that is making a…

I think the Nigerian leadership has acted thoughtfully, responsibly, and along democratic lines in resolving the current crisis.

We were concerned, as we should be, given Nigeria's long history of military involvement that we did not want to see a return of the military to power in an unconstitutional way in Nigeria.

There does need to be, in my view, a root and branch reorganization of INEC from the top.

I remain concerned... that these offices do not have the resources or reach the need they have to engage on the Nigerian Government on multiple levels.

The hearing will come to order and on behalf of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee Subcommittee on African Affairs, I welcome all of you to this hearing entitled 'Examining the U.S.-Nigeria Relationship in a Time of Transition.'

We're not out of the woods yet.

We will seize the opportunity to work with the Government of Nigeria in these efforts.

It is always a sad situation when military have to be brought out to undertake what should, in fact, be police operations.

I have been working on the issue of our relationship with Nigeria since 1993, including the days of Sunni Abacha and sometimes we've had to put enormous pressure, sometimes we've been able to reach out.

Consultation with the political parties in an atmosphere of transparency and an invitation for civil society and independent electoral observers to be part of the process would also improve the transparency of the process.

I will work to see that these recommendations are seriously considered.