Call to duty, every Foreign Service officer runs the same risk. And very often, so do our families. They serve, too, as individuals, as a community, we answer the call to duty to advance and protect the interests of the United States. I count myself lucky to be a Foreign Service officer, fortunate to serve with the best america has to offer, blessed to serve the American People for the last three years. If you are not moved by the testimony of Marie Yovanovitch today, you dont have a pulse. This is a woman who served in seven posts, president of both parties, more than 30 years, places like somalia. I cant imagine a better example of diplomatic professionalism or integrity than what you have given all of us. From those who served with you, those who inspired to be you, and for all those you have served, you are excellent in the conduct of diplomacy. Excellence in the conduct of diplomacy. I would say the best advice i received, be honest, tinker is to be honest, maintain your integrity, tell the truth. That is difficult advice to follow under all circumstances, but very good advice. Take it from me, and i think many others in this room, there is nothing more gratifying than working for the American People. Making the u. S. And the world more democratic, more prosperous, and more secure. [applause] please join me in welcoming the executive Vice President and provost at Indiana University. [applause] welcome, everybody. On behalf of Indiana University, it is my honor to introduce our next speaker. Long before ambassador yovanovitch came to a national prominence, she represented the United States and its interests with professionalism, dignity, and bravery in a diplomatic career that spanned 34 years. In posts across the world from moscow, to ukraine, ambassador yovanovitchs career has been distinguished by service to country, nonpartisanship, and as you can see, by her list of postings overseas, by her willingness to take on tough diplomatic assignments, and to tell it like it is. In an air force family, and like the rest of my family, i was tremendously proud of my fathers military service. I benefited from the opportunity to live in other countries around the world and to travel throughout this country. But i also understood the hardships involved and sometimes the risks. But i also understood the hardships involved, and sometimes, the risks. The same is true of our nations formats, whose contributions often go unnoticed, the work of our professional diplomats contribute to our nations prosperity, advance our security, and make it less likely that young men and women will be called into combat. But this work is often unseen and despite the caricatures, unglamorous. Ambassador yovanovitch, speaking at some other Foreign Affairs school on the potomac two weeks ago, quoted former secretary of state, george schultz, who famously said that the work of a Foreign Service officer is to tend to the diplomatic garden, doing the daytoday gardening, so that the weeds dont choke off the sunlight. In diplomatic terms, that means keeping open channels with partners and adversaries. Because it is impossible to know when they will be needed or for what. Maybe to advance a trade agreement, maybe to press for compliance with an armscontrol pact, maybe even to protect global health. If there was a Silver Lining in something as polarizing as an impeachment hearing, it was to give the public a chance to see for itself the talent, expertise, poise, and dignity of our nations Foreign Service officers. People of the caliber and character of the woman we are here today, ambassador Marie Yovanovitch. As an educator at a university committed to global engagement, i want to thank ambassador yovanovitch for giving the American Public the opportunity to understand better the values and professionalism of our Foreign Service. I thank and congratulate the Hamilton Lugar School of global and International Studies for hosting this event. Part of this wonderful annual conference on americas role in the world, which has become a valued part of this campus global tradition. Rich, global tradition. Ambassador yovanovitch, may i ask you now to come to the podium to be joined by Indiana University president , michael mcrobbie, and your former state department colleague, ambassador lee feinstein, to join us on stage, as well . [applause] thank you, very much. Very much, provost. On behalf of Indiana University, is my great honor to present ambassador Marie Yovanovitch with the inaugural Richard Lugar g. Lugar award. Investor yovanovitch is a fitting recipient of this award, which is bestowed on behalf of the school of International Studies, which is named in honor of the late senator lugar and former congressman lee hamilton, who is with us here today. This award honors senator lugars legacy as a giant of as one of the true giants of american diplomacy. Principled, pragmatic, and nonpartisan policy. He fully appreciated and and embraced the fundamental goal of diplomacy in making our country and the world more just and secure. In this regard, the senator was a supporter of americas Foreign Service, and he worked to ensure that our Foreign Service officers and others in the state department have the resources they needed to perform their duties. Senator lugar sought to protect and valued the important constitutional role of congress in Foreign Affairs and national security. Uld like representative representative hamilton was one of the most influential Foreign Policy to serve in the congress. I know the senator would be tremendously proud, as is his family, that ambassador yovanovitch is the first recipient of this award in his name. In a 34year career, the ambassador worked on issues that were of central importance to the senator throughout almost his entire senatorial career. In fact, during ambassador yovanovitchs first tour in ukraine, the senator visited the country to advance the effort to prevent the spread of dangerous weapons and technologies. The ambassador played a major role in shaping and implement an postcold war policy, helping to advance diplomacy, prosperity, security, and rule of law in the postsoviet era. Her distinguished career also reflects the principles we uphold at Indiana University. We seek to instill them in our students. A commitment to understanding other cultures and societies and an ability to unmask difficult subjects and explained them to and explain them to nonexpert audiences, a willingness to speak truth to power effectively and a commitment to the best traditions of this countrys founding principles into its constitution. And to its constitution. We are also proud to claim the ambassador as one of our very own, at least in a small way, as she is an alumni of our summer language workshop, which is part of the Hamilton Lugar School. An alumna of our summer language workshop, which is part of the Hamilton Lugar School. [applause] ambassador yovanovitch studied the russian language in 1979 and is part of a great tradition of russian studies and linkage experts, including former ambassador to russia, jim collins, former secretary of defense, robert gates, and former director of policy and planning for the state department, annemarie slaughter, all of whom have spoken a number of times at iu. Madam ambassador, as you can see, this award sits atop a compass, symbolically reflecting senator lugars principled integrity. It also reflects what we have described as the obligations of a Foreign Service officer to remain faithful to her true north. As you have done brilliantly in dangerous and challenging posts overseas, and as all of us recently witnessed in washington, d. C. It is my honor and privilege to present ambassador yovanovitch with the inaugural Richard Lugar award. Richard g. Lugar award. Congratulations. [applause] ambassador yovanovitch will now deliver remarks, after which you will take part in a questionandanswer session, moderated by pastor lee feinstein, the founding dean of the Hamilton Lugar School. Join me once again in congratulating ambassador Marie Yovanovitch and welcoming her to the podium. [applause] ms. Yovanovitch it is such an honor for me to be back at indiana and to receive such an award, so i think president mcrobbie for presenting me with the Richard Lugar award, but i richard g. Lugar award, but i hope that all of you will permit me to accept this award on behalf of all the women and men at the state department who work with integrity, with vision, and with dedication. Take in, day out, they are day in, day out, they are little known to the world and even to their fellow americans, but every day, they protect and defend u. S. Interests around the world, just as senator lugar did. On their behalf, im accepting this award, and thank you very much for honoring all of us. [applause] many at the state department helped to implement the initiatives and legislation that senator lugar conceived, fought for, and guided. That is how i met senator lugar. I was a midlevel officer in ukraine in the early 2000s, the senator was on a grueling trip through the former soviet union to check on our nonproliferation program, the program that he and senator nunn had created. The senator arrived very late on a hot august afternoon, dead tired, knowing he would have a long and dusty road trip ahead of him the next day. There i was, standing on the tarmac at the bottom of the stairs as the plane came in, and the senator greeted me, it was the first time i met the senator, and i got to tell him that the president of ukraine wanted to see him. So the senator, gracious as ever, said, that would be lovely. When is the meeting . I said, right now. There was this moment of shock, nobody was laughing. A moment of shock, and a moment of unprincipled words from the staff, as you can imagine. But the senator was unflappable, he was gracious, and he used the hourlong trip to the president s office as prep time and as you would expect, senator lugar pushed on nonproliferation concerns. For this midlevel officer, it was a privilege to watch a pro at work. The next day, we traveled with our ukrainian counterparts to participate in the elimination of an icbm silo, and one of the photos in the clip you saw earlier that commemorated that event. Many of you may be wondering, as i certainly would have, what is an icbm silo . That is the hardened shelter for intercontinental ballistic missiles, which was probably once pointed at new york or washington, maybe indianapolis. I think we sometimes forget that 1991, when the soviet union collapsed, how literally awesome a moment that was, full of opportunity, and how dangerous that was. And one of the dangers was that the Worlds Largest nuclear arsenal, which had been under soviet control, was all of a sudden in the hands of four brandnew countries, russia, ukraine, kazakhstan, and belarus. This was at a time when these countries where facing unprecedented political challenges and failing economies. The possibility of loose nukes was not top of mind for most in the former soviet union. We in the u. S. Had grave concerns as to whether these countries could control their newfound arsenal, much less keep them secure for bad actors, or service them so they did not pose an environmental hazard. Senators nunn and lugar did something unprecedented. They moved forward a bill that used u. S. Funding to help these countries eliminate their nuclear weapons. In retrospect, it is so obvious that destroying nukes makes the world safer, especially for americans, who were the likely targets of these weapons of mass destruction. Of course we should have done everything to make that happen. But using american taxpayer money to destroy another countrys weapons had never been done before. Many felt it was the other countrys responsibility, so it was controversial. Even though it was clearly in our own interests and even though it was evident that countries that were emerging from the wreckage of the soviet state were not capable, at least at that point, of taking care of the problem themselves. Fortunately, senators nunn and lugar had the vision to see what was necessary and tenacity to push legislation through the congress, and they had the ability to then persuade the leadership of these four brandnew countries that this was in their interests, too. And that was not a cakewalk. A few months prior to those conversations, the ussr had been our strategic rival. We are beyond fortunate, all of us sitting in this room and beyond, to have had these two senators leading the way during an Inflection Point in modern history. By establishing the Threat Reduction program, they materially reduced the risk of a nuclear catastrophe. I believe we can take a lesson from these senators. They knew that the u. S. Needs to be present in the world, and not just present, we need to lead, we need to reduce and manage risk around the world. That makes americans more secure, that makes the rest of the world more secure, which is good for americans. But there is more. We also need to set the example. Senator lugar held an unwavering belief in the American People and in our democracy. He believed that american moral traditions, by which i believe he meant rule of law, human rights, freedoms enshrined in the bill of rights, including freedom of the press, and our participation in civil society, our vigorous participation in civil society, all of these things are a source of our international power. He believed that exercising authority in the present age requires allies and the ability to build coalitions. It is far easier to do that if the u. S. Maintains the respect that arrives from moral traditions, he said. Senator lugar believed democracies are less likely to go to war with other democracies, he believed democracies are less likely to tolerate corruption, he thought democracies were more likely to promote policies that would ensure prosperity and a resulting security that would create a Better International environment. Maintaining our principles is the right thing to do. It is also the smart thing to do. That is not to say that democracies are perfect and dont make mistakes. But it was churchill, who knows a thing or two about some of these things, who said, democracy is the worst form of government, except for all the others. And our world is smaller and more interconnected than ever. We can jet off to any destination in a day, or get there virtually in a second, and the consequences of one countrys careless actions wash up on the shores of others with distressing regularity, sometimes literally. We are in this together, and we need to find the solutions together, but we are not going to be successful if we think of this as a zerosum game. Senator lugar never did. He understood the power of principle. He saw the u. S. As that shining city on the hill, and every day, senator lugar worked to keep us shining, because he knew that it takes work to preserve our institutions at home and protect our relationships around the world. I will add an important point about senator lugar the man. Senator lugars dignity, the way he communicated with me, a midlevel Embassy Officer who had given him unwelcome news on what felt like a 100degree tarmac at the end of a long trip, shows us how we should treat each other and how to get the best results. He knew that you dont have to shout to be heard. In fact, if you are shouting, whether it is in person or on the internet, no one is listening and no one can be heard. A pragmatist, senator lugar, by the power of his example, showed us that you can be good, you can do good, and still make good for your country and yourself. But even senator lugar couldnt make other initiatives happen without help. For the nonproliferation program, that was the defense Threat Reduction agency, which was founded with that goal in mind, and also the state department. They implemented the program and the state department greased the skids, ensuring access. We do that on just about every issue internationally. Does the pentagon need a new base somewhere . We negotiate that agreement. Does the secretary of state need to know what is happening in a country on the edge . Political officers are drafting reports in real time and providing policy options. When an American Company wants to expand its operations overseas, what is the first stop . Usually, its the economic and commercial officers at an embassy. Is one of you choosing a vacation destination overseas but you are not sure if it is safe to go . Im guessing that you are looking at the state Department Website to help you make that decision. Worried about how to evacuate your child from a country, whether because of a coup or the coronavirus . Who are you going to call . Im not going to say they always , becauseght but the they dont, but we need a strong and resilient department of state that is fully funded, fully staffed, and fully empowered to meet the challenges of the 21st century, and if that were the case today [applause] and if that were the case today, frankly, the u. S. Government would get it right more often than we do today. So what do we need to do to reinvigorate the state department . I believe we need to be committed to our principles, rule of law, generosity of spirit, and understanding we are stronger together both internally and externally with our allies, and a commitment to put u. S. Resources on the line with others to make the world a more democratic, more prosperous, and more secure place. This is in the interest of others, but first and foremost, it is in our own interest. We need to be principled and , consistent, and trustworthy. Noted, i like to quote secretary of state george shultz, who worked for president reagan. We need to tend the garden. We need to invest in our relations with allies and adversaries, so that they understand us and we understand them, even if we dont always agree. In fact, it is probably more important when we dont agree. We need to communicate our resolve, we need to reassure our allies, and we need to signal clearly to our adversaries so there is no miscommunication and misunderstanding. We need to reempower diplomats to do their jobs. Government officials should not be afraid to challenge assumptions or to share their expertise and experience. Working on the basis of facts and rigorous analysis is not the work of the deep state. It is the work of the deeply dedicated state, in the words of ambassador [applause] just to give credit where credit is due, those were the words of ambassador mike mcfaul. And i think no set of remarks is complete without talking about the coronavirus, and i think that we are learning this lesson all over again with the coronavirus. Had the Chinese Government in the first place acted responsibly when dr. Li spoke up, rather than detaining him, suppressing the information, we might be in a different place today. If the u. S. Had a better relationship with china, perhaps we would have more information earlier, and perhaps International Health experts could have traveled to china sooner. It turns out that the truth matters, and epidemics cant be subdued by tweet. [laughter] [applause] we need to do a better job of Relationship Building at home, so we understand our own political priorities in the u. S. And the working environment in washington. That means Foreign Service officers need to understand the imperative of our Political Leadership in the executive and legislative branches. Diplomats cannot be effective if they are only experts in Foreign Affairs. That also means better explaining what we do so that in a resourcechallenged environment, congress understands what we do and why it is important, and wants to invest in diplomacy and in assistance programming around the world. It also means we need to do a better job of communicating with the American Public, which, after all, funds the state department. Over the last five months, i have received hundreds, perhaps thousands of letters from all over america, and one common theme is i never knew what the state department does, or did. Clearly, we need to do better, both individually and institutionally, on that score. We need to be dealt the policy process, painful as it sometimes is, to be more inclusive, more thoughtful, and more effective. And more regular, so that outside actors dont manipulate the u. S. We need to make it a priority at every level to counter the disinformation that totalitarian regimes are spreading in the u. S. And abroad, but also to do a better job at communicating our american story to audiences overseas. We need to partner with Interest Groups and nongovernmental institutions on diplomatic initiatives and projects. And we need to rigorously examine how we define our work, how we do our work, where we work, and how we prepare and grow our talent. The principles of our tradecraft remain the same. But just as we abandoned the quill pen, oh, maybe a century or two ago, we need to innovate our approach to match the challenges of today. It is also important that we review our corporate culture. I think there are a lot of questions we could ask about that at the state department that come to mind to me is can we be more flexible . Can we be less riskaverse . These are weighty questions, and the good news is there is a lot of work done in this area. As a booster of the state department and Foreign Service officers, i know senator lugar would have been at the center of the discussion on how to reanimate our Foreign Policy and reinvigorate our state department. Im sure that many of you at the hamiltonlugar school are also thinking about these issues, and i believe that the Department Needs your insights and the Department Needs your help. In closing, i would like to acknowledge the individuals who are here today who are keeping the hamiltonlugar school so strong. First of all, thank you, provost, for that generous introduction. President mcrobbie, you honor me and you honor the men and women of the state department with this award. And congressman hamilton, thank you for being here today to inspire us with your example, as you do every day with your example. [applause] ambassador feinstein, dean feinstein, who im losing in the crowd here, i thank you for inviting me here today and for being a fantastic partner when we were both at the state department. We really, i think, were able to accomplish a lot of good things when he was our esteemed ambassador to poland. I would like to give a shoutout to the ukrainian studies organization. I understand some of you are here today. [applause] you are convening the very first conference this week, so let me share my favorite quotation from this famous ukrainian poet and patriot, and i hope i dont murder the pronunciation. For those who dont speak ukrainian, which im guessing is most of you, i will tell you what that means in a minute. But first, i want to say that, as president mcrobbie mentioned, i was here at the russian language workshop at Indiana University over 40 years ago. It was the summer that this littleknown biking movie came out, thats how long ago it came out. I felt i was at the center of the universe with that going on. I had the most amazing teacher. She generously shared the secrets of russian grammar, and for anybody who has studied russian, that is a teacher you hold close. It was lifechanging. Knowing russian opened up possibilities i would not have had otherwise. To all students here today, as someone who has benefited from the program here, i can tell you you are fortunate to be at Indiana University. As the conference finishes up and you are thinking about americas role in the world, i hope that you are also asking yourself what your role is in america, what your role is in the world. I hope that leads you to a career in Public Service and since im a former diplomat, i would be remiss in saying in not saying that i hope it leads you to a career in the Foreign Service. There are many ways to contribute and many ways to give back and i know that no matter what you choose, you will be doing that. Some of you maybe wondering what my favorite quote was. There are many ways to translate it, but here is the one i like. Struggle on and be triumphant. To the students here today, take that thought to heart as you answer the question of your role in america and your role in the world. I want to thank you today, thank you for honoring me, and thank you for honoring the women and men of the state department. Thanks. [applause] please join me in welcoming please join me in welcoming ambassador lee feinstein, founding dean of the hamiltonlugar school of global and International Studies and former ambassador to the republic of poland. [applause] mr. Feinstein well, i always like to quote congressman hamilton. He is pithy and to the point. So if i may, congressman, wow. [laughter] that was really terrific. Masha, it is great to be with you here today. Welcome back to bloomington. It was a real privilege to work with you. You are a person of integrity. You were supportive. You were loyal. Those were qualities we got to see, all of us got to see over the course of the last year. It is gray outside. It is difficult to you could not tell from the weather, but this universitys motto is marked today in the dignity you have shown over the course of your career and since have brought us both today. Thank you so much. Ms. Yovanovitch thank you. [applause] thank you. Mr. Feinstein so, i thought i would begin by giving you a sense of our wellinformed audience. So if i were to hand out a map of the world [laughter] ms. Yovanovitch this a test . Mr. Feinstein to every Single Person in this audience, they would be able to find ukraine with no problem. [laughter] [applause] mr. Feinstein but it raises a serious question. Lets just say hypothetically, a very Senior Member of the state department were to Say Something like no one cares about ukraine. How would you respond . You spent two tours in ukraine, including as ambassador, of course, but based on your experience there, why should Americans Care about ukraine . What are the geostrategic significance of ukraine . Why does it matter to americans . Ms. Yovanovitch well, that is a simple question. I will do my best to answer it. I think there are many different ways that one can answer that question. Back in the cold war, during the cold war, it was a bipolar war with russia and the United States. The dissolution of the soviet union, all of a sudden 15 new countries. It seemed that they were on their way, some of them at least, to becoming democracies, market economies. And then we had the early 2000s with 9 11 and some of the other developments that we saw there. And we now seem to have a bit of a muddle. We dont know exactly what we are doing. It is an Inflection Point in our history where we dont have the cold war and the institutions that were founded during that time, whether they are on the Political Security side or economic side, to bring a sense of order to how the world does its business. Those institutions are struggling a bit right now with the new challenges. And we dont necessarily have the cohesion that we did after 9 11 when the whole world was on the side of the United States as we were struggling with terrorism and the world really was behind us. So now, what do we do with all of that . I think what you see, perhaps understandably, is that every country is jostling for position and jostling for advantage. And not every country has the same philosophy as the United States traditionally has done, that this is not a zerosum game. That if we do right by others, they will eventually do right by us as well. That foreign assistance programming is a good thing certainly for those who are receiving that foreign assistance, but it is also good for the United States because it not only engenders goodwill for us, but it increases the prosperity in a country, it increases security in a country, and those countries become better allies or partners for the United States. Russia, as a country that is traditionally expansionist you just need to look, speaking of maps, at the russian empire. Obviously, there was the soviet union inherited that empire, tried to expand it further, if you consider the warsaw pact as part of an expansion of influence, if not actual territory, and then experienced a very sharp and perhaps unexpected contraction in the late 1980s and in 1991. As russia is trying to reposition itself in the world, it is taking advantage of some of the confusion that we see in the international space. So very early on in the early 1990s, we saw russia sort of have a lot of influence, shall we say, and a significant military presence. In moldova specifically. And then fastforward to 2008 and we have the georgia invasion. And again, a pause. And in 2014, you have the takeover of crimea, when the world was really back on its heels and not understanding what was happening. And then the creeping war in the east of ukraine. Russia is an expansionist power. And i think philosophically over the centuries has felt it was important to expand its territory in order to keep the core safe. I think that is what we are seeing now. So when we see ukraine being attacked militarily, both in crimea and in the east, and just to remind everybody, although i know you can pass the map test, but just to remind that ukraine borders a number of nato countries. The u. S. Has treaty obligations to those nato countries. So you have ukraine being attacked on the east, and on the west, it is bordering nato countries. That is not a comfortable situation for us. What we see in the war in ukraine is the same military tactics, the same experimental use of weapons that we then see in a place like syria, for example. So it is clearly i mean, i think there is a particular strategic goal that russia has, which is at a minimum to sow confusion and doubt and to retain as much influence over ukraine as possible. But also to use ukraine as a bit of a testing ground. And so at the embassy we used to say ukraine may be the testing ground for russia, but it needs to be the proving ground for the United States and the west in terms of how we respond to what russia is doing in ukraine. So there is the military challenge. There is the russians are using energy as a tool to make not only ukraine, or try to make ukraine, which has made significant efforts and achievements in becoming independent of russia on the front, but a lot ofo European Countries are perhaps not as advanced as ukraine in that respect. So using energy as a tool to then exert political influence. We see the election meddling, which happened first in ukraine in 2014 and was followed up pretty clear in the meddling in the brexit issue in the u. K. , and obviously in our own elections in 2016. We hope they wont be meddling in our elections this year. Also, there is france, which is often not discussed, but was a very clear attempt to influence those elections. There is also the issue of attacks on the energy grid in ukraine. The first we have talked about this for a couple of decades in the United States. Our energy grid is so vulnerable to attack, whether it is bad actors or a sovereign state. And in fact, russia did that in ukraine. And i believe it was 2016 2015, december of 2015. Again, you can see what russia is doing by trying out these Different Things and then possibly trying them out in other places. The last thing i would just say is the disinformation that is out there and that is very dangerous because it just disorients all of us when we hear these issues that are out there and then we dont really know what to think. That is kind of the point. Because people sort of throw up their hands and go, well, i cant make sense of what that person is saying or what that person is saying. I am just not going to think about it. I think that is in some ways the most dangerous thing in a democracy, because a democracy needs every citizen to be participating, to be informed, and to be making those decisions that are important for a country. So that is a really long way of saying that the reason we need to care about ukraine is i mean, there is a geostrategic reason, but there is also the fact that whatever we see in ukraine, we also see either in whole or in part in other parts of the world, including the United States. And we cannot allow that to happen. [applause] mr. Feinstein so you mentioned as part of the issues in ukraine the issue of democracy promotion and advancing democracy. To many americans, many people in the public, this seems like an impractical or abstract priority. Based on your experience, and you have a lot of it in the postsoviet space with transitional governments, some authoritarian, some transitioning better than others, can you give a better sense and explain to us and more broadly for the public why is it in americas interest to have democracy promotion as a fundamental aspect of our Foreign Policy . Ms. Yovanovitch yeah. I think that it is important, as senator lugar has said and written, because in fact it is less likely that democracies are going to go to war against each other. Not impossible, and we have seen it, but it is less likely. Democracies are less likely to tolerate corruption. Corruption is in every society, but it is how you handle it. Are there institutions that can manage it . Are there laws and regulations that make it illegal or discourage it or set up a system to make it more difficult . Is there accountability . I think all of these things are really important in a democracy. And they are also important in the international space. I think for people who are living in countries where they dont have a say in how they are governed, i am not saying most people in the world, including the United States, wake up in the morning and think about our Founding Fathers and the constitution and all of the very theoretical things that are out there. But that actually on a practical level, manage our political system and the rights and response abilities that we have as citizens in the United States. But what most people do want, i think, is they want to be living in a safe environment. And most people would think about that not as what is happening overseas, but as what is happening in their hometown. They want to make sure they have a job and can put food on the table and that they can live their lives the way they want to. If that means, you know, going to the movies every night, if it means staying in every night, nobody is telling them what to do. Nobody is telling them what university they have to. Go to. Nobody is telling them what job they will have after that. Nobody is telling them what to think and what to say. We take our freedoms, honestly, i think, for granted. And we are fortunate that we can take them for granted. But i think that one of the things that we have realized over time, and one of the things senator lugar knew in his bones, is that freedom is not free. You have to work for it. You have to work for it every day, and we work for it in different ways. Some people join the military. Some people join the Foreign Service. Some people i hope every person in this room votes. [laughter] [applause] and all of you are somehow participating in your communities, whether it is by being a girl scout leader, whether it is by working as a journalist at the local newspaper. There are so many different ways to do that. Getting parents together to make sure that the School Playground is in good shape for the kids and is safe. All of those things are examples of what happens in a healthy, civil society, and it is what keeps us all going. None of that is present in totalitarian states. Because the state takes care of everything. The state will handle the playground issue. If you dont like the fact that there is no seesaw, too bad for you. You are being told that you are going to like the swing instead. These are silly examples, but they are real examples of how democracy, i think, is important in everyday life, because people want to choose. Within parameters, people want to make their own decisions about how they live their life. I think democracies are stronger when citizens are very active. So going back to why it is important for us, i think in democracies people are generally, you know, happier, more secure, and more prosperous. We just need to look at the economic decisions that are made in totalitarian states and how they have boomeranged back. So that is good for the u. S. People and it makes better partners for us. Mr. Feinstein well, thank you. I wanted to ask a slightly more personal question. A number of people asked me to ask you this. We talked about it in advance. When we worked together, i knew you always to be professional, serious, lowkey, steely, which is a very good and important quality in a diplomat, but never someone to call attention to herself. And then suddenly last fall, and this is a big understatement, the spotlight was on you. Do you mind sharing with us, what did that feel like . Ms. Yovanovitch well, it was in some ways surprising. It was certainly unwelcome. And not anything that i ever would have chosen for myself. I dont think anybody would have. But i think that when you find yourself in a position like that, and that is obviously a dramatic position, but i would say that over many years working for the American People and for the u. S. Government, you have challenges. And so you have to meet them in the best way that you possibly can. And thats what i tried to do. You know, many people, as you have, have complimented me on that. Id note that the state department and federal government and i am sure local and state governments are full of people who would have responded just as i did, just as the other witnesses did. That you are called upon to tell the truth. We are government officials, and so we respond in a nonpartisan way. But it is important to tell the truth and then to hand it over to political leaders who take their own actions on that. I guess i would just say one other thing, which is that people have asked me, how did you know what to do . And i didnt. But i you know, there are little these are not the most sophisticated ways of dealing probably with this kind of question, but there is two things. I thought about mentors i have had in my life, and i thought about my own mother, who is probably my first and most important mentor and the person i admire most in the world. You know, what would they do . What would they want me to do . How would they go about it . I think sometimes asking yourself questions like that, you can really find your courage. The other question is perhaps a little less idealistic. But in philosophy, of course, it is called the New York Times test. If there will be a headline in the New York Times, what do you want it to say about you . [laughter] and so, you know, i found myself asking that question. How did i want others who have no dog in the fight at all to think about this . So those were important ways that i kind of found my moral compass. Mr. Feinstein and now you have something to bring home as well. Thank you very much. [applause] well, i have a long list of questions, but i know so does everybody else here. So what i would like to suggest now is we open the floor up to questions. I think the lights may go on so we can see who is interested in asking. And there are also people with microphones floating around. While we are getting that ready, i might ask you just another question, which is the obvious one. And i think you already started down this path. We have many people in this audience who are interested in careers in government and careers in Foreign Service. You described the challenges of the state department, the issues the state department is facing. Can you give them some advice as they think about their future careers, future careers in the state department or elsewhere . What advice based on your experience can you give them . Ms. Yovanovitch so i think the first piece of advice is to follow your passion. Because i think if you really love numbers and economic theory, you should be doing something with that. If you really love something else, you should follow that, that calling. Sometimes i think for smart people who have all the opportunities being at Indiana University, sometimes the challenge is to narrow it down. But i think that is a good problem to have, not a bad problem to have. So i think deciding what you like to do the most and then following that. I would say that one can make a difference in the world in many different ways. I was just talking to representative hamilton. He was talking about being a lawyer and that satisfying for a number of years, but then he wanted to move on and go into politics to make a bigger difference. I think that my mother used to always say that to whom much are given, much is being asked of those people. And that describes everybody in this room. How can you give back . So i found that answer in Public Service. I think many of the students i work with now at georgetown university, and i am sure many of the students here, are going to find that answer in Public Service as well. Im not saying these are not challenging times. But frankly, they are always challenging times. There is one challenge or another out there. How do we deal with it . Each one of you can make a difference in how we deal with the challenges of today. I think that that is tremendously rewarding. Mark grossman, who of course you know, ambassador mark grossman, he used to tell us when i was at the state department that there is no better place to work than a place where the American Flag is in your office. That is so true, because you know you are working for a greater cause, a higher purpose, and a very good cause. Mr. Feinstein thats great. [applause] all right, so we have mic one and mic two. It is a little bit like a dr. Seuss book. If you would like a question, please raise your hand. It is a little bit tough for us to see, so i will do my best to recognize you. We are giving priority to students. So we will ask students to raise their hand in the beginning. Ms. Yovanovitch can i just ask you to introduce yourself and say what you are studying . Mr. Feinstein please, yes. Right here, this gentleman to our right. Hello, ambassador yovanovitch. First of all, i want to thank you again for speaking to us. My name is kyle tucker, and i am a secondyear student majoring in International Studies and russian, so i can definitely attest to your comments on russian grammar. My question to you specifically was about students like me who are about to enter the workforce and hopefully for some of us in Public Service in the coming years, i wanted to know your perspective on what you think are some of the biggest strategic threats we are going to have to face as a generation as we move on into careers in government . Ms. Yovanovitch thank you. And good luck with the russian. [laughter] it is a lifelong study is what i found. In terms of the strategic challenges ahead, there are many. One of those is the one that i spent some time on talking about in my formal remarks, which is those strategic threats posed by weapons of mass destruction. It kinda feels like a cold war relic, but in fact, it is not. That is something that is less in the front on the front page these days, but it really needs to be because that is a huge priority for all of us. And there are new threats that are coming up. We didnt spend too much time thinking about biological weapons during the cold war, but we are thinking a lot about that now, and how do we contain that. So that certainly is one issue. I think kind of the question of how, to use an old phrase, the world order, so to speak, is going to be organized, because during the cold war it was very clear. It became sort of clear in the 1990s. And now, there is lots of questions. There is a lot of countries coming up with economies and militaries that could pose a challenge. So how do we constructively work with allies, partners, and potential adversaries in a way that ensures our security, our prosperity, our democracy . Because we can never forget that our Foreign Policy needs to be american Foreign Policy. How do we do that for ourselves, but in a way that does not create instability, insecurity in the world . Because if others are feeling insecure and unstable and threatened, that is not good for us, not in the long term. So finding kind of a new motive for how to operate i think is pretty critical. And i dont think we found it after the collapse of the soviet union. We need to, i think, reinvigorate some of our International Institutions to take into account that the world has changed since 1946, 1947, maybe the 1950s, and how do we do that in a way that is constructive . I think that is a very important issue. Clearly, the issue all of us face every day in our home, but the whole world faces collectively, is the issue of the environment and how we ensure that our home here on earth that we do not foul our own nest beyond any kind of recognition. We i think first and foremost we need to have a conversation about that in the United States, because i think there is a great deal of disagreement in the United States. First of all, on the facts. But secondly, on what the policy should be. And how do we band together with other countries in the world . Obviously, the Previous Administration had made efforts in that regard. This administration chose not to pursue that agreement. But how do we together, because we are in the world together, and any solution to that problem has to be one that all of us are working towards how do we do that . I think it is early days, even as the clock is ticking louder and louder. So i think that is one huge challenge. The other issue, which is related to the issue of Global Warming and the environment, is poverty, which in a world that is so small, where people in middle Subsaharan Africa can look on their cell phones and be getting news from the United States or watching our sitcoms and watching how we live and seeing that their children dont have those same opportunities. I think just thinking about it, in the u. S. Context, that creates a challenge for us here where not everybody has the same opportunities. Globally, it also creates a challenge when people everybody wants the best for their children, and that is understandable. So how do we we live in an era where more people have been brought out of poverty than ever before. But there are still billions of people that are very, very poor. And that creates not only all the obvious problems, but also instability. And so how do we deal with that . I mean, i could go on and on. [laughter] but i think that perhaps the Positive Side of that is there is still lots of work for you to do. [laughter] [applause] mr. Feinstein it was interesting on the first point you made this morning our first panel with senator todd young. He talked about working on a bipartisan basis on the armscontrol initiatives. Ms. Yovanovitch very important. Mr. Feinstein ok. Right here please. Thing number two. [laughter] hi. I am studying International Studies, chinese language and culture, and security in global business. What do you think the lasting implications of this administrations Foreign Policy has on how people from around the world view the Foreign Service and diplomats . Ms. Yovanovitch i think that , you know, just talking about the Immediate Impact right now, which is that i think a question has been raised whether embassy officials, including career ambassadors, speak for the administration. Thats like tying both hands behind you, because embassies are the administrations voice overseas. We are the ones we are not making the president s or the administrations policies. We are implementing those policies. You know, if a foreign officer or someone from dod or the ambassador does not agree with those policies, they should not be in those jobs. In fact, we have had over time resignations because people did not agree. In both republican and democratic administrations, because people did not agree with the policies. We are out there trying to implement the administrations policies. It has been traditional that you have the full backing of the administration in that. I think now there is a question. Is that person really speaking for the administration . Should i really trust that person . That this is what the administration wants, this is what is going to happen. Or should i hire a lobbyist in washington to try to get me that answer, because i just dont know . I think it creates a lot of it makes it harder to implement our policies. But it also creates a lot of uncertainty in a world that is already uncertain, because going back to the challenges we are facing and that we are facing together, we dont really have the answers to them yet. We need to Work Together to get to those answers. I am hopeful that that is not going to be a lasting legacy. I am hopeful that because the department of state and those who work there and those who work in all of the agencies are by and large doing a good job and that that reputation is going to be the legacy that you speak of. Mr. Feinstein ok, i think we have time for we will combine two questions. If people will state their questions really carefully. Person right here. Yes. Hi. I am a freshman studying political science, economics, and finance. Thank you for coming. I have already learned a lot. I was just wondering, what is it like handling diplomacy in a country that was dealing with annexation, like territorial issues . What were some challenges . How did you respond to them . Mr. Feinstein excellent. And we will add one quick one. If i can ask person number one all the way in the back. There is a person just in the very last row. There you go. Hi. I am a sophomore student studying International Law and global institutions. My question is, as a Woman Working in the field highly dominated by men, have you experienced moments where you had to force yourself to be taken seriously or heard . And how have you navigated that . Mr. Feinstein two great questions. Thank you. Ms. Yovanovitch so first one, i assume you are talking about ukraine and all the challenges that ukraine was facing. I really felt drawn to go to ukraine the second time because i felt these were existential questions not only for ukraine, but also more broadly for europe and the west and the United States. That ukraine had to prevail. And we had to help ukraine defend its territorial integrity, first of all. But also its right to selfdetermination, what kind of a government it should have. What kind of alliances. Could it join the e. U. Or not . Is that a decision that should be decided in moscow or a decision that should be decided by the ukrainian people . The ukrainian people have spoken twice very clearly. Once in 2004 with street demonstrations, and that ended up kind of fizzling when the government basically conducted business as usual. And then they did it again in 2014. It was really clear that this is what the ukrainian people wanted, to be facing towards the west, to join the e. U. , maybe even nato, and have their own right to selfdetermination. I think americans instantly understand, since we had our own battles for independence, they understand the rightness of what the ukrainian people wanted. So for me, having served there before, seeing what ukrainian people said they wanted, seeing the challenge from russia, and the broader challenge that poses, i really wanted to go back because i thought i could make a difference. And i think we did make a difference, and are continuing to make a difference. Because even though ukraine has been so much in the news in the United States, not necessarily in the way that they perhaps would like, our policy continues to be a strong and constructive and good policy to ukraine, both in terms of the assistance, whether on the institutionbuilding side, the democracybuilding side, whether it is on the economic issues, where we are very strong, or whether it is on the security side. So i think that is a real positive. You know, i it was probably the hardest job i have ever had. But in many ways, the most gratifying as well. Thanks. Mr. Feinstein we had one other question. Ms. Yovanovitch yeah. So this is, you know, always a hard question to answer, because and i will just harken back to elizabeth warrens comments yesterday, not in a partisan way, but just to say i think she was right when she said that if you talk about being a woman in a mans world, if you complain about some of the things you have experienced or perceived, you are criticized as being a whiner and not one of the guys and clearly not up to the job. I think i am expanding on what she said. [laughter] but we hear she is going to say more. And if you dont comment on it, then you are kind of taken the women in the room are like, what world is she in . Because that is not the world i am in. I think what i would say is i didnt have the experiences of being chased around the desk by a male supervisor, although my mother, who worked as a secretary in the 1950s in london, did. But there is just a general environment that is perhaps not as hospitable to women as there is to men. Because it is a general environment that has been created by men. I would say that my time in the Foreign Service, i feel that i have been fortunate in my time in the Foreign Service because unbelievably, my Foreign Service class was about 50 people. It was half and half, half women, half men. I was just at the swearingin ceremony for the latest Foreign Service class, and that was not the proportions. It was like i dont know exactly what it was, but it was markedly the overwhelming majority was male. When i asked about that, i was told, well, just wait for the next class, the next class is going to be different. I am hoping thats true. I think in terms of numbers, we still need to work at that. And then i think when you look at where women are in structure at the state department, and not just the state department, in general, there is a winnowing out. Some of it is selfelected because women are the ones who take care of family issues, whether it is children, parental issues, whatever it might be. That privilege, that burden falls more on women than it does on men. So how can we as leaders, when we think about that, how can we make that easier for all people . Not just ones who have a completely Supportive Network back home so they can spend all their time thinking about their job. I also so i think the state department is changing, but i dont think it is there yet. I think it takes a conscious effort to make sure that we continue to evolve in a way that is supportive of everybody. I was also lucky when i came up in the Foreign Service. And one of the things when you read books about leadership and women and men, one of the things they always say is men talk about how great they were and how they really deserved things. Women talk about how lucky they were. So here i am telling you i was fortunate. But i was fortunate. I was fortunate because when i was coming up to be the deputy chief of mission, which is number two at an embassy, the Senior Leaders at the state the Senior Leaders at the state department were realizing, this would have been the late 1990s, realizing that they couldnt just only have men at embassies. They needed some women, as well. They were looking for talent, and i was lucky to be there. The same thing happened when they were choosing chief ambassadors. I was in the right place at the right time. Atause i had learned russian a time when all of a sudden, there were all these new embassies where russian was the language that was spoken, in many of these countries they are speaking their native languages but in the early 2000s, russian was, it was an advantage to have russian. So i think there are deliberate attempts to reach out to women to bring them up. Im looking forward, and i think that is necessary and important at a time that is still transitional. Im looking forward to a time when that will not be necessary, when it comes naturally. [applause] well, about two thirds of the students in our school are women, so hopefully we can help them in an upcoming class. [applause] to gavel the final conference on americas role in the world to a close but before we do, i wanted to Say Something about big luger dick luger, who was a champion of women in careers in Foreign Policy. There is something called the luger series, a group of successful women who meet and convene conferences to this day. Let me recall something senator lugar said. Talent and accomplishments count , but honesty and integrity count more. Characteralism and are the qualities we recognizing you here today in presenting you with the inaugural richard g. Lugar award. Everyone, please help me recognize ambassador jovanovich. H. Ambassador yovanovic thank you. Thank you. [applause] [captions Copyright National cable satellite corp. 2020] [captioning performed by the national captioning institute, which is responsible for its caption content and accuracy. Visit ncicap. Org] we take you live to capitol a Labor Department spending, health and Human Services and the education department. You are watching live coverage on cspan. [indiscernible chatter] the committee will come to order. 2021me to the fiscal year labor hhs subcommittee markup. Our dear friend Ranking Member tom cole, i want to welcome the committee chair, Ranking Member granger, and all the subcommittee members who are here in person and those participating by a secure video teleconference. Mention, we have been person, chairwoman