Foreign Relations Committee will come to order. In keeping with the great way that senator ramsey runs his committee, we start on time here, too. Well defer our opening comments out of respect for you so you can make your destruction and go about your business. You honor us by being here, we thank you for that. The floor is yours to introduce won of our nominees. Thank you, chairman corker and Ranking Member carden. Thank you for the chance to appear before the committee. He has been my budget director. He has tremendous knowledge and he has been able to coordinate many efficiently. He was born and raised in portland, oregon. He remains loyal to his west coast roots. After graduating college, he considered teaching diplomatic history. The opportunity to serve at the state department in a role that supports the creation and execution of Foreign Policy will be a great privilege. He began work at the legislative branch in 1989 and served in many positions including running the office of senator majority leader and serving the Senate Assistant Majority leader as well as overseeing the Senate Budget committee the last four years. Hes careful, thoughtful of others and dogged on behalf of bosses and their goals. Hes worked for and with republicans and democrats, senators and congressman, and democratic and republican administrations. Hes comfortable working across the partisan divide and billing coalitions to bring legislations across the finish line. Going to a Significant Department position, hell be an asset not just for the department, but for congress as well. His understanding of how he work, his appreciation for the challenges he face and his ability to dive in as a partnership to find solutions for our shared responsibility in americas Foreign Policy will serve it stead. Examples include his facility with senate rules and prez sents and the budget act, our budget enforcement regime and the reconciliation process. I have also mentioned his historical knowledge. Hes always open to new information and learns and reflecting it accordingly. I know well have the same talent in the executive branch to learn the op addressing of department, the rules under which it works how it works and how to best and appropriately carry out his responsibilities on behalf of the secretary and association. We all know the makeup of the senate requires senators to work with each other and provides many opportunities for senators and staff to learn that lesson and put it into action. I believe that experience will form erics responsibility to work with the stakeholders, including partners across the federal government and internationally and members and staff here at the committee and in congress. Eric is also a very careful manager who has had responsibility here in the senate, had several offices with budget execution, retention and supporting professional development of his staff. The scope of the department and the challenges it faces might be larger than managing a Senate Personnel office of Leadership Office or committee office, but i believe his management style will be applicable at the executive level too. Im confident hell be a strong and capable under secretary for management on behalf of the secretary and his senior team for our diplomats around the world. I urge his favorable consideration. Thank you. Thank you for being here, and as you know, youre welcome to go and continue your other duties. I know you have an important meeting this afternoon at 2 30. Again, thank you so much for being here. I think what the Ranking Member and i have decided, well give opening comments for both panels now. Does that suit you . Okay. Thank you so much for being here. Well see you later today. The position that senator enzi was mentions is vitally important. The under secretary is responsible for the allocation of state department positions, funds, and any other resources required to implement the foreign policies of the United States senate. In addition to making the train runs on time at the department, the under secretary has a critical task of curing our people and families abroad. This is never an easy undertaking but it is particularly challenging now given the complexity of our current threat environment testimony department is also in the middle of an extensive reorganization process. This committee has been concerned by some of committees recent management challenges as it tried to play a constructive role in making the committee more efficient and effective. I hope our nominee shares our goal of a stronger and more agile state department and i look forward to your cooperation on the authorization bill should you be confirmed. On the next panel of nominees we have the honorable john bass to be ambassador of afghan. Justin sieveral to be ambassador to bahrain. A more concerted effort is Firm Diplomacy with afghanistans neighbors and others. Our baas country team in kabul must be properly prepared and equipped to make the most of this new u. S. Effort to create better outcomes. I believe ambassador bass has that experience i and look forward to hearing how he plans to utilize our revourss to meet the president s expectations. Bahrain hosts a Critical Military base in the nation. Sadly, its facing unrest of the shia population against the shiite monarchy. I look forward to hearing from him about his goals and vision for bahrain in this complicated political environment. Hope those countries grow their economies and improve their standard of living which ultimately serves our u. S. Interest. If confirmed the u. S. Director of the African Development bank would play an Important Role in representing u. S. Interests at an operational level and helping make sure money is spent wisely. With that, i would like to recognize senator carden. Thank you, mr. Chairman. Thank you for scheduling this hearing. I want to welcome all four of our nominees and thank each of them for their willingness to serve our country in critically important positions. It is a great sacrifice and we thank you for that. We know its a family issue, that the family has to be supportive of that, so we thank the members of the family for willing to share your Family Member with our country. Mr. Aueland its good to see yo. You have been nominated to a position of great trust and importance for the proper functions for the development of state, the under secretary of management. Its not a job that often generates flashy headlines but its kritle the cal, behind the scenes in a way for the proper functioning of our Foreign Policy. As i consider the challenges you face, that i have been struggling over the past several months to understand the management philosophy of the departments current leadership. Im struggling to understand the administrations approach to the reorganization approach and personnel. To help this committee better understand how this administration is better thinking about and approaching the issues and helping us work through our concerns moving forward. As i expressed before, i remain concerned the administrations approach is the solution in search of a problem. It has the appearance of a precooked and ideological exercise. We expressed our concerns and made clear the road to reorganization runs through congress. I also have concerns, including the way the department handled the ranger and pickling fellows, the Population Bureau be moved wholesale to the department of security and the apparent lack of urgency of filling positions. I do this not to relitigate concerns with you, but rather to suggest real pressing needs for proper Management Guidance at the department. When we see things like the department seeking to reduce his work force, where critical functions and expertise are lost, it suggests an operation that does not understand or carry about using proper management tools to steer that process. So as i have said, i have concerns about the management department. Im hopeful youll be able to reassure this committee on how to tend to bring to bear your experience to create if he thinksle management and processes for the department. My overriding concern is without proper management, the United States is as risk for leaving the stage as eglobal leader. The department plays a global role by maintaining ore global statu stature, maintaining the kurt of citizens and supporting our allies and partners around the globe who share the values that are part of what makes america a unique organization. I trust you would agree that if the department doesnt function, weld be at risk around the world. I look forward to the discussion we have during the hearing. I also want to welcome the three nominees. Mr. Bass, thank you for come, back for a second hears. Thank you for your willingness to serve your country. I think the president selected a very well qualified person for this critical and difficult posting. I must express my concern over an announcement of a south asian strategy last month, which was short on details. I diverge from the president on his proposed troop increase and think this is the singular focus on killing terrorists, ignores the complexity of situation in afghanistan and the United States interest there. Ore approach to afghanistan must be centered around the ebold approach to forge a new settlement. We also must spur progress on accountability for human rights. These are the bulwarks against the risk that afghan territory could be used as a base for terrorist activities against us or our allies. Ill be introducing legislation for peace, justice and reconciliation in afghanistan. I hope the couple will have the opportunity soon to have a full hearing on afghanistan. Our ambassador to afghanistan will be on the front line of implementing this administrations strategy and i welcome to opportunity to hear from you today about your priorities and strategies of how to best approach this task. We wont solve this conflict through military engagement alone. We are intertwined with political, social, and economic issues. The diplomatic and progr programmatic regularly to help move the ball forward on peace, justice and reconciliation. Mr. Sabaral, reversing the spread of isis i listened to the chairman as he expressed his concern about bahrain. Bahrain is a key partner to the United States. We have military interests. We have counterterrorism interests and yet there are significant Human Rights Concerns with the way the bahrain reet the shia population. We must address those issues and our ambassador must take the lead to make it clear we can have partners with important strategic spress but we also must make advancements on the manner in which they handle the humors and at the universal freedoms. These developments that have occur in the bahrain undermine bahrains stability, compromise its ability to be a security parter in. Finally, im pleased to welcome joseph dowd to be the director of the African Development bank. Africa is of great promise. You notice you have his are can africa, that are key priorities for africa. I look forward to the discussion with all four of our nominees. We thank you all four for being here and listening to long opening comments by all of us. But we got it all off the way and now we are ready for you. So eric, if you would, if you take about five minutes to make sure comments, any additional materials, without objection will be entered in the testimony. Thank you, i appreciate it very much. Mr. Chairman, Ranking Member carden, senators, thank you very much. With me this morning is my wife and my daughters bridget and charlotte. My service on the legislative branch. We have all had the chance to see congress up close as part of that senate committee. We thank you for the privilege and the privilege extended to us by many different pred setszers. I am humbled to morning. Im grateful to President Trump and secretary tillerson for their confidence in me for nominating me to serve in this capacity. Our nation is engaged in a conversation about her appropriate role on the world stage. The department serves to express the voice of the president will you the secretary. If confirmed i look forward to taking management responsibility at the department. 16 broors and offices for which the under secretary is responsible provide the platform for our nations diplomacy. Including security, embassy diplomacy, budget and finance, training and many other critical functions. Our Foreign Policy must be carried out around the world at 275 embassies, consulates and other missions on a platform that supports the president s Foreign Policy. While the department does much very well, i know it also faces continued problems many areas. For example, the security of staff and facilities around the world remains an issue. The department with congressional support continues a strong Construction Program for new secure embassies and consulates with 103 new facilities completed since 1999. Additionally, a consolidated Security Training center is under way in virginia to provide all with hands on training every four years. Both of these efforts have and will save living overseas. I expect to be particularly focused on staff and Security Issues if confirmed by the senate. As with many government and private institutions, cybersecurity is a major concern with the worlds extensive data programs. Ill make sure we have a system that supports the diplomatic efforts and protects the Critical Data of the department. Ive faced the challenges of working to harmonize specific agency and Department Budgets along with congressional and Administration Priorities inside a budget frame work. I anticipate the need for harmony if confirmed, including with congress. The formulation and negotiation for Department Spending rests in the office of the under second tear of state for management. If confirmed i look forward to working with partners inside the branch and with congress. I hope also that we can Work Together to write and enact a durable and long lasting authorization statute with congress and the executive branch. Although the executive branch will be a new environment for me, im confident the lessons ive learned here in the senate will serve me well in my new role. During my decades in the senate, ive recruited assembles and deployed highly. On behalf of other staff and other members. Im excited to now work on behalf of the president and the secretary in the department and look forward to finding new opportunities for Public Service there. If confirmed i will be committed to a continued partnership with the committee and congress in support of a strong and capable department that Effective Advocates for the United States interest around the world. Thank you again for the privilege of appearing before you this morning and your consideration to my nomination. Senators im happy to take your questions