Today to hear testimony on the Trump Administrations budgetary and policy priorities in the middle east for fiscal year 2020. We look forward to hearing from witnesses about the fy 20 budgets for the department of state Near Eastern Affairs bureau as well usaid bureau for the middle east. Thank the witnesses for appearing today. I recognize myself for purposes of making an opening statement. Thank you assistant ebt secretary shanker and administrator harvey for testifying today. Nearly three years in the Trump Administration, the United States face as multitude of challenges in the middle east. While the administration touts maximum pressure policy, iran continues to detablize countries from iraq yemen and leb ondespite President Trumps rhetoric tehran that is laufrmd attacks on International Shipping and regional states. Undermining u. S. Deterrence and credibility in the process. The Iranian Nuclear program is more advanced today than the day that President Trump took office. And the
3. Recess for 15 minutes and come back at 5 45 so everyone can go over and vote and be back and hear what everyone elses question. We thank you for being here mr. Secretary again. So promptly. We appreciate that youve made time to appear before this Committee Twice in h a weeks time passing an annual state department bill is one of the fundamental responsibilities of this committee. When we shirk that responsibility and decline to exercise our oversight we in essence surrender our authority and we fail to do the job our constituents sent us here to do. Restoring is this annual practice was a top priority of mine when he became thachairmand im proud of the progress we made last year when the first authorization bill in 14 years became law and i want to thank everybody on this committee for making that happen. However, because of previous inaction, there are programs at the department that have not been appropriately reviewed and analyzed in well over a decade. This lack of oversight res
Recess will end and we will stand in her new again. I moved to senator corcoran. Care. You for the thank you. Secretary sullivan, you know how i feel about you. I appreciate the proactive approach you took. I appreciate your coming for the service as well, the funeral. I was not here earlier. I know the hiring present the reorganization was a topic of discussion and i want to talk to about that a little bit. It is something i feel strongly about. We as a senate and a house and the defense reauthorization act, we ask the local Defense Center to take on more responsibility, specifically with regard to disinformation coming from countries meant to undermine some of our basic values and institutions. Russia and china come to mind. There is an Important Role in pushing back against extremism, is question for you is there an ability to keep some of these important entities like the Global Engagement centers specifically from being weakened by a hiring freeze or by other reorganizations that
15 minutes. We will reconvene at 5 49. You are welcome to our great coffee back there or sitting and talking to others, but thank you. Recess will end and well stand in hearing again. Ill move to senator portman. Thank you for being here, sir. Thank you, mr. Chairman. Secretary sullivan, you know how i feel about you. I appreciate the proactive approach you took on getting ot ot Otto Warmbier home. I appreciate you coming to his funeral. I know the reorganization was a topic of discussion and i want to talk to you about that as it relates to the Global Engagement center. As you know it is something i feel strongly about. In 2017 as a senate and house in the National Defense authorization act asked the Global Engagement center to take on additional responsibilities, specifically with regard toinformation coming from countries intended to destabilize democracies, undermine some of our basic values and institutions. Russia and china come to mind. Gc also has an important role, as you know
15 minutes. We will reconvene at 5 49. You are welcome to our great coffee back there or sitting and talking to others, but thank you. Recess will end and well stand in hearing again. Ill move to senator portman. Thank you for being here, sir. Thank you, mr. Chairman. Secretary sullivan, you know how i feel about you. I appreciate the proactive approach you took on getting ot ot Otto Warmbier home. I appreciate you coming to his funeral. I know the reorganization was a topic of discussion and i want to talk to you about that as it relates to the Global Engagement center. As you know it is something i feel strongly about. In 2017 as a senate and house in the National Defense authorization act asked the Global Engagement center to take on additional responsibilities, specifically with regard toinformation coming from countries intended to destabilize democracies, undermine some of our basic values and institutions. Russia and china come to mind. Gc also has an important role, as you know