going to stay with east. we are going to stay with it. we're also watching here of any developments around a potential between israel and root. more indications that we appear to be very close. an unnamed israeli official saying that hamas has now agreed to the draft that has been presented to both sides in qatar. that was denied by the prime minister's office there in israel, benjamin netanyahu's office, but we are watching that. we were expecting a news conference from qatar but that has slipped back. it was supposed to be half an hour ago but it hasn't happened yet. we are keeping our eyes open waiting for any developments from doha. whilst we wait we will continue to watch this session there live on capitol hill. it session there live on capitol hill. , ., , session there live on capitol hill. , . , ., ., , hill. it is a very dangerous time in the _ hill. it is a very dangerous time in the world - hill. it is a very dangerous time in the world and - hill. it is a very dangerous time in the world and your opening _ time in the world and your opening remarks demonstrate that you — opening remarks demonstrate that you know that. we are not better— that you know that. we are not better off — that you know that. we are not better off and we are not safen _

better off and we are not safer. president biden started this with — safer. president biden started this with the disastrous withdrawal from afghanistan that projected weakness. and in incomprehension of what it means_ incomprehension of what it means to have a policy of deterrence. vladimir putin invaded _ deterrence. vladimir putin invaded ukraine and started the largest— invaded ukraine and started the largest war in europe since world _ largest war in europe since world war ii. after that withdrawal. i believe it is because _ withdrawal. i believe it is because he saw weakness in the biden— because he saw weakness in the biden administration. it has been — biden administration. it has been the _ biden administration. it has been the president's fear of helping _ been the president's fear of helping ukraine that has contributed to putting them in the untenable position they are today, — the untenable position they are today, by— the untenable position they are today, by slow rolling the weapons that ukraine needs in order— weapons that ukraine needs in order to — weapons that ukraine needs in order to defend itself. his incomprehensible and incoherent policy— incomprehensible and incoherent policy has — incomprehensible and incoherent policy has caused him to handcuff american liquid gas exports _ handcuff american liquid gas exports while delaying tough sanctions on the russian oil and — sanctions on the russian oil and gas _ sanctions on the russian oil and gas industry which, as you know. — and gas industry which, as you know. is— and gas industry which, as you know, is the lifeblood of the russian _ know, is the lifeblood of the russian war machine. the middle

east is _ russian war machine. the middle east is equally disastrous. instead _ east is equally disastrous. instead of enforcing sanctions on iran, — instead of enforcing sanctions on iran, biden naively tried to resurrect _ on iran, biden naively tried to resurrect the iran nuclear deal, _ resurrect the iran nuclear deal, allowing the regime to generate $100 billion in oil revenue. i want to point out that— revenue. i want to point out that during the trump administration, because of sanctions, iran's foreign reserves _ sanctions, iran's foreign reserves fell from $122 billion to less — reserves fell from $122 billion to less than $14 billion. that hampered their ability to fund terrorist — hampered their ability to fund terrorist groups like hamas, hezbollah, the houthis. what the biden administration has done — the biden administration has done has allowed the iran regime _ done has allowed the iran regime to enrich enough uranium to be _ regime to enrich enough uranium to be a _ regime to enrich enough uranium to be a week or two away from having — to be a week or two away from having a — to be a week or two away from having a nuclear weapon. since october— having a nuclear weapon. since october seven, president biden has not — october seven, president biden has not supported israel in the way he — has not supported israel in the way he has needed because of the previously mentioned money that he _ the previously mentioned money that he has allowed the radiance to have which is funded _ radiance to have which is funded terrorist groups such as

hamas— funded terrorist groups such as hamas and hezbollah. our allies such as — hamas and hezbollah. our allies such as israel have been attacked and we have been attacked and we have been attacked for it. thankfully, israet— attacked for it. thankfully, israel has had the courage to stand — israel has had the courage to stand up— israel has had the courage to stand up to these terrorists and — stand up to these terrorists and take _ stand up to these terrorists and take matters into its own hand — and take matters into its own hand and _ and take matters into its own hand and it has led to the decimation of hamas and hezbollah. but no amount of revisionist history can change the fact— revisionist history can change the fact that this was despite the fact that this was despite the lack— the fact that this was despite the lack of support from the biden— the lack of support from the biden administration, not because of the support from the biden— because of the support from the biden administration. of course let's_ biden administration. of course let's not— biden administration. of course let's not forget north korea and how— let's not forget north korea and how dangerous they have become — and how dangerous they have become and the fact that we are now seeing north korean troops in europe — now seeing north korean troops in europe. the thought four years— in europe. the thought four years ago that was knocked thought— years ago that was knocked thought by anybody. and of course _ thought by anybody. and of course one of the most concerning things is biden's weakness has emboldened the greatest adversary that we have on earth — greatest adversary that we have on earth right now which is china _ on earth right now which is china. the people's republic of china _ china. the people's republic of china is— china. the people's republic of china is the head of this access— china is the head of this access of dictators that is challenging the united states todav~ — challenging the united states today. they're challenging our freedom. _ today. they're challenging our

freedom, our security and the very— freedom, our security and the very wav— freedom, our security and the very way of life we have. beijing _ very way of life we have. beijing has had a direct hand in each — beijing has had a direct hand in each of the problems ijust mentioned. that is why addressing any one of them cannot— addressing any one of them cannot be done without making sure _ cannot be done without making sure that — cannot be done without making sure that we are thinking about how we — sure that we are thinking about how we are deterring the people's republic of china. when — people's republic of china. when everything is a priority, nothing — when everything is a priority, nothing is _ when everything is a priority, nothing is a priority. senator rubio, — nothing is a priority. senator rubio, your top priority must be the — rubio, your top priority must be the people's republic of china _ be the people's republic of china. since the election in november, so this is over the last— november, so this is over the last two— november, so this is over the last two months, the prc has hacked — last two months, the prc has hacked our treasury department. continue — hacked our treasury department. continue what has been described as the worst telecom hack— described as the worst telecom hack in— described as the worst telecom hack in us history, the sabotage of port and undersea communication cables in asia and europe, deploy ships to harass— and europe, deploy ships to harass our allies in their own territory— harass our allies in their own territory award blue waters. conducted the largest naval drills— conducted the largest naval dritts in—

conducted the largest naval drills in decades around taiwan in the — drills in decades around taiwan in the broader western pacific. unveiled — in the broader western pacific. unveiled advanced aircraft and launch— unveiled advanced aircraft and launch the world's largest amphibious warship and they have — amphibious warship and they have allowed iran to draw down nearly— have allowed iran to draw down nearly 3 — have allowed iran to draw down nearly 3 billion barrels of oil from — nearly 3 billion barrels of oil from a — nearly 3 billion barrels of oil from a storage site in china. it from a storage site in china. it is — from a storage site in china. it is obvious that the the chinese _ it is obvious that the the chinese president is arranging his chess— chinese president is arranging his chess pieces for war. what state — his chess pieces for war. what state taiwan by 2027 and that is only— state taiwan by 2027 and that is only two years away. it is true — is only two years away. it is true that— is only two years away. it is true that does mean he will invade _ true that does mean he will invade in— true that does mean he will invade in 2027 and it is not predetermined but it should be very concerning for all of us that— very concerning for all of us that he _ very concerning for all of us that he has given his military that— that he has given his military that direction. because time and time _ that direction. because time and time again dictators tell people — and time again dictators tell people what they are going to do and — people what they are going to do and then they go out and try and do — do and then they go out and try and do it — do and then they go out and try and do it. the only thing that dictators _ and do it. the only thing that dictators respond to is force. strength. _ dictators respond to is force. strength, peace through strength. this is something ronald _ strength. this is something ronald reagan understood a long time ago — ronald reagan understood a long time ago and it is what we have to get— time ago and it is what we have to get back to in the united states _ to get back to in the united states. president xi jinping

will be _ states. president xi jinping will be the dominating willpower in 2029, we have taken — willpower in 2029, we have taken is _ willpower in 2029, we have taken is word this is what he believes— taken is word this is what he believes he will do. it is time for us — believes he will do. it is time for us to— believes he will do. it is time for us to go on the offensive and — for us to go on the offensive and abandon illusions about what — and abandon illusions about what sorts of others who we are facing — what sorts of others who we are facing. this is a competition we must _ facing. this is a competition we must win. it will take more than _ we must win. it will take more than an— we must win. it will take more than an alt— we must win. it will take more than an all of government approach, what will take on all of society— approach, what will take on all of society approach to be able to win — of society approach to be able to win this. as our lead diplomat, senator rubio, you are in— diplomat, senator rubio, you are in a — diplomat, senator rubio, you are in a position to set the tone — are in a position to set the tone and _ are in a position to set the tone and that is why i can't think— tone and that is why i can't think of— tone and that is why i can't think of a _ tone and that is why i can't think of a better pick to be the — think of a better pick to be the secretary of state than you — the secretary of state than you. so first of all, do you agree _ you. so first of all, do you agree that the prc is the biggest threat that we face as a united — biggest threat that we face as a united states? the comment that leads _ a united states? the comment that leads prc, _ a united states? the comment that leads prc, it _ a united states? the comment that leads prc, it is _ a united states? the comment that leads prc, it is most - that leads prc, it is most potent adverse through this nation has ever confronted. they have elements of the

soviet union ever possessed. they are technological competitor, an industrial competitor, an industrial competitor, geopolitical, economic competitor, a scientific competitor now in every round. it is mixed on a challenge. it is one i believe will define the 21st century. when i write the book about the let when i write the book about the 21st century there is gonna be some chapters in there about putin and chapters in there about some of these other places but the bulk of that book about the 21st century will be notjust about china but about the relationship between china and the united states in what direction it went. and i think you are alluding to in your statement and you may have another question, i won't eat up all your time but i do want to say this. the chinese believe that the united states are a great power in inevitable decline and they are in inevitable rise. they already are. there can be rich and powerful country and we don't have to deal with them. the danger is that because of our own actions in many cases, a dangerous imbalance has built up in that relationship. we allowed them for years to pretend that there was some developing countries

so they were allowed to continue to cheat on trade and commerce. they lied about not militarising, populating island chains in the south china sea and the like. we allowed them for years before we got serious about it to conduct grotesque human rights violations against uyghur muslims. nobody talked about it for years which, by the way, not only has a human rights component, it allows them to use slave labour to produce goods at the expense of the rest of the world. we talk about notjust the rest of the world. we talk about not just the the rest of the world. we talk about notjust the horrific humanitarian crisis but an unfair trade practice as well. we have allowed them to get away with things and frankly the chinese did what any country in the world would do given these opportunities, they took advantage of it. so i think now we are dealing with the ramifications of it. i agree 100% what you said but i remind you and i remind everyone i guess want to make this point that much of what we need to do to confront china is here at home. we have to rebuild our domestic capacity and make sure that the united states is not reliant on any

other single nation for any of our critical supply chains. hope our critical supply chains. how our critical supply chains. how you going _ our critical supply chains. how you going to — our critical supply chains. how you going to explain _ our critical supply chains. how you going to explain that average american that we need this all— average american that we need this all society approach on your— this all society approach on your point exactly that it needs— your point exactly that it needs to begin here at home? so that people in my state of nebraska will understand and -et nebraska will understand and get on — nebraska will understand and get on board. if nebraska will understand and get on board.— nebraska will understand and get on board. if we stay on the road we're _ get on board. if we stay on the road we're on _ get on board. if we stay on the road we're on right _ get on board. if we stay on the road we're on right now, - get on board. if we stay on the road we're on right now, in - road we're on right now, in less than ten years virtually everything that matters to us in life will depend on whether china will allow us to have it or not. everything from the blood pressure medicine we take to 1518 00:0