i think we all have a much better handle on the positions that our banks will be in in the case of the tail event, which is to say the very bad, if low probability outcome. >> thank you. thank you mr. chairman. coming up on c-span 3. a senate confirmation hearing for the nominee to be the u.s. ambassador to iraq. then a house oversite subcommittee hearing on fracking after that state health insurance exchanges. they were part of the president's health care law. and later, a house subcommittee meeting on the transportation security administration's inspection program for freight, rail, mass transit and highways. this is c-span 3 with politics and public affairs programming throughouted week. and every weekend, 48 hours of people and events telling the

american story on american hitry tv. get our schedules and see pat programs on our websites. and you can you join in the conversation on social media sites. coming up thursday morning on c-span 3. ben bernanke testifies before the joint economic committee about the economic outlook and the feds efforts to improve the economy. that's live at 10:00 a.m. eastern here on c-span3. >> they're often referred to as the conscious of the congress. and after almost two years, i can't think of a better name. it's really the heart of the people. >> executive director and general council of the congressional black caucus angela rye on the role of today's caucus. >> it's designed to ensure that members of congress who are african-american can come together on issues that are playinging the community at large.

issues that may be plaguing their districts. but really coming together to discuss legislative discussions, proposals to advance the people that don't have a voice. >> more with angela rye sunday at 8:00 eastern and pacific on c heef span. the senate foreign relations committee held a confirmation hearing today for the president's nominee to be ambassador to iraq. the nominee is brett mcgurk who served under president's obama and george w. bush. the committee also considered ambassador nominations for sri lanka. good morning. the senate foreign relations committee meets to discuss the president's nominees of

ambassador to the following countries -- iraq, sri lanka, the maldivess and tajikistan. i want to thank you for discussing challenges in these countries and obviously to discuss each nominee's work as well as their work upon confirmation, and also, of course, u.s. policy in each of the countries. let me just go through a little bit about each place first and then we'll get to our witnesses, our nominees. in iraq, the picture, of course, is mixed. nearly six months after the redeployment of u.s. troops from the country, we now that political and ethnic divisions remain sharp as iraq recovers from years and years of war. the current government took months to establishment in 2010 and a high degree of mistrust

still exists among key political factions. iraqis and americans have sacrificed greatly, mightily, to support the democratic process in iraq. at this critical time we should continue to support the political reconciliation among key players in the country as they wok to further deepen the democratic process. this unsettled political environment exists within a precarious political situation where extremist group, still capable of and launched significant attacks in country. just last week six bomb blasts across baghdad killed at least 17 people, mostly in shia neighborhoods. on monday a suicide bomber killed at least 26 people in baghdad, and wounded more than 190 in an attack on the government-run -- the government-run body that manages shiite religious and cultural sites. while security is certainly a

significant challenge in iraq, in all loss of life, it is a tragedy. violence has, in fact, decreased substantially since the height of the conflict. with the end of the u.s. military presence in country at the end of 2011, iraq has sought to deepen the roots of its sovereignty and play a leadership role in the region. iraq's -- iraq recently hosted a meeting of the arab league in baghdad, a symbol that it is once again a key player in the region, after years of isolation under saddam hussein. with this enhanced standing in the region there are serious questions about iraq's position on, for example, syria. while i understand iraq's concerns about syria's stability in a post-assad era, the violence over the past year perpetrated by assad's forces is inexcusable. iraq should join with others in the international community and

use its position in the arab league to bring increased diplomatic pressure to bear on mr. assad. i also continue to have significant concerns about iran's efforts to exert influence in iraq. i look forward to hearing the nominee's thoughts on this seminole issue, and an assessment of the u.s.' ability to diplomatically mitigate the negative effects of iranian influence in iraq. despite these continuing challenges there is positive news in iraq that we can build upon reflected in a recent public opinion survey fielded by the national democratic institute known as ndi. they found that 48% of iraqis believed that iraq was headed in the right direction. oil exports have increased by 20% this year to nearly 2.5 million barrels a day. american presence is up in iraq and villains levels decreased.

we're seeing signs of progress, but this progress is delicate and fragile. in october of last year the state department became the lead u.s. agency in the country. the u.s. embassy in baghdad is the biggest u.s. presence in the world with approximately 16,000 staff and contractors. questions remain about the state department's ability to operate in this still precarious security environment, and handle the significant work load associated with the processing of billions of dollars worth of arms sales to the iraqi government. a diplomatic presence of this size requires sustained oversight from congress, and i look forward to continued engagement with our nominee upon confirmation to ensure our footprint in iraq is the right size and that we have the right amount of resources to pursue our interests. the president has nominated

brett mcgurk to represent our interests against the myriad of significant challenges in iraq. mr. mcgurk, perhaps due to his great upbringing in pittsburgh, pennsylvania is imen enthely capable to assume this position. of course, there are other reasons for his preparation, but it doesn't hurt that you have roots in pittsburgh. he's been engaged in u.s. policy in iraq since 2004, advising every u.s. ambassador at post in iraq. he has an intimate understanding of the political players and history of iraq as well as the role of the u.s., the role since 2004. his unique experience across two administrations is very good preparation to establish a leadership vision for the embassy that reflects u.s. diplomatic security and economic interests. mr. mcgurk is the right choice

at the right time in u.s./iraq diplomatic relations. mr. mcgurk, welcome, and we'll hear from you in a moment. if sri lanka's three years after the end of more than a quarter century of devastating civil war, we also see a mixed picture. on the one hand, the end of the conflict has led to strong economic growth. driven by large-scale reconstruction and development projects. increasing commodity exports, and a growing tourist industry. however, the war left sri lanka with a legacy of internal displacement. also, mistrust among ethnic groups and, of course, insufficient protection for human rights that have yet to be adequately addressed. according to the internal displacement monitoring center, nearly 100,000 people remain displaced. and even more have been unable

to repossess their homes. the military's significant presence in the north and east of the country poses an obstacle to returning internally displaced people. as well as to the delivery of humanitarian aid. some observers have expressed concern about the ongoing senhilization of ethnic areas. perhaps more importantly the sri lankan government failed to meet expectations to investigating alleged human rights violations and holding culpable individuals accountable. international experts have found credible allegations of serious human rights violations committed by both sides in the last stages of the war, but the perpetrators have not been called to account yet for their crimes. the recommendations of the lessons learned and reconciliation commission, so called llrc, released more than

six months ago have yet to be implemented. i and others remain very concerned about the lack of accountability for actions taken during the final days of the war as well as about reports of ongoing human rights violations in the country. in march of 2011, i led a resolution in the senate calling for greater accountability in sri lanka and in november of that year wrote a letter to secretary clinton along with senator it's leahy and cardin calling for an independent international investigation into the human rights violations in sri lanka. recent letters from the u.n. and international human rights group cite forced disappearances, arbitrary torture and media and political opposition repression, all ongoing problems. the united states should continue to work with the international community to push for greater accountability and protection for human rights in sri lanka. the maldives is certainly an

important ally of the united states and we enjoy a productive relationship. in 2008, the maldives experienced historic elections which heralded a new democratic beginning for this small island, and we know that this year's political unrest has unfortunately threatened to derail the progress that's been made. the u.s. should continue to press for elections as soon as possible to ensure that the seeds of the democratic process planted in 2008 are able to flourish. i welcome ambassador sisson, and i met the ambassador during my visit to lebanon in the region in 2010 where she was in charge of our embassy in lebanon. i was impressed with her ability to navigate a complicated and at times indeed treacherous political environment in beirut. she has also served as

ambassador in the united arab emirates in a variety of diplomatic positions in iraq, pakistan, india, the ivory coast, cameroon, banin, togo and haiti. a lot of experience. and she'll be well-prepared for what i know will be a very challenging assignment in sri lanka and the maldives. ambassadors, i know your two daughters are in arizona today, at least i'm told that, but as they are -- as they have, i should say, accompanied you to several overseas posts over the year, they deserve special recognition for their unwavering support, and we want to support for you and for the country, and we want to recognize that today. and finally, tajikistan. the strategic location and internal instability pose important challenges for u.s. policymakers. while the u.s. operations in

afghanistan continue, we must rely upon close cooperation with tajikistan, in order to manage goods and people in to and out of afghanistan, including bringing materials and equipment into afghanistan that are critical to progress there, and disrupting the dangerous flow of that are cot he cans across the border and preventing militants from seeking safe haven and causing instability in tajikistan. however, we must balance these strategic priorities with the need to address serious human rights concerns in the country. the u.n. human rights council in march of 2012 reported on tajikistan and revealed worrying trends in human rights, including reports of repression of media freedom and political opposition and the use of torture by law enforcement officials. i'm particularly concerned about the reported restrictions on the

rights of women and ethnic and religious minorities, and i appreciate the work that our dedicated foreign service and usaid personnel are doing in tajikistan and look forward to hearing more about how we will advance this work going forward. the president has nominated susan marsh elliott to be the new u.s. ambassador to tajikistan. susan, i note you were born in doylestown, pennsylvania. i can't say that will guarantee your confirmation, but it won't hurt. certainly won't hurt. she's currently the deputy assistant secretary of state for south and central asian affair, served in russia, northern ireland, greece, peru and honduras. she also has the distinction of having been born in pa but i don't want to put too much weight on that. i would also like to welcome her son who's joined her today.

curt vitman, for being with her today. and i'd also like to acknowledge deputy assistant secretary elliott's husband mathiasmathia couldn't be with us today because he is currently serving as the deputy chief of mission in our embassy in honduras. and please, wish him well for us. i want to thank all our witnesses for being here. we'll start with madam ambassador, start with you and maybe go from my right to the left, and if could you try to keep your opening remarks to five minutes. if you have a longer statement that will certainly be made part of the record. and then we'll get to -- we'll get to questions. >> thank you. mr. chairman, senator, it is an honor to appear before you as president obama's nominee to be the u.s. ambassador in sri lanka and u.s. ambassador to maldives. i am deeply grateful to the president and to secretary clinton for their confidence in my abilities. if confirmed, i look forward to working with the committee and

interested members of congress to represent the american people and to advance u.s. goals in sri lanka and maldivess. my 30 years in the u.s. foreign service, i have been posted as u.s. ambassador to the united arab emirates and u.s. ambassador to lebanon. as you noted, mr. chairman. i also have considerable experience in south asia having served in india and pakistan and as principle deputy assistant secretary for the south asia region. the united states has important interests in both sri lanka and maldives. sri lanka is located along the busiest shipping lanes in the indian ocean. a region emerging as a strategic arena in which america's enduring interests are increasingly at play. sri lanka has also been a contributor to u.n. peacekeeping operations. the united states, thus,

recognizes the importance of maintaining a broad range of relationships as we establish peace if the country after nearly three decades of devastating conflict about the united states and other international partners have encouraged the government of sri lanka to pursue the steps needed to foster genuine reconciliation and accountability. although the government of sri lanka defeated the terrorist organization liberation tigers, serious allegations of violations of human rights law and international humanitarian law committed by both sides at the end of the war remain to be investigated and have slowed reconciliation. in march, the u.n. human rights council adopted a u.s.-sponsored resolution calling on the government of sri lanka to implement the recommendations of sri lanka's own government-appointed lessons learned and reconciliation

commission. in april, the state department issued its third report to congress on accountability in sri lanka since the end of sri lanka's conflict in 2009. achieving genuine reconciliation will require sri lanka to take credible steps to ensure quality and justice for all sri lankans, particularly for those living in the former conflict areas. such steps include demilitarization of the former conflict zones. establishment of a mechanism to address cases of the missing and detained, and setting a date for provincial elections in the north. also critical will be the achievement of an agreement between the sri lankan government and elected representatives of the community, and a devalution of power, two prudential institutions.

during a may 18th meeting with the sri lankan foreign minister, secretary clinton underscored that an enduring peace is unsustainable without adequate measures to address reconciliation and accountability. she encouraged a transparent and public process with regard to reconciliation and accountability to strengthen confidence inside and outside of sri lanka and speed the healing of the country. if confirmed, i stand ready to lead our efforts to support sri lanka as it moves forward and to use u.s. assistant strategically to promote reconciliation, strengthen democratic institutions and practices, and foster economic growth, particularly in the north and east, the former conflict zones. the u.s. ambassador in clomp columbo was accredited following -- in maldivess following protests the former vice president took office after the resignation of the president. the united states continues to encourage maldives to work within an existing democratic institution to resolve political

challenges peacefully and transparently. the u.s. government now has a window of opportunity to step up its engagement in maldives, and usaid recently committed funding to assist maldives in ensuring the next round of presidential elections is free and fair. the united states also recognizes the importance of promoting security in the indian ocean. to that end, the coast guard has provided training to the maldivian coast guard for threats of piracy as well as combat trans shipment of illouis it commodities. u.s. assistant to the maldives preventing the climate resilient island motto. if confirmed i plan to consult sri lankans and maldivesians on all walks of life thousand support promoting civil society, protect freedom of expression and encourage youth exchanges. it would also be my goal if confirmed to engage in vigorous commercial advocacy on behalf of

u.s. companies and support of president obama national export initiative. i would welcome your insights and views as well as questions you might have for me today. thank you. >> thank you, madam ambassador. mr. mcgurk? >> thank you, mr. chairman. ranking member risch, senator lugar. it is a honor to appear before you to become u.s. ambassador to iraq. i am deeply grateful to the president and to secretary clinton for the confidence they've placed in me with this nomination. if confirmed, i look forward to working closely with you to advance america's many important and vital interests in iraq. i've had the distinct privilege of serving alongside each of the last five u.s. ambassadors to iraq. as with ambassador john negroponte in july 2004. nearly eight years later i was with ambassador jim jeffrey as he led the challenges transition from military to civilian lead for the first time since the

toppling the saddam hussein. i've also served alongside our heroic military commanders, including generals petraeus, odierno and austin. this is only because of the leadership of these individuals, the more than 1 million american whose served there including nearly 4,500 who paid the ultimate price. like too many americans i have lost friends in iraq. if confirmed, i will do everything in my power, using all the tools of our foreign poems to build a lasting partnership with iraq worthy of their memory and sacrifice. i believe such a partnership is possible and, however, we are not there. there is so much the u.s. must do to mitigate risks of back-sliding and increased risks for consolidating the risks we've seen since the worst periods of the war. iraq is slowly emerging from

decades of war isolation and dictatorship. more recently faced now with american help a sectarian war that left tens of thousands dead and millions displaced. the violence threatened to reduce citizens to the basic and sectarian identities. this is felt acutely in the political process. for the first time in iraq's modern history politics is the primary engagement among iraq's different secretaries and ethnicities. that's the good news. the bad news, vast differences threaten to overwhelm the framework established under the iraqi constitution. i am deeply concerned about this situation. iraq's constitution and visions are united federal democratic and pluralistic state in which all citizens enjoy fair representation and local and national institutions. this vision, however, remains an aspiration. fear, mistrust and score settling still dominate political discourse. as result, iraqis have sought to supplement the constitutional design with additional political

agreements and accommodations. i've often been one of the few americans in the room when such agreements were being developed. if confirmed i pledge to work with leaders, durable compromise and constitutional arrangements that help guarantee meaningful power sharing and partnership. these efforts would be guided by the 2008 strategic framework agreement now a cornerstone of u.s. policy in iraq. testimony is unique and structure as long-term partnership across the fields of defense, energy, economics, diplomacy, education and justice. with respect to the political process, it calls on the u.s. to help strengthen iraq's democracy and its democratic institutions as established in the iraqi constitution. if confirmed, my mission is clear. to establish and enduring partnership with a united, federal and democratic iraq under the sfa. as one of the lead negotiators of the sfa i would be honored to carry out that charge together with iraqi leaders and close colleagues from across the u.s. government many of them i've worked with over a number of

years. going forward if confirmed i will seek to organize the mission around four mutually reinforcing lines of operation. defense and security. political and diplomatic. energy and economics. rule of law and human rights. in the defense and security area, if confirmed, i look forward to working with our office of security cooperation and centcom to ensure we're doing everything possible to deepen our military defense partnership in iraq. in the diplomatic area if confirmed, i look forward to working with our ambassadors and regional capitals, most of whom i have worked with and admired for many years to ensure close coordination of u.s. policies in iraq and throughout the region. in the political area, iraq is scheduled to hold elections, provincial elections in 2013, national elections in 2014. if confirmed it will be a central focus of our mission to work in coordination with the u.n. to ensure that these elections are held freely, fairly and on time. energy and economics, four most priorities.

if confirmed, it will be among my highest priorities to connect u.s. businesses with emerging opportunities in iraq, and to refocus iraq on the urgent necessity of diversifying their economy and grappling with national hydrocarbons legislation. as the u.s. purchases interests in iraq, we must not lose sight of values, rights of women and vulnerable minorities. this is an ambitious say agenda. if confirmed i pledge to work with the congress to establish a diplomatic presence in iraq that is secure, strategic, effective and sustainable. a focused u.s. mission with prioritized lines of operation organized around the sfa can enhance our influence and ensure the agility we need a constantly changing and dynamic environment. i will also assure if confirmed that precious taxpayer resources are applied effectively with an

eye toward long-term sustainability. i've tried to touch upon a number of issue ice will soon confront if confirmed to u.s. ambassador to iraq. for me, there's no more important mission in the world. i've served across two administration over eight years developing policy in washington or executing u.s. policy in iraq. i was with president bush when we planned to serve 30,000 u.s. troops, a new strategy. i was with general petraeus and ambassador ryan crocker when we worked to implement that strategy against tremendous odds. i later helped manage the transition of iraq policy to the obama administration under two binding international agreements. over the past two years, i've answered repeated calls to return to iraq in public service at times of crisis. my eyes are wide open to the risks and challenges ahead. but i close from where i started. for every challenge there's also opportunity and obligation. to honor those lost in this war, or forever change, we must do

everything in our power to build a partnership with iraq and its people that can endure and advance u.s. interests in its most vital region. it confirmed that is what i will seek to do. thank you, and i look forward to answering your questions. >> thank you, mr. mcgurk. ms. elliott? >> thank you, mr. chairman. ranking member rusch and senator lugar, as the chairman pointed out i have strong ties to the state of pennsylvania having been born there and my son is a student the at the university of pennsylvania but i also have strong ties to indiana having been a graduate of indiana university and lived in muncie, indian if a. so it's an honor for me to be here in front of you today. i don't have any to idaho. yes, i do, and i love them. i'm very honored to be president obama's nominee to become the u.s. ambassador to the republic of tajikistan. i'm grateful