then dan hawkins of the national association of community health centers on the role community health center s play in health care. and matt ford discusses the need to dismantle the department of homeland security. be sure to watch c-span's "washington journal" saturday morning. join the discussion. >> joseph mcmannis, president trump's nominee to serve as u.s. ambassador to colombia, testified before the is the foreign relations committee. he's a foreign service veteran that served as a top aide to former secretary of state hillary clinton. he was asked about when he first learned of the 2012 brazil attack and when he informed secretary clinton. the committee also considered self-other nominations.

>> the committee will come to order. good afternoon. this is an nomination hearing from the honorable joseph mcmahonis of new york. a career member of the senior foreign service. to be u.s. ambassador to colombia. ms. mary royce of california to an assistant secretary of state for educational and cultural affairs. ms. robin bernstein of florida to be u.s. ambassador to the dominican republic and the honorable edward charles prado to be the u.s. ambassador to argentina. before me and i ranking member make our remarks, we want to recognize our colleagues who have business to attend to. i would first recognize senator john cornyn of texas who is here to introduce judge edward prado. >> it's an honor to be back before you. particularly to introduce my friend judge ed prado who has

been nominated by the president to be the u.s. ambassador to the argentine republic. we go back a long way. when both of us served as judges in san antonio, texas, he was a little bit ahead of me as a state district court judge, but he went on to serve with distinction in the federal judiciary now for almost 35 years. he's had an incredible career. the first 19 years he served as a federal district judge and then on the fifth circuit court of appeals for 14 more. he's been a public defender, u.s. attorney, state district court judge, assistant district attorney. he's done a lot of different things. but for some in the audience who may not know, the states of louisiana and mississippi and texas, for those states and the people who live there, judge prado and his colleagues on the fifth circuit have essentially been the supreme court. since you know roughly 80 or so cases make their way to the united states supreme court. in his role for the fifth

circuit, the judge was confirmed by the senate unanimously, 97-0. it's not surprise that he was appointed by the chief justice to the -- of the supreme court to chair the criminal justice active review committee and serve on the board of the federal judicial center as well as other committees. judge prado is just a popular, sharp and actually once you get to know him, pretty funny guy, but i hope he doesn't show that part of his personality here today. he was first in his family to go to college. judge prado received his undergraduate and law degrees from the university of texas and grew up in a predominately latino area in san antonio. he speaks fluent spanish, which will come in handy in argentina. i was surprised to learn that his family's history extends back to a spanish soldier married at the alamo in the 1700s.

so one of the -- one of the jokes about federal judges is that although they get lifetime tenure, sometimes it feels like a life sentence, and ed and maria are embarking on a new chapter in their lives, which i know must be exhilarating for them and it's to our great benefit to have somebody of their distinction and their character representing the u.s. government in argentina. although down in argentina, he's going to have to remember that cowboys are -- but argentinians may be strangers to bevo, but they're no stranger to beef. so as the committee knows, argentina's become an increasingly important country in south america. the president recently implemented a series of economic reforms that has literally turned that country around and eliminated some of the currency controls in reducing taxes on agricultural exports.

and his broad election victory last fall indicates he'll continue to enjoy broad support. so just as our relationship with argentina has improved, it's really important that we have somebody of character and talents and experience of judge prado representing the united states government in that country. as we work together to combat narcotics trafficking, money laundering, terrorist financing, corruption and other elicit financial activities. we all share the concern, which i know the chairman particularly feels poignantly, the political concern over venezuela and recently our two presidents agreed to launch a bilateral working group on cyber security issues. so the argentine republic is fortunate to have such a strong believer of democratic principles and rule of law serve as u.s. ambassador. i thank you for your courtesies and letting me make this introduction and thank the president for making such an

outstanding nomination. i hope the committee will favorably report out his nomination. >> thank you, senator cornyn. the senior senator from florida, bill nelson. >> i might say also about mrs. royce, we well-know her husband ed. they have been frequent visitors to our state of florida. and have always been such gracious, gracious folks to grace and to me. and i want to particularly thank the two of you for your leadership. you're both very skilled, the chairman and the ranking member, in foreign affairs. i had the privilege of serving on this committee for a number of years. and i thought it important that since i had known robin for a long time, the nominee for the dr, i wanted to come and tell you about her that her interest

in public service started at a very early age. she even campaigned for scoop jackson and hubert humphrey. now, please, mr. chairman, don't hold that against her -- >> that's not in this file. i didn't see that. [ laughter ] >> she even campaigned for me, mr. chairman. please, don't hold that against her. and he worked for the joint economic committee and the department of commerce. and she's always had that spirit of public service. and let me tell you what she did

in the aftermath of puerto rico. in a bipartisan way, she put together the palm beach county cares organization that within just a few weeks of the hurricane in puerto rico, they delivered over 100 tons of supplies. and they also helped to get clean water. and you know how desperate those folks are as they continue many of them still without electricity this late in the day. and potable water. that spirit of service and that proven ability to work in a bipartisan manner is going to make her a great ambassador. and so i've already congratulated her on the nomination, and i'd like to see her confirmation fly through the senate. thank you, mr. chairman. >> thank you, senator nelson. think i speak for the ranking member, we thank you for your clips. you are free to come to all of our hearings and say that as well.

>> i just did that in a press conference with you, mr. chairman. >> yes, sir. thank you for coming today. a member of our committee, senator udall, of new mexico, will be introducing ms. royce. >> thank you very much, mr. chairman. and i just also want to say what it is a pleasure working with you, chairman rubio, and ranking member ben cardin. my wife jill and i have known marie royce for close 20 years when i began may service in the house of representatives. marie is a california native. growing up in the west, she's active in conservation organizations and initiatives and i believe she understands the important connection of those programs to international security and the rule of law. i also think her experience and educational and cultural affairs makes her a good fit for this important leadership role.

ms. royce, a businesswoman and former professor, has been the ceo and principal of marie royce llc in california since 2016. she has more than 30 years of experience in the private sector with fortune 500 companies. as a small businessowner, creating and launching start-ups and new initiatives and serving as a key business liaison to 80 countries. as a former educator and full-time university professor, ms. royce led an international grant program between two universities. she is a private sector appointee on the advisory committee on international communications and information policy at the department of state. and has served on two u.s. cultural exchange boards. marie served as an american counsel of young political leaders delegate to hungary in poland. ms. royce earned a bachelors in science and business administration from california state polytechnique university

and a masters in business administration from georgetown university. her nomination has significant support within the diplomatic community. patricia stacey harrison served as assistant secretary for educational and cultural affairs under president george h.w. bush and secretary of state colin powell. and currently serves as ceo and president of public broadcasting. ms. harrison says, and i quote here, marie royce's experience, leadership, knowledge and commitment to service will be of high benefit to our country and the department of state and the bureau of education and cultural affairs, end quote. likewise, former assistant secretary for education and cultural affairs under president clinton says, and i quote here,' are thrilled to seema ree royce nominated for a key leadership role at state. she continues to share our vision a more secure and prosperous world through the

power of international exchange. end quote. ms. royce's experience, judgement and temperament qualifies her for this important position with our diplomatic corps and a wholeheartedly support her anonymous and urge my colleagues to do so also. thank you both. really great to be here with you. >> thank you. the three ambassadorial nominees, if confirmed, will be the face of america to the countries in which you will be serving and your primary job, of course, is to communicate and execute the policies of the united states, explaining to local populations what we are doing and why. the western hemisphere is a region vital to our national security and to our economy. and one increasingly contested by foreign powers who have little to no interest in democracy or human rights or the rule of law. if we want the united states to remain free, prosperous and secure, it starts in the western hemisphere. this is a contest that we cannot afford to lose and you will be

on the front lines. as for the nominee to the assistant secretary of state for educational and cultural affairs, if confirmed, you will be charged with one of america's most important foreign policy tools, the finest educational system in the world and a culture that is prevalent in nearly every corner of the planet. all four of these positions play an important role in u.s. foreign policy and i'm pleased that all four of these nominations are here with us today. let's begin with colombia, where we have a relationship that in my view is a poster child for what good u.s. foreign assistance can do. we have worked for decades now with the colombian government on a problem of mutual concern, the production and trafficking of drugs. the u.s. colombia initiate plan colombia is one of the most effective bilateral efforts that we've ever undertaken and is a model in this western hemisphere. the initiative's main goal was to reduce the supply of illegal drugs produced and exported by colombia, but in addition, it helped the security of colombia itself, the stability of its

government and its governance. and as a result, economic relations with colombia have deepened throughout the years and the u.s. remains their top trading partner. in short, this partnership has allowed the colombian government to intake billions of dollars in foreign assistance and in return has allowed them to invest it in ways which have been good for both countries. today, colombia is a free and democratic nation. the rule of law is legitimate. it has one of the strongest and largest economies in the region and it is among our strongest allies in the hemisphere. no longer just a recipient of support but providing it themselves in places like honduras. still, it faces challenges, and given the internal and regional issues its government is facing, especially with narc owe trafficking, anyone in consideration for this position should dim straight a deep understanding of political, economic climate as well as opportunities for the united states in partnership with colombia and the region at large. the assistant secretary of state

for educational and cultural affairs oversees some of the u.s. government's most popular and prominent programs like scholars named after the longest serving chairman of this committee and exchange programs that expose people from all over the globe to america. these are soft power tools that could very well help decide whether this century is also an american one. the dominican republic and the united states has deep cultural ties, especially in my home state of florida. accord og to pew, dominicans are the fifth largest hispanic group in the united states with nearly 2 million in the year 2015. it also happens to be a popular tourist destination for americans, hosting upwards of 2 million americans as tourists last year. beyond personal and economic ties, the dominican republic finds itself at an important flash point for freedom in the region. the dominican republic is part of the group of countries that receive subsidized oil from a dictatorship in venezuela.

and if we want venezuela to return to the prosperous constitutional democracy that its people deserve and that it was just a few decades ago, it is important for us democracies in the region such as the dominican republic to support the democratic aspirations and the human rights of their brothers and sisters in venezuela in forums like the oas and the united nations. argentina is a leader in south america that is recovering from years of poor economic leadership. the president's election has shown a commitment to stronger bilateral relations with the united states and a return to good governance, the rule of law and free markets. the news yesterday of charges being brought against the former president demonstrate just how precarious democracy can be and why we need to be on guard for cracks in our own democratic institutions and in democratic institutions in the region and throughout the world. so all of these positions will hold key roles in american foreign policy and i begin at the outset by thanking you and your families for your commitment to your country and your willingness to serve it abroad.

the ranking member. >> well, chairman rubio, first of all, thank you for convene this hearing. i appreciate it very much. it's a pleasure to work with you in regards to the nomination for these four individuals. i also want to welcome you. thank you for your willingness to step forward in public service or continue in public service. it's not easy today. these are challenging times. and it's at great sacrifice to your privacy and for your families. so we thank you and we thank your families who are willing to serve our country. we're pleased that so many of your family members could be present with us today as we go through this hearing. marie royce for assistant secretary for education and cultural affairs. marie, you seem to have connections in a lot of states. i mean, you've got a florida endorsement, a new mexico endorsement, you're from california, but you tell me you have ties to maryland. so obviously you know the

country. congratulations on so many different contacts. you have an extremely impressive background, well-known for your experience in business and your global engagements. so we thank you for being willing to take on this extremely important position to promote u.s. standing in the world and our democratic principles. our cultural ambassador. cultivating global relationships. let me underscore the importance of this. we look at the alumni programs you find many and current former heads of state. so this truly is america's gift to the international community in promoting our values. more important now than ever before when you see, for example, what's happening in the philippines with president duterte's use of extra judicial killings in order to deal with the drug problem there. and some kind comments sent by our president in regard to those methods. believe me, we have challenges today and we need your help. i do want just to acknowledge

that the administration's budget would cut your program by 75%. now, we're not going to go along with that, but we need a friend in your huff-to advocate with us so that you have the resources you need to carry out this very important assignment. mr. chairman, i might point out, i am pleased that we have four nominees with us today, but i have the resources you need to carry out this very important assignment. mr. chairman, i might point out, i am pleased that we have four nominees with us today, but i have to acknowledge that there are so many vacancies in the state department, such a drain of the top seasoned diplomats, that i am extremely concerned about the pace of the trump administration's bringing to us nominees. i can assure you that we will work with the chairman and expedite all of the nominees that are brought forward because we desperately need your presence in these areas. to ambassador mcmanus, thank you for your career service.

you've had an extremely impressive career including being our representative in vienna to the international organizations including iaea. it gives you a wealth of experience that you can take to columbia. the implementation of the peace accords. the senator and i have worked with the atlantic council in regards to the implementation of the peace accords and there's a lot of interest in congress, bipartisan interest, but one of the real challenges that we need to follow up and this committee is very interested in is accountability and make sure there are no impunities as to the violations of human rights with the farc and others that occurred during the longest civil war in our hemisphere. so we do want to make sure that the peace accords are entered into in the right way, and that there's accountability for the human rights violations and we

have to elicit the cultivations and it is a major source of concern for us and as the chairman pointed out with columbia and argentina, the impact of venezuela is so noticeable. the impact on columbia, particularly on the people trying to find life that can exist in venezuela, and the inability to deliver effectively assistance to the people in venezuela. all of that will become part of the charge of our missions in colombia and argentina. to judge prado, we had a chance to talk yesterday. you've had a distinguished career and we thank you for your willingness. we don't get circuit court judges that are on their way to become ambassadors, but your experience is incredible and your commitment to public service is one that we all admire. so i just really wanted to thank you for being willing to take your talent to argentina.

it is our only major non-nato ally in latin america. this year they will host the g-20 as we had a chance to talk about, and as i explained to you, we need to bring closure to the 1994 bombings of the jewish community center in argentina. the cover-up here by the former government is one that cannot go unchallenged, and the united states needs to play a role to make sure that argentina brings closure to that issue holding those responsible, accountable for that bombing. and i am concerned about the increased presence of china and argentina. it's one in which we need to understand as we go forward and our ambassador will play a very, very important role there. >> mr. bernstein, you bring a very impressive credentials in the business community and the

philanthropic community. we thank you for your willingness to serve in a very important position. i'll just make one observation which is not your calling. i think president trump makes it more difficult, and i'm just going to explain why. many of us are concerned about the fact that president trump never made full disclosures in his business interests, et cetera. we know that the trump organization activities within the dominican republic and we just urge you to understand the sensitivity of maintaining the objectivity of the mission in the dominican republic and we will be depending upon you to maintain that objectivity for the american people. mr. chairman, i look forward to the witness' testimony and engaging them in questions and your entire statement will be entered into the record and in the interest of time we have members coming out and i know they'll want to ask questions and so i would encourage you, if

you can to shorten the statements so we can get right to the questions. miss bernstein? >> chairman rubio, ranking member cardon, distinguished members of the committee, i would first like to thank my longtime friend and esteemed senator from florida, senator bill nelson for his kind introduction. it is an honor to be with you today as president trump's nominee to be the u.s. ambassador to the dominican republic, if confirmed it would be an honor to serve as the u.s. ambassador to this country and i am humbled that the president has entrusted me with this opportunity with the approval to represent the united states. if confirmed, i look forward to working with the white house, secretary tillerson and our talented and dedicated staff to lead our engagement with such an important regional ally and partner.

i would like to thank this opportunity to thank my family who are with me today, my wonderful husband richard, our children, arthur, his wife carl a ariel, alexandra and julia and my mom carolyn. i would also like to acknowledge my late father, archie, whose lifelong passion was to host young exchange student ambassadors in our home, and whose vision enabled me to go to high school and france as an exchange student and later to the school of international service in washington, d.c. my family has sustained me throughout the many challenges and opportunities in my life and without their support i would not be able to undertake this next and exciting stage of my career. i began one of my first professional positions here on the hill at the joint economic committee in this very building. after obtaining my mba, i moved to florida where i met my husband and where we raised our family, for over three decades i have worked alongside my husband

in our family insurance business in a number of leadership roles. during this time i continuously worked in the non-profit community, particularly in the areas of empowering and supporting women, health care issues and supporting the underserved community. i am especially proud that as let co-founder of the bipartisan organization, palm beach county care, i helped facilitate the delivery of medicine and critically-needed supplies to our fellow americans in puerto rico and the u.s. virgin islands in the aftermath of devastating hurricanes. i am confident that my education and my experience in the public sector, private sector and non-profit worlds have prepared me for this important diplomatic mission. if confirmed as u.s. ambassador i will work closely with the personnel from across the government to lead our embassy's efforts in forging stronger bonds with the government and the people of the dominican

republic. if confirmed, this appointment would be especially meaningful to me as a jewish american. my grandfather morris stein fled russia to escape religious discrimination. they came to the united states to pursue the american dream of religious freedom, human rights, democracy and economic opportunity. that is why i'm humbled to stand before you today and if confirmed, pledge to continue the fight to preserve these american values. in the jewish faith we have a saying, when you save a life you save the world. during world war ii the dominican government and its people opened their arms to thousands of jews who were seeking refuge from the atrocities in europe. serving as ambassador would be a personally significant way for me to show gratitude for how the people of the dominican republic cared for the jewish people in their time of need. the dominican republic and the united states share a long history.

as close neighbors we share mutually beneficial economic cultural sports and people to people ties enhanced by a sizeable dominican diaspora. if confirmed i would ensure that trade opportunities continue to grow and deliver prosperity for both our nations and to ensure that our economic engagement would continue to benefit the united states. over the years the dominican republic has endured challenges to the help of the civil society. if confirmed, i pledge to continue to promote policies that advocate for the rule of law, strengthen democratic institutions and tackle corruption. fighting illicit trafficking and transnational crime is one of president trump's highest priorities. the dominican republic is one of our strongest law enforcement partners in this hemisphere. continued strong bilateral security cooperation will help attack the drug-related diction and crime-related problems that

affect both our countries. if onfirmed i will work tirelessly to facilitate cultural and educational exchanges that will affirm to the people of dominican republic america's foreign policy values of democracy, freedom and human rights. thank you very much for considering my nomination, i look forward to answering your questions. >> thank you, miss rice. >> thank you. >> mr. chairman, ranking member cardon, distinguished members of the committee, thank you for inviting me here today, and i'd like to thank senator udall for his kind introduction. i want to thank president trump and secretary of state rex tillerson for their confidence in me, and if confirmed, it will be a privilege to represent you and the american people globally. i would like to thank ed, my husband of 33 years, for his love and inspiration, and i would like to recognize my

mother, mary barbara, my father in law, ed senior and my late father ronald porter and aunt peg. to my family and friends in california and my friends that are here today, i could not ask for better support. i'm a passionate champion of people-to-people exchanges. time and trust in eca programs like fulbright and the international visitor leadership program have built important relationships. one in three current world leaders are alumni of u.s. government exchange programs. so are over 500 former heads of state and 84 nobel laureates. as a professor at california state polytech nick university pomona, a participated in international exchange efforts through educating teachers and students from abroad. i saw the impact of our ideals, values and policies on their world view and on their

perception of u.s. foreign policy. because of the prevalence of disinformation in many parts of the world these eca exchanges bring real-world experiences in the united states that foster credibility and trust. these people to people ties are an important way to show that u.s. disagreement with the given regime overseas are with the government of the country and not with the people. thus, academic, cultural and athletic exchanges cultivate mutual understanding as well as friendly and peaceful relations between the people of the united states and the people of other countries. in my time as a business executive and in telecommunications industry, working in emerging markets in africa, europe, south america and asia, i obtained a deep appreciation of the role played by our educational programs. so often, those i met in key

decision making roles had been the beneficiaries of eca's bilateral agreements and reformed partners, governments and businesses and ngos. they had experienced the richness of america's political, economic and cultural life and as a result, they were very receptive to what america had to offer. as a delegate to hungary and poland, acypl program i experienced the effective happens of these bipartisan programs. acypl promotes mutual understanding and cultivates long, lasting relationships among next-generation leaders. it was an honor for me to later serve as secretary of the board. i served as a trustee of meridian international who works closely with the state department and other u.s. government agencies to provide exchange and policy programs that strengthen use engagement where the world and prepares

leaders to address complex, global problems. my professional career began with the procter & gamble company and sales management and research and development world wide. at p & g i helped create and launch a mentoring program for women and minorities to help close gender gaps in the workplace and attract diverse talent. i raise this point because american diversity and the advances in opportunity for women and mean orits in our society serve as an example for those struggling for full rights abroad. prospects for empowerment, democrats and the rule of law worldwide are advanced when young people can participate in our public diplomacy programs. involvement of american and international participants from underrepresented groups create opportunities that are open to all. this inclusion is an american value and advances american interests. from creating programs at

cal-poly pomona, p & g and marriott international to creating a program for muslim women in afghanistan and later iraq, i have volunteered my time to those who have faced discrimination and lacked opportunities. as a private sector pointing to the advisory committee on international communications and information policy at the department of state, i developed long-distance mentoring programs. as noted by senator udall i have more than 30 years of experience in the private sector and small business, and as a full-time university professor. if confirmed i would aim to strengthen the people to people ties evening for thor. i am very honored to be appointed to this important position, and i will my efforts on this. thank you very much. >> thank you. >> thank you, senator. mr. chairman and mr. ranking member, members of the committee, it is an honor to appear today as the president's

nominee for u.s. ambassador to the republic of colombia. if confirmed i am -- in a country so key to our security and prosperity in the western hemisphere. i would like to thank first my wife carol and our son chris for their support during my 32-year career in the foreign service. without that support i would not be here today. mr. chairman, columbia has transformed itself. mr. chairman, i find myself particularly challenged by the fact that your introduction and the ranking member's introduction on colombia were a perfect articulation of our policy. it is a representation of the bipartisan nature of that support over the past 20 years, and i would be happy to read my statement, my abbreviated statement, but i would prefer, in fact, to in the senate tradition associate myself with

those remarks and leave myself available for a full set of questions. it is a well-known account and one we all understand and i look forward to talking to you about it. if confirmed i plan on representing our country fully and in a fashion that would continue the progress that we've made under planned colombia. >> yeah. senator cardon makes the point that any time your statement basically as you agree with what you have to say it's always a good sign, but that's just our opinion. >> i got lucky, senator. >> all right. judge prada, do you agree with us, too? >> 101%. i think that mr. mcmanus sent a check with the rest of us on the panel as to whether he should have cut his statement short because i think the rest of us would have preferred that it be longer. mr. chairman rubio, ranking member cardon and other members of the committee including

senator cane who is here and i'll acknowledge him and thank you for the opportunity to appear before you this afternoon, and i also wish to thank my good friend senator cardon. we go back a very, very long way when we were young lawyers and we have an informal agreement that if i don't tell stories on him, he won't tell stories on me and i thank him for being here today and introducing him to the committee. it's an honor to appear before you today as the president's nominee to be the united states' ambassador to the argentine republic. i must say it's a rather awkward position for me because as an appellate judge, i am used to the one being behind the bench and asking the questions and controlling the little red lights and light traffic. it's a little different twagz for me today, but be that as it may i hope to assure you that my career as a judge, my work ethic and my resolve make me well

qualified to be america's voice in argentina. i thank president trump for his confidence in me and for this opportunity. i thank rex tillerson for supporting my nomination. i am here today with my wife of 44 years, maria. she has been my strongest supporter throughout my life and our marriage, and in this new endeavor. she understands that there is an important role for the spouse of an ambassador, and she's eager to take on that responsibility. we're a team, and she's coming with me as part of my team. our son edward could not join us today, but he's very enthusiastic about this opportunity for his father and i think he'd rather safe his money for possible trips further south than to come to d.c. today. i would also like to acknowledge some of my former law clerks that are in the audience. as a judge for many years, i've had the opportunity to hire young, bright lawyers from

various law schools throughout the country and they have been part of what they call team prado, and i wish to thank them for appearing here today with me. my career has prepared me well for this new responsibility. as a federal judge i listened, i gathered information, i analyzed it carefully and ultimately had the responsibility to make difficult decisions. i understood that with the title of judge came power and respect, but with that power and with that respect also came a responsibility to do what the law demanded regardless of the consequences. likewise, the title of ambassador carries with it a great deal of prestige, but with that prestige also comes great responsibility to represent the united states of america. my goal will top earn the respect that comes with the title of ambassador and to

represent our country to the best of my ability. i also realize that while i serve as the face of the court there are dozens of persons behind the scenes that make the courts function properly. the same is true of an embassy. while i might be the face of the embassy, i understand that there is a team and many dedicated employees behind the scenes making sure that america is properly represented. an embassy is only as strong as those who make it function from the ambassador to the counselor section, to the people working in the cafeteria, we are a team working together with the same goals, the same mission. i have had the opportunity to travel to argentina on numerous occasions. i have made presentations and participated in work shops across argentina and had made friends among the argentine legal community. i know how important the rule of

law is and how important a strong, independent judicial branch can be to a country if it is to be a solid democracy. my intent is to continue working with the lawyers and the judges of argentina in improving the judicial system and strengthening the confidence the people have in the judicial system. a a prosecutor, the country and the world a safer place for all citizens. it is my intent to fully support united states' law enforcement agencies efforts in supporting argentine law enforcement and their fight against crime. i am committed to help build capacity within the argentine police to promote security in a vital, regional ally. as a son of a world war ii veteran, and myself a retired army reservist, i appreciate the importance of a strong military commitment to a democratic world free from the threat of

terrorism and our support must continue. i work closely on commercial and economic issues to increase opportunities for the united states business in argentina. i will work to further enhance the bilateral trade relationship and argentina is the eighth largest country in the world by land area and has a powerful and diverse economy. while the country has, no doubt, dealt with its share of economic challenge e the current macri administration has established wide-reaching reforms seeking to strengthen argentina's market and its position in the global economic community. i intend to work closely with the argentine administration to not only assist them in these effort, but to strengthen mutuality between beneficial trade and commerce of our two countries. i look forward to enhancing our continued friendship and partnership with the close ally. through our efforts we can

strengthen peace and prosperity in both countries and i look forward to representing the united states on the global stage. welcome your questions. >> thank you all for being here. i'll just question one of the nominees and turn to our members and i will remain and continue in our work, but i wanted to start with ambassador mcmanus. you served as executive assistant to secretary rice and then secretary clinton in particular during 2012 when we experienced the terrible terrorist attack at the compound in benghazi and a number of members, not just on the committee, but have often raised questions about this period of time and i wanted to give you the opportunity to address it. let me begin by asking you, when did you know that the attacks were terrorism and want related to anti-american protests and when did you first inform the secretary of state of that fact? >> senator, thank you. i'm going to try and answer that

in the correct order. i first learned of the attack when it was reported by the diplomatic security command center to our operation center and they, in turn, contacted me to let me know that there had been an attack or that there was an attack under way. to identify when i had knowledge that it was a terrorist attack is a different arc. my response initially and all of my communications were internal and intended only to inform people as required to understand what the secretary's whereabouts were and what the secretary was addressing at this particular moment and this was over the course of several hours in the afternoon and into the evening. i used term terrorist attack because that's what i judged it to be.

it was not a legal determination and it was not based on an amass of evidence or analysis. it was the term that i used to describe what i saw taking place. when did you first inform the secretary of state? >> well, i would say within minutes it was probably approximately 3:30, 3:20, if i'm not mistaken in the afternoon when i informed the secretary that this was under way and that we were monitoring what pactly was taking place. >> okay. one more question and again, to give you the opportunity to answer, did you ever purposely mislead or advocate for misleading the american public about the nature of the attack? >> never, senator. that -- never. >> senator cardon? >> judge prado, you and i had a chance to talk about the use of your talents and the legal

system to deal with the problem in argentina from the '94 bombing of the jewish community center. i just really want to get on the record here our concern that that matter be of high priority to our mission that there be justice in regards to what happened and any cover-up that was engaged by the government. >> yes, sir, senator, i'm encouraged that the present administration has refocused its investigation on thosoribe horr terrorist attacks. we share that with argentina that our country has been attacked by terrorists and many people who were killed and injured. the administration is going forward with investigations not only about the bombings that took place, but also the killing

and murdering death of alberto nesman who was a special prosecutor who was investigating the case and that mysterious death, and i hope to get down to help the process in any way i can with regard to any assistance that we might provide whether it be as prosecutors or assistance to the judicial process. >> i thank you for that. >> there's at least some indication that there were foreign interests involved in that attack and that there may have been governmental cover-up as to the investigation. so that obviously is a matter of grave concern. >> yes. i would like to just encourage the iranian government to cooperate in the investigation and assist in the investigation. >> thank you. miss bernstein, i'm sure you're aware of the 2013 decision of the dominican constitutional court that stripped hundreds of thousands of dominicans of their

haitian descent of their nationality rendering them stateless. these are people who for a long time have lived in the d.r. and the constitutional court has now declared that they have no citizenship. that they are stateless. what would be your approach that these individuals have their nationality restored? >> thank you, senator, for that very important question. humanitarian rights are very, very important to me, specially for someone whose family fled russia because of the lack of respect for human rights, so this is something that's deeply ingrained in my soul, and this is a question that's very, very important to me. first of all, i would -- i agree with you that human rights should be respected and the pope, even pope john paul said

that everyone, if i may quote, everyone should have the opportunity to eat enough and to be cared for, to find housing and to study to overcome illiteracy and to find worthwhile and properly paid work and all of that provides a truly human life for men and women, young and old and i would take a very active role in working with embassy or embassy staff. i understand that this is something that we do, if confirmed, that we work to help them gain passports and i would hopefully work with my esteemed colleague, michelle sesan in haiti and try to work with her should there be any issues where we can partner together and try to make sure that the restoration of the people that are, quote, stateless. >> i would ask that you keep this committee informed on that

process. these individuals have basically been there for long periods of time. >> right. there was no other country that they belong because their language is slightly different they have been discriminated against by the d.r. and we just ask that you make this a priority to keep us engaged on this subject. >> absolutely. if confirmed i can assure you that i look forward to working with you to assure that this will happen, and i look forward to staying engaged with you on this issue. >> miss royce, i really appreciate your testimony. it was almost as good as ambassador mcmanus' testimony, but i really appreciate the way you talked about exchanges and the american values and the impact its had because i agree with everything you just said and human rights is a priority and american values to me are a strength and we've got to be pretty clear about it. it's not easy. there's a lot of concerns about whether america still maintains

that global position as it relates to our traditional values and i just want you to than there's a lot of support by both democrats and republicans in congress to make sure that your role is clear and that america's strength are our values and that we want you to have the tools you need to continue these exchanges to promote, i would say universal values, americans' values, as you move forward where there's going to be challenges and that's because of the current issues that are before america and before the global community. so will you be open and frank with us as to how we can help? >> thank you, senator. first of all, i want to say thank you for your thoughtful comment and your willingness to help. what i would like to share in

your opening as you stated was how important exchange programs are as far as the valued aspect of america's international leadership. as you know and you mentioned in your statement about resources and i want to assure you that if confirmed that any level resources, i'll utilize my skills coming from the private sector where i manage with challenging budgets oftentimes and i'll leverage the assets of the eca and that includes the experts at the state department and our resources and you mentioned the alumni, that's really important. in addition to that i'll have the highest public policy priorities for foreign approximately see. so i would just say that i'm going to welcome your feedback and be open to it any way that question make any improvements to enhance and improve our public policy, i would welcome

that. >> thank you. with your indulgence, i want to ask ambassador mcmanus, in regard to the peace process in columbia and the reconciliation is critically important that the terms of the peace agreements as it relates to those that have violated human rights, that they're held accountable or consistent with the peace agreements. there are responsibilities on both sides, and what i find that when peace agreements are entered into, the human rights component sometimes gets left on the table as far as enforcement is concerned because it is not considered to be of equal priority to other provisions in the peace accord. i would ask that that needs to be of highest priority and the u.s. mission can play a major role to make sure that, in fact, is carried out. >> senator, i'll comment briefly

on that. first, i think that the peace accords themselves have woven into them an understanding that the repair that needs to be done to the social fabric in that country is part and parcel of both the scourge of illegal narcotics, and the response to that scourge in the peace accord and following which is the introduction of state presence of state institutions in areas that have traditionally not seen investment and participation by the state, one for security reasons initially, but secondly because they are areas that are in need of growth and many of them, in fact, line up with areas of the country where indigenous populations or afro-colombian populations are prevalent. so the key word, as you said, is

accountability. accountability for crimes and then -- and accountability to resolve part of the -- the underlying causes for the state being in the woefull condition it was in when we first went forward with a planned colombia. human rights must be a part of that and we've seen reactions from the colombian government in terms of providing greater protection to labor leaders and human rights defenders. it is still a problem and it will be over the course of the generation that will build out the institutions of colombian governance that will provide the most important protections. >> thank you. >> senator cane. >> thank you, mr. chair and congratulations to each of you. this is a very well qualified panel for the positions that you've been nominated for and i appreciate your willingness to serve and if i can ask you, mr.

mcmanus, quickly, we were talking in the back room and i was saying similar things and a lot of times we wonder whether the effect of the american foreign policy is positive. we try hard, and we invest a lot and often despite those things we get involved with other countries and we're not happy with the outcomes and that makes people question whether we should make the effort at all, but colombia is the perfect example of a careful and adroit and sustained investment between administrations and congresses of both parties that has really been transformative and we've seen colombia go from a near-failed state to a wonderful economic and security partner to the united states. i remember going to visit the multinational force that provides peace in the sign a in the border between egypt and israel and colombia is a major

participant in peace keeping and there is a lot at stake in making sure that progress continues. one of the issues that i know colombia is interested in and i wanted to take your on is i'd like to hear your thought about colombia seems to be on track with the oecd and what are the obstacles that remain and what more could the united states do to be an ally in that effort? >> thank you, senator. colombia's desire and ambition to become a part of oecd and become a community of nations that believe in normative standards and are willing to pruf that they're capable of it is a great sign that they are prepared to move forward. our trade relationship with them now has as its framework a trade cooperation agreement which has

resulted in a trade, a fairly good trade balance and it's one of the best in the world. a trade in goods of about -- sorry, $23 billion a year and it varies depending upon a number of factors, but also that trade agreement and the desire to join oecd has provided an impetus for a continuation in progress on standards, on labor standards and on resolving conflicts that exist that have to do with protection of intellectual property and the access to the market of u.s. companies. u.s. companies have expressed, and continue to a great desire to invest in colombia. colombia is a country of 48 million people. it has a prominent role in the

region and has ready access to other marks and it is really at a point where it should be developing in a very expansive way in terms of a larger, global footprint. there are issues that have yet to be resolved. there is every hope that they can be resolved in short order and -- but it's under a concentrated review by the u.s. trade representative, by the labor department and by the department of commerce. i've spoken with both commerce and labor about these issues. the serious and ongoing conversation that will continue to be so because there are elements of the colombian economy that continue to involve directly issues such as child labor, and i don't mean child labor such as cutting the lawn on the weekend and the misuse of children in a labor market. so those are -- again, longer

term shifts that have to take place and we're very positive in terms of the movement and hopeful that that could reach a good conclusion. >> i would encourage you in that way and it has a lot of benefit for colombia if it's done and it has been for the oecd and an organization like the oecd can be viewed as a northern hemisphere, and i think it is very important that southern countries around the world will find their own places in organizations like this and so i would encourage you in that way. miss royce, let me just put a pet issue of minot table for your new job and that is in the area of education exchange. of course, we have a crown jewel education system, fulbright scholarships and other things. i so often worry when we talk about education, we always diss career and technical occupation and if you qualify for a pell grant in this country, you can use it on a college campus, but you can't use it in an apprenticeship program and not in a college campus.

if you're in the military like my son you get a tuition assistance benefit and use it in a college campus and you can't use it to take a welding certification exam if you're an ordinance officer. we haven't had a presidential scholars program for 50 years that recognizes high school students who are superstars only in recently senator portman and i convinced president trump to provide technical education superstars, too. you can look across the spectrum of u.s. education policy and we say college is great and we've kind of underestimated career technical education and apprenticeships and there's a superb apprenticeship program across the world and germany and the united states have examples and the apprenticeship program and i would hope as you're thinking about educational exchanges and how to both share our best practices and learn from the best practices of others and it wouldn't just be about college or, you know, elementary and secondary, but we

would make sure that we include it as part of what we both want to learn about and both want to spotlight that we do well. >> thank you, senator cane for that input and i would also add that those types of programs and as you're well aware those programs have been made and conducted with working back and forth with congress. a couple of those include the kennedy lugar program and another you're aware of is the ben gilman program and under ben gilman provided an opportunity for people that were first-generation students and their families to go to college and help with the financial need and that was in direct consultation with congress, so i would just add that i think these types of ideas are great to think about and include. so i appreciate your input and we look forward to, if i'm confirmed, working with you on

this. >> that's very good. thank you very much. >> i have another question that i will submit for the written record. >> thank you. ambassador mcmanus, i wanted to ask you about cocaine. from 2006 to 2010 according to the rand study, was there a 50% drop-off in consumption of cocaine in the united states and then it began to climb to the point where we've seen record supplies of cocaine over the last couple of years, and obviously most most if not much of it from colombia and the increase, of course, has asked to a drop in prices and an increase in the rate of consumption in both the united states and in parts of europe that the timing of that claim coincide with the peace deal and one of, mook, they stopped aerial eradication, but the other thing that happened is they created a sort of program where they were paying growers

not to stop growing coca, but to be in a position to qualify for it, for those payments farmers had to be growing coca so they would qualify for the payments when they became available. the point is we've seen historic numbers of cocaine and already cocaine kills more people than heroin does among african-americans in the united states. so it's a burgeoning problem. it is my belief if confirmed you would be the ambassador to colombia at a time in which cocaine is going to be go into compete with heroin and opiates as a headline issue in the united states and immediately people will realize where it's coming from and there will be real tension created as a result of it. give us some ideas of how you plan to get ahead of that in your interactions with the colombian government and the united states government because i see that coming, and i see it potentially becoming a major irritant in the relationship

between our countries and quite frankly, i can foresee people begin to question, not me, but others begin to question the wisdom of a plan, and yet they'll be saying that we're spending all of this money and it isn't working and how do you plan to get out ahead of it both working with our counterparts in columbia and the folks at the state department and here at the u.s. government. >> thank you, senator. i think that irritation is already there. it's beyond an irritation. the president in last year's declaration on the majors list of major drug producing and drug trafficking nations expressed a deep concern about the increase in coca cultivation and cocaine production in colombia. the colombians have felt the same way. members of this committee have expressed themselves of this view, and the colombian

government itself has expressed concern that they need to have on this issue the most recent experience on interdiction has been a positive one. in 2017, 500 metric tons of cocaine hydrochloride were interdicted and cocaine paste. as well, the highest number of hectares of coca cultivation were eradicated. most of that forced eradication and a small number with eradication. while it is tied to and is part of the addressing cocaine that was built into the peace accords both rural reform and addressing illicit drugs were elements of the peace accord.

they placed responsibilities well within the grasp of the colombian government to begin to address these in a coordinated way so they have been using and beginning to use a whole of government approach. now the growth is due to a number of factors. you mentioned the payments that would be made to farmers who were cultivating. we saw that growth beginning earlier, in fact, before the end of aerial sprang. some of that we take to be encouragement by the farc. some of it was in anticipation of negotiation, we think, for the peace accords and some of it was clearly related to the opportunity to turn in hectares of coca cultivation for a cash payment. all of those have a predictable quality to them. what is absolutely necessary is the commitment of the colombian

government to reduce these numbers. most recently, we had a high-level dialogue with colombia earlier this month and the colombians have committed themselves to an eradication within five years to a level of 50% current numbers. now we believe that there is both the focus and the appropriate tools, the professionalized military that was part of and one of the outcomes of planned colombia that lead to the ability of colombia to do that. i recognize that there is a chain of suffering that starts in colombia and gets to the united states and every country that is affected along the way and certainly americans who are affected by the introduction of the illicit narcotics in the

united states are part of that and feel that suffering. we know that we have a responsibility at this end and we've spoken about it in terms of demand reduction. unfortunately, demand also appears to be rising, some of those indicators like the number of first-time users continues to push up. these are all issues that are going to have to be dealt with in a coordinated fashion in our end and we understand what the coordination needs to be at that end. >> and it's impossible to talk about cocaine and its distribution without mentioning -- let me begin by saying that even as some elements of the farc may have disbanded and disarmed and the space they occupied in many parts of colombia have been taken up by cartel and eml elements and you have a career service at the highest levels of the state department is aware of this and it is indisputable that the distribution of cocaine is

assisted actively by elements in the venezuelan government that participate both in its distribution and as we've seen with kingpin designations and indictments in the united states against some of these elements and our own counterpart in colombia point to this that the venezuelan government has often hosted its officials on that side of the territory without a doubt. as you see the aerial routes that are distributed throughout the caribbean they almost all proceed from venezuela from colombian cocaine. it is fair to say that elements within the venezuelan government and/or military are active participants in the distribution of these cocaine routes. >> senator, it would test credulity to believe that the eln which is traditionally operated within the venezuelan border has acquired greater

license in areas that had previously been controlled by the farc that that border somehow becomes an impossible barrier for them. it is the border between colombia and venezuela is ripe for mischief and for illegality and the eln has an interest in creating opportunities for generating illegal funds. so i would have to say that only somebody who was waiting for the final analysis to make that conclusion would disagree with your statement. i don't. it is also fair to say that if you look at the challenges facing colombia, whether it's assistance in elm and it's a migratory issue with the refugees fleeing venezuela and whether it's the distribution of cocaine including by elements

within the government and the nephews of the dictator in venezuela who have been convicted, venezuela poses a very significant national security threat to our strongest ally in venezuela and colombia. >> that's correct, senator. >> at the summit of the americas thisiary in april has as its main theme the democratic government and its corruption. you can put a colon after that and then say the problem of venezuela. clearly, venezuela as a regional threat and as a threat to colombia is the principal problem of today and of right now. there are solutions and steps that can be taken and that we called for that the united states government has called for that are simple steps of return to democrat see, return to a

respect for human rights and allow free and fair and transparent lechs to go forward with international observers, and open a humanitarian corridor for food and medicine many of the venezuelans crossing the border are seeking medical attention and are seeking simple vaccinations. children are dying, babies are dying as a result of that inability to secure basic care. >> in the -- one last question in that regard and that is, as you see more and more people coming across the border. by the way, some are citizens of both venezuela and colombia. >> yes. >> but as they come across the border and more strain is based upon our allies do you anticipate at some point, if not already that the united states will have to step up and potentially provide colombia with assistance along with the international community to deal with the pressures being created by these large number of

refugees flowing into colombia from venezuela? >> i do, senator. i've had conversations with usaid and with other elements in the state department that would be directly involved in that kind of assistance. i think colombia understands deeply the depth of this particular problem and this crisis, and are prepared to seek support when it's needed in order to help alleviate the enormous stress that it's going to place both on the individuals and the venezuelans themselveses who have been displaced, but also on the systems in colombia that will need to be able to respond to it. >> thank you. miss bernstein, i want to ask you -- i guess it's one question about the two parts about the dominican republic and one of the things that's concerning to us that while the allies of the dominican republic and work with them and have strong cultural and economic ties in settings like the united nations, their

votes are very often not aligned with our priorities. as an example, it is my view, and most of the members of the senate, and i know it is, because they had the letter that i led with senator coons about the unfair treatment of israel in the united nations and it's an entity that is frequently home to anti-israel resolutions that attempts to de-legitimize israel. in the 71st session the u.n. general assembly adopted 18 resolutions directed at israel. resolutions on which the united states voted no. the dominican republic voted for each of these 18 resolutions. we have also seen them at the oas to be less than cooperative on efforts to pressure the venezuelan government and in essence, efforts to allow the oas to function the way it's supposed to and to have the

democracies in the region to protect democracy and that condemnations that are violating it and obviously one of the reasons potentially why this is happening is their membership is a group of countries that receive subsidized oil from venezuela in exchange for influence in their government. i would just ask do you commit to this committee that this is an issue that you will begin a dialogue at the highest levels with the government, both on their anti-israel votes at the united nations and also at their consistently not wanting to vote in favor of supporting democracy in the region. will you commit to this committee that that will be among the issues that you raise with the department of state at the high evaluate levels. >> yes, senator. i look forward to working with you on this if confirmed. >> thank you. >> judge prado, this has been asked and i want to reiterate.

i think that argentina has a lot of positive things happening. they're a member of the lima group, as an example and a group of nations that have taken it upon themselves to act and combine and coordinate efforts to pressure venezuela's dictatorship and to push forward and i would just ask to do all you can in your role to coordinate with other countries and to be supportive to the argentine's government in the process? >> yes, senator, i do. the president has been a longtime critic of venezuela's government and the treatment of the citizens of venezuela by the maduro administration. he took efforts to have venezuela taken out of the mercosur which is a common market group of south american

countries. so i think there are some positive moves being made by the argentine government in its criticism of how the venezuela administration is treating its citizens and the lack of democracy and i intend to do all i can to support their efforts to remedy the situation. >> as i mentioned in the opening statement, just yesterday the argenti argentine judiciary reformed with other senior officials in connection with the cover-up of the bombing of the jewish community center in buenos aires by the government. they're holding iran responsible for terror attack which, by the way, killed 85 people. i would just ask if you could commit to the committee if confirmed, not only do all you can in the search for justes for those who died in that attack and also that you will support and do all you can to support the u.s. gone chlt and support

them into all investigations into what i believe is the murder of the prosecutor alberto neesman who was on to the truth when his life was taken. >> yes, senator, i i can to support the macre administration in its investigation of this very serious and tragic situation that has occurred in their country. >> finally, ms. royce, florida, my home state has benefitted from educational and cultural exchanges in numerous ways, including a large impact on our economy. there was an article in "the washington post" in november of last year that outlined there has been a sharp change of foreign student enrollment in the u.s. will numbers declining both in 2016 and 2017 of international students coming to the united states. i was just -- i guess my question is, if confirmed what ideas do you have about increasing participation of educational and cultural exchanges, both here and abroad? >> thank you, senator, for your

question. the information that i've received is that we've had 1 million international visitors this past year and the year before. so, of course, i would like to continue that. i'd like to also add, in that number we even have 14,000 -- you're talking about students, international students? >> i think it's a combination of students and cultural exchange. >> okay. i'm sorry. maybe you can repeat the question. >> i think the question is, what can we do to continue to ensure -- far of what's happening is, you know, in some countries around the world, they now have options available that they could only have gotten in the united states in years' past. that's part of development. but there might be other factors at play that might be discurrently the growth of study abroad in the united states or participating in convention chang -- exchanges of students coming here. whether it's rhetoric in our politics or the inavailability of some of these programs, but

one of the things we notice in our work and i think the ranking member would agree, often times when you meet with important foreign leaders, one of the things you'll notice in their biography is they graduated from an american university and it actually has a real impact on our ability to engage with them. they're familiar with our system of government. they're familiar with the united states. it's a real advantage to this country. what ideas do you have to ensure that we continue on that trend as we may face new global competitors for that and/or perhaps options domestically that may no longer make our universities or cultural exchanges as attractive as they may have been in the past? >> thank you very much, senator, for the question. you mentioned the interlock tors of top world leaders. i mentioned that in my opening statement, that one in three world leaders today are actually people that experienced the united states firsthand through the international eca programs that we've had. i would also add that we've been doing some exciting things by trying to promote english, and

we have english centers around the world where we offer young people the opportunity to learn english and they can do that online. so consequently that also gives them an exposure. another thing that is exciting about eca right now is we've got some digital diplomacy initiatives. even our facebook page, we have seven basic different facebook pages and we've got the third largest hits on one of the facebook pages. we have a twitter feed, digital initiatives where people can go online and have a mentor. i'll add one type of program, the christopher stephens initiative, which is actually all virtual. excuse me -- after our former ambassador. and so consequently we're engaging with people that normally would never have the opportunity to interface with an american. i think that's another example where we're able to create some

hybrid programs to expose people and also increase our numbers. but what i've understood from the information i've received is that we've had a number of people that are still continuing to come to the united states from the international visitor program and there is a strong economic impact. i'm sure you know the numbers. those students have created 450,000 jobs here in the united states. $39 billion worth of impact financially. again, i think i'll continue to try to do everything i can if confirmed to try to continue to promote ways for people to be interested in coming to the united states ad united states, again, because these leaders are so important. on a short-term basis, having these leaders here gives us opportunity to talk about things that are very important, countering terrorism, managingth refugee crisis, for example, or even responding to disaster relief because these people are already here. so if that's a leader or exchange student, and if it's a

student of course they're getting exposed to american values. we mentioned human rights, democracy, rule of law. free speech is another one. we're talking about countering aggressive regimes. getting the opportunity to be able to speak and gather freely. and i know you're a senator also -- center on technology. open and free data flows and cross-border communications. i think that's really important. thank you. >> if i could ask ms. royce on the summer work travel program, the j1 visas. 17 senators sent a letter to secretary tillerson last summer in regards to the importance of the continuation of that program. it's been under concern. i can just give you one example. i have talked with the jewish camp organizers, and the use of

j1 visas, it's an incredible program. we are concerned about in this immigration debate that this program remain as a high priority in continuation. what is your view on this program? >> thank you, senator cardin, for your question. i wanted to share with you that i am familiar with the letter and i also was impressed with the fact that each of you that signed on really talked about the importance of the summer work travel program to the local community. in addition, you recognized something that is very important in that letter, which was the fact that americans should also have the opportunity to be able to go for these jobs. and, in fact, it was recognized then that these jobs should also be promoted broadly to americans. but, of course, there is always

a need for talent in high-demand season. one of the things about this area is that they're closely monitored and site visits are conducted and they're always updating the regulations. and i wanted to let you know that i would continue to -- with those practices in a transparent way and would want to work with you on those, and i understand, you know, the summer work travel program has really strong bipartisan support. obviously just even speaking on the hill here on my visits, you know, i just know how important that is and i would be interested in, you know, continuing this dialogue. >> thank you. thank you, mr. chairman. >> thank you. all right. well, thank you for your service. your willingness to serve. we look forward to the chairman moving this on to the confirmation vote. the record on this hearing is going to remain open until the close of business this friday, and seeing no objection, the hearing is adjourned.

next on c-span3, author henry olson discussed his book, "the working class republican," and looks ahead to the midterm elections. then a preview of russia's upcoming presidential election. later, hear former british prime minister david cameron testify before congress on global security and foreign aid. >> henry olson is at our table, the author of this book, "the working class republican: ronald reagan and the return of blue collar conservatism." what is a working class republican? >> working class republican is so