[captioning performed by the national captioning institute] [captions copyright national cable satellite corp. 2013] >> later in the day the banking committee chairman said that the committee would hold off on passing a new bill.

coming up on c-span tonight, i meeting on banking and investment regulations. then hearing on foreign aid to jordan and lebanon for syrian refugees. secretary of state john kerry testifies against iran sanctions. nextming up on the "washington journal", a look at national unemployment. is from the national employment law project. then we will talk about the recent budget agreement. examine the effect one year after the sandy hook been shooting. "washington journal" is live every morning on c-span. we will have more oversight of

u.s. surveillance programs on wednesday when the senate committee hears from the nsa director keith alexander. that will be at 2:00 p.m. on c- span 3. we will take your comments on c- span chat and on facebook. constant inip american political life to look constant in american political life to look at that. flash forward to the president day -- present-day. spend any part of their career doing manual labor jobs. that has changed. lots of different aspects of the political process of change. the decline of unions. happening,f this is

there is one of the constant strain that, during the last 100 is that working-class people are not getting elected to political office. is there a social economic disparity between leaders and the citizens they represent? talk more in depth with a radio talkshow host. he will take your questions beginning at noon eastern. that is all part of book tv weekend on c-span 2. and we want to know what your favorite books weren't 2013. throughout the month, join other readers to discuss the most notable books of the year. toto our website and click enter the chat room. the senate approved the volcker rule named after its

chairman. it was a practice seen by some as a contributor to the 2008 financial crisis. thank you, mr. chairman. i support the staff in andlizing this rule extending the performance. . i want to congratulate the staff for completing this work and making these difficult judgments. this will help with financial speculation in institutions and , anre a safety net important liquidity's and the markets, and also safety and security of financial

institutions. you have worked very strike, in this role, just the right balance. i congratulate you on doing that. given the absence of the distinction, i think this is an important responsibility to make sure that this works as intended. i support it. i thank you for all of your hard work. i support the adoption of the final rule. like the vice chair and you have indicated, implementation here, probably more than most rules, is the key.

there is a role to play there. a series of roles. we have to navigate carefully. >> i want to set a high bar for regulatory banking. we want to go far and strengthening the bar. we strengthened the hedging role that says that hedging as to be tied to specific conditions. hedging positions must demonstrably produce or mitigate risks that were identified at the inception of the hedging we hadeveloped when risks. the hedge will not add risk to the position to be hedged.

and the person at the top, the ceo will be required to have appropriate influence to make meet theiance program statutory requirements. these changes are commendable betterps the role work -- rule work better. the ability to overcome challenges may not be known until we implement this. challenge is regulatory implementation. rule has and final taken the approach of not setting exclusive limits, but empowering them to set the limits for the compliance plans.

setting limits, rather than thresholds, means that particular, and in the role of supervisors in having judgment and discretion becomes key. they will be lead on heavily. -- leaned on heavily. and regarding the types of assets that can qualify, even containse volcker rule a statutory prohibition, and must not expose the banks to high-risk strategies. clear whatn't make and of assets are included what type of trading strategies are high-risk trading strategies. instead, they will be asked to make the determinations. to theforward

information that will assist the examination of those efforts. they understand what will be problematic. and then there's the role that permits trading and liquidity management. require going cap to examiners to ensure that liquidity management is in place and that the amounts that are being held are consistent with the needs of the financial entity. these are determinations to be made by examiners. i hope they have the right guidance when they undertake these determinations. there is the simulation under the market making and underwriting, and

examiners again will need to verify what is appropriate. and then there's the limit to inventory buildup and the high- risk accumulated on market making and high-risk growth. this willingness will require consistency, fortitude, and support. institutions within the purview of the volcker rule are examined differently. the sec has one perspective. another organization will have a different perspective on the supervision of the bank. i look forward to the supervisory guidance and training, regarding the exercise and supervisory judgment and we want to assess the effectiveness in the agencies and their approaches and the effectiveness of their findings.

the second challenge is the compensation provision in the proposed final rule. the proposed final role, as it asindicated, states -- rule it is indicated, states that it practicesate concern in financial institutions. until wennot be sure see it. in other words, it seems to me that if we're serious about minimizing financial instability with the volcker rule we will have to have a decline of compensation plans and ask if the fee arrangements are goal.ing the rule's if the is that there may be excessive risk with that kind of

compensation. bank risk-taking imposes costs on the public and the economy, shareholders interest may be served by greater risk-taking. this is a moral hazard. justified by the relatesal hazard that to regulation of banks. and the structures that reward risky baby or will undermine the volcker rule. isthe volcker rule implemented, they have to focus on compensation with the goal of discouraging excessive risk. we set of the

composition to discourage excessive risk-taking, you will realize that the rules not need the as strict. volcker rule could also be more restrictive. -- eed to stay village and vigilant to minimize the possibility of for financial instability. as noted, the agencies have collectively made implementations that we move forward. that is both from the need of the enforcement of the rule and how the to assess completion may be forwarding the rules goal. >> thank you, mr. chairman.

i support the final rule. i agree with the comments that have been made. i agree with the comments about supervision and implementation. i think it is important to align --ectations read i agree expectations. i agree with the way that mark characterized it. we have a look at romance capital against any kind of market exposure. i think this will put in place a systematic process that forces looking at trades or whatever task the kind of questions that need to be asked. that is going to be helpful. i am supportive. >> governor.

>> as i mentioned earlier, i think that the role is very faithful to the -- rule is very faithful to the statute. i think it is very faithful to the statues the need to continue. i support it. >> thank you. >> i support the rule on the extension. , asink that the rule written a cheese the right balance. -- strikes the right balance. it provides the right balance with underwriting. elegantly,rnor said implementation and feedback are important to learn about how the rule works and how it affects banks, and how it affects the broader economy. meeting, the

treasury secretary released a statement saying, with today we have will of the taken a critical step toward completing implementation of the dodd frank wall street reform and consumer protection act. coming up on the next "washington journal", a look at unemployment benefits. christine owens. after that, the senator on the recent budget agreement. the examination of the number of suicides and homicides one year after the sandy hook shooting. the "washington journal" is live every morning at 7:00 a.m. eastern on c-span. depot ins a plain

depot in- plane georgia. the hustle and bustle would have tables, and beds, and phones going off, and letters. that was all from this small building, the campaign. -- peanutp a grade brigade referred to the campaign. it was a way to get the word out using volunteers, going door-to- door, shaking hands . it was a method so effective that helped him get elected to the presidency. >> watch the program on first carter.lady roslyn then we will show an encore of the first ladies, season two. that will be at 9:00 p.m. on c-

span. refugees from a syrian civil war, 100,000 are living in lebanon, and 600,000 are living in jordan. billion inhe $1.3 foreign aid to support the refugees. this is one hour and 35 minutes. >> we are going to start. i know that senator graham is on his way.

we have a situation where we are having a series of votes. we are having people going back and forth. i hope that doesn't indicate to anybody a lack of interest because this is a major level of interest. i want to applaud senator graham. he represents the republicans on this. i applaud him for his concerns. i said to the ambassador from lebanon and jordan that if you had this many refugees in a wealthy part of the u.s., for example, like california with all kinds of natural resources it would be an enormous strain. it is far more so in these areas. i commend you and applaud you for the humanitarian stance that both of your countries have taken. it is a horrific situation, and unfortunately, it will be reflected in the lives of so

many of these people. here.l have anne richards ambassador brown of jordan. and we know the united nations has traveled a long distance. we are grateful for that. i thank senator graham who proposed this hearing. we have a humanitarian catastrophe in syria.

it continues to unfold in syria. not just that syria, no one more directly than jordan and lebanon. i want to commend you for your generosity. you've done this even though others might shirk from this. i commend both of your countries. the number of refugees change all the time. 557,000. we know that there are more than that. in jordan, they are living mostly in tent camps like this picture here. in lebanon, they are scattered among the general population. over here.

for people who have traveled to lebanon, as i have, know that you have some varied types of topography and geography. you have two governments. they are facing huge strains on their government and their populations. the war in syria shows no sign of ending. the protracted crisis is going to be stressful on lebanon and jordan. turkey andas on iraq. it is going to require significant donor aid for years to come. and then when the war ends, how do you take millions of refugees and have them put their lives and their communities back

together. that task is daunting. jordan is a close ally of the united states. they are already accomodating 2 million palestinian refugees. lebanon is struggling with a myriad of problems, not the least of which is the influence of hezbollah. and there is the crisis in africa. particularly in africa. and the budget is limited. we want to hear about the most urgent needs.

we will start am. richard with you. then we will go alphabetically. i will go to the other ambassadors. >> thank you very much. thank you for holding this hearing to review the humanitarian crisis in syria. everyone is looking at how the u.s. is responding. at the outset of the hearing, i want to thank the subcommittee for making possible all of the resources that allow the u.s. government to be a leader in a humanitarian response. they provided generous funding for humanitarian aid and allowed us to respond to the crisis in syria and the surrounding region. the u.s. has provided more than $1.3 billion in humanitarian aid

since the beginning of the crisis. the farsighted action of the subcommittee has undoubtedly saved many lives. the funding has helped keep borders open. it has led us to so when opportunities arose in syria to respond to a regional crisis. we have been able to pay attention to other troubled laces around the globe. united states is the world's humanitarian leader. you know quite a bit about the crisis. there has been massive destruction in the country of syria. the crisis has claimed thousands of lives. for every one person who has been killed, six people have been injured. more than 6 million have fled their homes and are still trying to survive as best as they can. 2 million have fled to neighboring countries. some of fled to camps in turkey or jordan. these camps are used to illustrate the crisis. most are living outside of camps.

80% don't live in camps. they found shelters and local communities. that is partly why, if you look at the map, there are hundreds of communities that have taken refugees in. hospital beds are filled by syrian patients. and the neighboring governments are concerned that they must stress the services they provide to their own citizens to reach the overwhelming people in need. we have to admit it is a struggle to keep pace with the immense scale of this emergency. however, the organizations that we fund, both governmental and nongovernmental organizations, and you will hear from ngo's a moment, are professionals who are at personal risk to provide aid.

these organizations are doing a great deal in a dangerous situation. 13 u.n. staff members have been killed. one un staffer has been reportedly abducted. nine reported missing. 32 staff or volunteers were killed in the line of duty. these agencies are a multifaceted response. you will see in my testimony that there is an across-the- board spectrum of all of the things they're doing. in my written does money, we tell you the conflict has intensified, and there are hard to reach areas. this has been a major challenge. to get inside to the people who need the help and do so safely. people are tracking locations that are cities that are besieged. there are part of cities that are besieged that we can get to. we are concerned this is a deliberate tactic to starve them into submission.

we have seen the reemergence of polio and the spread of other diseases, such as the rate of measles. children are not in school. we need to keep the borders open so that people not get trapped inside syria. we have been monitoring the situation very carefully. i want to talk today about the arrival in winter and the changes that that presents. they need insulating tents. they need warmth grade they need warmer close. we are concerned about gender- based violence. that is an issue that i know has been of concern to many. the us has taken steps to erase the scourge. and we will have someone talk about the importance of refugee camp security.

those are the top issues. the us is working to support regional security. we work with the world food program. we support refugees and palestinians trapped inside syria. we seek to use every channel possible to get into those areas that needed. that is across all forging of syria. we are also supporting the neighboring governments and communities. i discuss that in my written testimony. looking ahead, we believe that the u.s. must remain a leader in the humanitarian response. we are focusing right now on the october 2 statement, the presidential statement became out of the security council that called for all of the parties of the conflict to allow extension of relief operations and allow medical care to get to the sick and stopped deliberate targeting of medical facilities. humanitarian leaders have found

it difficult to reach people in need. we have recently gotten some agreement from the syrian regime. they will allow assistance to enter syria for jordan and iraq during they have allowed the streamlining of convoy we have to see whether this happens on the ground. i am not optimistic that this is a key moment in this crisis as the world comes together to try to make a difference in what is happening there. to address the rampant violations of law that have been a hallmark of this conflict. this has demanded a great deal of attention from foreign policymakers, not just humanitarian offices but diplomats and we are fortunate that we have been led by folks in the white house and secretary kerry and our seven floor in a whole series of efforts just in the past two weeks. there have

been discussions on overcoming obstacles. took part in a high-level dialogue convened by to response coordinator and try to discuss some of these access issues and there is periodic gathering of the emergency directors, all coming together to 80 different. finally in the next coming weeks we will see the u.n. issue a major appeal for assistance and kuwait clans to cohost a pledging conference scheduled for january 19, 20 14. we cannot do the things we're doing without your support and help and we are tremendously grateful what -- for what you have done. >> thank you very much. honorable ranking members and

committee members, good morning. thank you for the invitation and the opportunity to testify before your esteemed subcommittee today. i am equally happy and glad to be here today with secretary ann veryrds and addressing a important issue. majesty'send his appreciation for your long- standing friendship and support. you for your strong leadership. my testimony will focus on the jordanian perspective vis-à-vis the recent domestic challenges.

i hope to demonstrate the challenges we face as a country during this time and the value of our unique strategic alliance to safeguard our joint interest and address the issues at hand. factsoy -- we believe the of what is happening right now will extend far beyond these borders if we do not despond and address the issues firsthand. the dangers are mounting by the day. this is unmatched in our recent history. in addition the palestinian- israeli conflict continues to andume the resources needed feeds radicalism and extremism around the world. i would like to take a moment here to recognize and express our gratitude to president obama and secretary kerry for their relentless efforts and

commitment to the ongoing peace efforts. historicald a regional transformation that swept our region. during the stimulant times jordan managed to navigate calmly and provide sanctuary and security and stability to those seeking refuge. jordan stands firm in his commitment to keep its borders open. we see this as a humanitarian duty and we have no plans to shy todayrom this commitment. we are witnessing the worst to military and played in the region's recent history. the crisis enabling syria has resulted in grave human costs and suffering. this has posed in unprecedented

challenge on my country. due to jordan's new political positioning and ties with the syrian people, we are able to monitor i keep close eye on what is happening right there. i would like to draw your attention to three main points that best characterize the conflicts and explosive nature of this. >> [inaudible] >> thank you. >> good afternoon. forologize to all of you

our running back and forth and i am sure that senators leahy and graham have said the same thing. i think we should go ahead and begin, madam ambassador. if you could continue with your testimony, senator leahy will be back shortly. click thank you so much for giving the opportunity. just a minute ago i was saying that due to jordan's new vertical positioning and close ties with the syrian people we are able to keep a close eye on the deteriorating situation over there. i would like to draw your kind attention to the main three points or traits that best characterize the conflicts and the explosive nature of the syrian crisis. this is a rapidly escalating crisis that has sectarian components. some of which seek to exploit the crisis into neighboring countries. what has made matters worse is

the presence and use of unconventional weapons. this makes a dangerous combination which bears unimaginable consequences that impact our security regionally as well as locally. the humanitarian dimension that hasemerged from this crisis reached an alarming state. where witnessing firsthand human , men, women, and children at the borders fleeing from the atrocities and from the human tragedy happening inside syria. i would like to take a moment to include and applaud all the u.n. agencies, particularly [inaudible] and their dinner partners in their efforts to alleviate the suffering of the syrians. jordan is committed to work with them closely on this noble cause.

these are overwhelming factors that face all jordanians and further undermine our ability to assume our responsibilities. so far the number of syrians who sought refuge in jordan exceed 600,000 which represents 10% of our population. some are spread into our cities and villages. having a big impact on our resources and our stretched infrastructure. focusing primarily on accommodating the immediate needs of syrian refugees in the kingdom as they adapt to their surroundings and jordanian cities and villages. this will add more pressure and increase in the medium future. to put things in perspective i would like to share with you

with the little time i have some -- that reflects the level of crisis has on jordan. after spending hundreds of millions of dollars on reforming jordan wason sector, forced to reinstate the system in order to admit and i got to know this number yesterday, 97,000 children in our schools alone this year alone. the estimated needed capital expenditure to build 100 new schools or the increasing number of syrian children inside the school will definitely exceed one and $135 million. the public ,as -- health-care sector syrians are granted the same

access to services as our this is subsidized by the government. more than nine percent of our budget is allocated to health care. the estimated cost to build new hospitals and health centers exceeds 124 million. in addition the estimated cost of added healthcare services is expected to reach $160 million. this year we have vaccinated against polio, measles, and other infectious diseases over 83 -- 82,000 children. , jordan hases eradicated them a long time ago from our radical history. there are concerns over the increasing number of jobseekers as they compete with jordanians for low-wage jobs. usually80,000 jobs occupied by jordanians have been

taken by syrians. this figure is not worth -- since this exceeds 13% of the population of only 7 million. tensionscreated social . in the energy sector there is a demand on electricity. with the large number of syrians present in another part of the kingdom. what made matters more in theging was the drop gas supplies to major due to the interaction of the gas pipeline in the past two years. this further exasperated this position which resulted in an energy bill that reached 19% and 22% of our gdp and 2012. compared to an average of 10% over the past decade. water has been a scarce

resource. we were are one of the poorest countries in terms of water resources and the added strain on the infrastructure requires rehabilitation and the expansion of water and wastewater networks. this sits on the best aquifer oft we have in other parts the kingdom. if we do not do anything about the water issues we're going to be faced with a huge pollution problem regarding one of our best aquifers in the north of jordan. the government of jordan need to be well prepared to provide urgent support for a humanitarian crisis of this magnitude. -- there is the time. you have further statements about the additional cost.

i would have put your full statement in the record. they're going back and forth and voting. your statement will be placed in the records. we want to help in any way. facts incompelling here. i want to make sure that the investor gets a chance to speak and your whole statement will be placed in the record. >> thank you. >> thank you. opportunity tohe come in front of you to give you an update of the situation in lebanon caused by the huge number of refugees who entered my country and its impact and

implication on every level. i would like to briefly inform you on the good relations between the u.s. in lebanon. based on a great degree of shared values and a long history of cooperation and friendship. the relationship between the u.s. and lebanon has been close. americans have contributed immensely by actively participating in all aspects of life promoting the mutual interest of our two great nations. this is a clear example of the interaction. congresscan lebanese has been important in this regard. this is based on five things, the same terrorism and

sectarianism and protecting democracy, human rights, freedom of expression, and public liberty. to thank the u.s. for their valuable assistance. the remarkableis acknowledgment of officials and the assistant secretary. and the representatives of the u.n. hdr. this is a painful cry on behalf of lebanon to be heard. specifically by the american congress and your esteemed committee. it is a cry of pain. favorite day impact of the crisis in lebanon increases. the largest figures demonstrate 835,000 and we

look at this map, the map of lebanon, the red dots are where the syrians are. -- white dots are in areas where they cannot be. they will cover all of lebanon unfortunately. demonstrateigures .hat they are awaiting hadmorning the u.n. 300,000 refugees. to number has changed 769,000 as an increased by 6000 during one single day. this massive increase does not relay the whole story. if we add a legal refugees, the isber is 1.3 million which about 30% of the lebanese population. themalent to having

entered germany in one year and during the u.s. in the same time. they have increased the population. the impact of the country so far is deep and threatens to unravel the country economically, politically, and socially. the world bank's impact assessment estimates loss to be billion from 2012 through 2014. unemployment is likely to reach 20% at 324,000. prompted and the growth rate has turned into a minus one percent decline in 2012. that was the same story with the increase of 20% in october 2010 and also turned into a 30% decline in october 2012. the impact has been severe

. the direct impact on budget revenues will decline at one point $5 billion. in addition there is the the needs of the country related to humanitarian needs. 32% has been funded so far. the price of -- is proving too much to bear for lebanon. in addition the syrian presence is causing severe stress as competition for the sources increases. their presence is causing increased tension. this has led to additional hostility toward syrians and has increased racist sentiment

sometimes toward them. we call on the international community to increase its assistance to lebanon and to do so quickly. we call for our friends to share the human burden with lebanon. we call on the massive trinity's solution tolitical the crisis. despite all that, lebanon has remained faithful to his hearing trayvon, not to close its borders. this aggravating burden yields an existential crisis in view of such suddensions of overpopulation. they followed the successful [inaudible] and was very highly attended by

the u.n. and the d5 and the arab league and other u.n. agencies. the american administration was represented at a very high level by the honorable john kerry personally. based on the common responsibility of the international community, the lebanese need the care and support of weatherly and friendly countries in order to face the negative repercussions of this huge external conflict which is not of their own making. the which threatens their security and stability. as you now, lebanon is a small country, the size of the state within anicut living area with limited resources. it is not possible to impose a -- [inaudible] reiterate thet to

call of lebanon to increase assistance to the escalating burdens. already in eastern lebanon, there are 20,000 refugees. adding more to the suffering of whichalready present and will stretch the capacities of all concerned. i such rests on the upcoming -- should stress it looks like lebanon in the area are expecting a blistering winter which already started with a strong so he stormed and it is hitting the area today.

situation tragic worse. the government is committed to support within its capacity awaiting the disturbed to get home. -- these matters seemed pressing and urgent. hopefully this will be provided by the geneva [indiscernible] a solution that will likely and hopefully included dignified and safe return. let me conclude by emphasizing a fact. problem theythis will enhance the security and stability of this country. the spillover of the syrian situation to this country, creating aluded is conducive and ferment for terrorism and federalist organizations. statement,in your

you quoted antonio gutierrez. you put in his quote, i applaud you for doing this because you quickly,o not act innocence will become lasting casualties. i could not agree more. we have two minutes to get to the floor. senatorvote. either shaheen or senator graham will be back where i will. . apologize either do this the rescheduled this on saturday morning and i did not want to do that to any of you. thank you. we stand recessed. [captioning performed by national captioning institute] [captions copyright national cable satellite corp. 2013]

>> we will reconvene the hearing. sorry for the interaction but we had a lot of those today. a difficult day to get around the senate. very quickly before we go to the next witness. i want to thank senator devaney's staff for putting on this hearing. i hope members, i know people are busy. willthe staff of this listen closely to what is being said. we have a humanitarian crisis on of almost the vocal proportions here. i do not see any end in sight. lebanon, jordan, and the whole region is very much at risk and what we do in the coming months can affect the outcome and the quality of peoples lives, the difference between living and dying, whether or not

governments can remain intact. i cannot think of a more important time for the congress to be engaged when it comes to lebanon, syria, jordan, the entire region in terms of what we can do to help our partners and other coalition partners. -- with that, thank you. the office off refugees, we would like to thank you for this opportunity to be to discuss the humanitarian situation, discuss the situation of refugees and discuss the needs of the host countries. particularly jordan. it was not for the host countries keeping their borders could do would be extremely limited. when we talk about refugees it means people who have fled the

violence have been able to seek safety. it was -- this was two days ago when i was up on the jordanian border with syria. close to iraq. here you have photographs every day, every night we're seeing refugees cross and sometimes we get a bit blasé. whether it is 800,000 or 600,000 or one million, you start losing the focus and the focus should be on how many women and children and elderly and vulnerable are coming across and haveng safety and today we -- we have staffe on the border with armed forces working to , whereefugees across

they are is a desert. it has flooded. required armed forces to bring us out. they used six tanks and a pc's bring the refugees to safety. the armed forces have their vehicles on top of a hill shining into syria to direct the refugees to come to jordan. this is a country that we need to help. 600,000they have got syrians now. we could have a total of 800,000 by the end of the year. it takes us four days to move the refugees from the border to the cam. .e had children coming across they had their feet stuck in the mud trying to cross the border. we will bring up like it's again. one of the things we have been

because ofieve -- the generosity of the u.s. people, it is when you provide blankets and shoes and the codes to women and children that are crossing the border in the snow on the rain that you say, ok, this is what the priority has to be because we are saving lives. when we do move the refugees into jordan, we cannot forget the needs of the jordanians who provide protection to them and i can go through the costs and the numbers. i could make three main points so you can take them away. we need to continue the amount of support and we need to enhance it and ensure that there is a linkage between the emergency humanitarian response with the development response.

this crisisway that is going to end tomorrow. we need to provide the confidence of the government of jordan that we have their backs. that we are their friends, and we support what they are doing. because how much money are you talking about? we have an appeal coming out next -- in two weeks time. this involves 60 actors. in the whole scheme of things when you look at the middle east and you are looking at stability you invest now and you recoup those costs and that is something that the high commissioner has been engaged in. i will have seen the jordanians working from the frontlines to the hospitals to the camps, to , so again i do not want to talk too much because my

testimony is there for the record. the ambassador has spoken eloquently. the partnership between the government of jordan the master week despite the lasthelming -- and even week, despite overwhelming crisis, they increased the validity of the refugee registration. this means refugees do not have to come to the opposite we six months. every -- come to the office every six months. free education and free health care, which the government of jordan is paying for. across the board, we need report and support jordan not only in

2013 and 2014 and 2015. until such a time the situation in syria can be solved. thank you. , the previous speakers have detailed currently many aspects syrian of the syrian crisis. with your indulgence, i would like to concentrate on a few points. what this crisis has meant is a global -- as a global organization is consequences of refugees and the critical operational challenges that we face and some of the future implications. took office,sioner he pledged that our organization would have the ability to respond to a crisis.

we are currently dealing with 6.5 million inside syria. 2.3 million outside syria. possibly by the end of next year, another one million to come. we have proved our ability to respond. with a speed and on a scale and with a complexity that our organization has to address. one statistic from lebanon is a vice to evidence that the estimate in 2011 was 4.3 million. today with the addition of the refugees, a stance at 5.3 million. ist 5.3 million figure equivalent to what the population was projected to be in the year 2050. the ability of a country to observe that many people in such a short time speaks eloquently

to the humanitarian on solidarity and enormous generosity of the people of lebanon in meeting that crisis. -- whatnal challenge does it mean? we have to find the logistical means to respond to 1600 settlements scattered across the country. in many of those, the population of syrians is a ready 30% or more of the communities. these are places where the isrest live, where there enormous competition for resources, jobs, workers, electricity. this makes the logistical challenge extreme. access to shelter, medical assistance, education, job opportunities, the is of the .ost challenging opportunities for refugees, our work means that they are documented and

registered. it means properly registering newborn children so they have a legal identity. it means ensuring that children are immunized against early childhood diseases like polio and measles. it means having access to school for vocal families -- he means having access to food. it means for horrible families to have access to food -- it means having access to school. it means having access to food. a means for vulnerable families to have access to food. by early next year, our organization, we expect to have this many people on the ground in our offices across the country, almost as many as we have in our headquarters in geneva. being physically close to the people we serve is an article of faith for us.

understanding their needs and those of the local population is critical to the efficient delivery of our work. of the speedion and scale and complexity of the to find neworced us ways to gain efficiency to improve our effectiveness and to reduce transactional costs to the lowest we can. one of our programs has an overhead of 1%. situation hasian forced us to into a different approach. in two years, our operation in lebanon, we have gone from only $9 million to over $253 million. 's refugees have had no were steadfast partner than the people of the united states. our regional response, one of the largest in our history has

so far generated $1.8 billion. the united states has contributed $349 million. one third of that program go store operations in lebanon. -- goes to operations in lebanon. we're not in the crystal ball gazing business, but we have to be prepared. our estimate is that by this time or the end of next year, we will have approximately another 1.5 million refugees crossing the border. in geneva, we launch six regional response plans here at our figure for that is over 3 million oh. your support -- 3 million people. your support not only in lebanon, but around the world weredozens of countries working keys away from the headlines, our income is from private donations.

our core budget still depends largely on monetary contribution from government. speak.ourselves -- our results speak. thank you for your confidence in our work and your genesis port -- generous support to refugees. thank you. >> thank you. ok. thank you for that very compelling testimony. is there a document that has been prepared by the state that would basically submit to congress what we can do for the region? what are the ripple effects of the syrian conflict in terms of refugees? how much money do you need not just in lebanon and jordan, but for the whole region? if you could do that, i think it would be helpful to make every

quest of the committee. what do you need to handle the syrian crisis, country by country? what would you recommend that outside direct assistance? a sort of business plan. if you could make in multiple years. -- make it multiple years. is that a fair request? >> i think the omb would have to agree. >> i will write them. >> absolutely. >> it is for congress to understand the totality of it. you mentioned -- is that the ways they are name? -- you say your name?

>> [inaudible] >> okay. 2050 to getcting that number -- it is amazing that the countries are having to absorb. agencies toto get give you the authority to do that. we need to understand what is at stake here. money invested now will make the world a better place later. i believe now is the time to invest while it still matters and you can let people know that we care and send our national security interests. be glad if senator leahy is interested to get permission to do that here at from your point of view -- to do that. - is your point of view - that your understanding?

you don't have to answer. does not in my lane. i probably shouldn't answer, but i want to say that we are very theseed in trying to use next series of meetings leading up to geneva to try to make headway on the humanitarian east. -- piece. i know that the opposition have a few things in order to participate in peace agreements. except --the past 11 they have said they will not accept assad. this is a key time right now. it is whether they can get in. >> madam and basinger, from a jordanian point of view, what is the status between jordan and the united states -- madame ambassador, from a jordanian

point of view, what is the status between jordan and the united states? >> the understanding is crucially important. it keeps us within the context of what do we have? it allows the government to budget and plan for the next four years. we are in negotiations with the state department for the renewal for the next four years. it enables us to plan and missed a fluctuating situation that jordan is experiencing right now. a fluctuating situation that jordan is experiencing right now. thanks to you, we are able to do that. thatld also like to ask the communities that take care of the refugees and the refugee camps is extremely important.

it is because they are sharing the little bits that they have. >> i have been in the communities. by beforeard to come the refugees came. many newmagine having people competing for the few jobs that exist? >> that is why the government is in negotiations now or engagement with the state department. in addition to that, the government has worked with agencies to prepare a platform for the different projects that are catering the communities. >> how would you describe the pressure being placed on the jordanian government and the people of syria? >> huge. >> unsustainable? >> very much so.

more help is very much needed. happen if jordan had to close their borders? >> what we are seeing is so much we do not even want to contemplate. >> it is that bad? having borders open is a life-saving element. -- what they do it's because of the tradition of generosity. a culture of helping those flee. what we need to do is ensure that jordan does not suffer any more than what it has. this is an international conflict. written in lebanon or a -- countries like lebanon are absorbing the conflict. there was a town.

there was a hospital there. there were 16 baby incubators there. 12 of them are being used by syrians. being used byre nationals. they should give you an example of what we need to might negate the impact of the syrians -- you can use that. people talk about aquifers. but jordan is doing is it is leveraging its future in order to pay the price of being an example to the rest of the world in regards of how to handle refugees. we need to step -- provide support now to mitigate these costs. >> what kind of rusher is your country under from syria -- pressure is your country under

from syria? >> as you can see from the map, the dots are -- those are mountain areas where they cannot live. opened our schools to refugees. in their security and law and everything. especially security. we are a very dedicated country. >> my time is about up. i would like to end on a note of , where are we going to go? do you see this war coming to a conclusion anytime soon? expecte set -- can we

assad to be in power next her? how old this movie end, for lack of a better term? is assad winning? how well it end? ladies first. >> thank you. we would definitely tackle this issue and say what the time span is and what have you. it is difficult to predict. and what we have seen on the ground, that is happening in terms of the act david he in the field. it makes it even vague -- activity is happening in the field. it makes it to bake. to -- itadd -- it adds makes it vague. a refugee or--

contemplate on going back to their country. it does not just receiving and hosting refugees now, but hosting them for the long term. there are multiple -- that that jordan has. could you briefly -- >> of course. end.ll see how it will we hope so. nobody find a solution. -- we hope to find a solution. it does not look -- we have reached this actuation.

we hope that the war will end tomorrow. we we could come to a certain solution. >> think you, mr. chairman. not just her for testimony, but for what each of you are doing to address this humanitarian crisis -- not just for your testimony, but for what each of you are doing to address this humanitarian crisis. thank you for what you're doing. that true the remarkable you have been willing to take on this number of refugees. world has note shown it today, we certainly are great all for what you have done. we need to provide additional assistance. thent to start with

assistant secretary richard. i'm signed mr. testimony. one of the most important things we can do to address the crisis is to improve the situation on the ground in syria, make sure the people who are there i getting the help that they need and to end the conflict. can you talk a little bit about whether there is more that we can do as that united states through that u.n. can make sure that the assistance is getting people -- is getting to people who needed inside of syria? >> thank you, senator for the question. that the u.s. has contributed to respond to the --sis in the region we have been working with partners.

cross.e red with usaid, it is a food program. where they have been able to get access, we have been able to do tremendously good. is over 2m is there million people inside of syria that are places that do not get regular access. the people who are in these deceased is cities where they are completely cut off from aid. we are trying to get countries around the world to put pressure on various parties of the conflict inside of syria. stop targeting medical facilities. attack on civilians is one

of the most gruesome things i have ever seen in my adult life in terms of going against and harming innocent families and children or casualties of this work. it keeps continuing. we are trying hard to see if russia can be brought to bear on all sides to stop this type of bloody attacks on civilians. whereiously to countries been helpful and not willing to step up in the way that is really needed are russia and china. are there ways in which we can and take them responsibility that they have as world powers to stop the humanitarian crisis? they have been engaged through the un security council through their membership.

more recently, two weeks ago, i received and personally was meeting with counterparts around the world, including russia, , in additionrabia to the usual major donors. step inthis is a good terms of having these conversations. we need to see what happens on the ground and whether the conversations converge into changes that are tangible and make a measurable difference. in that, we have not yet seen. and mentioned it makes testimony that we have seen utterances from that regime and that they will provide visas and that they will let tomboys through. we have not seen enough for me to give you a positive report yet. again, i do not know if anyone else on this panel as thought about whether there is

more the u.s. can do to try to encourage other members of the international community to step up given that amount of money raised,had hoped to be as now we have only raised about 60% of that internationally. efforts that we can undertake that can try to encourage additional support to address his creditors? >> there will be a pledging conference. it will be the second time that kuwait hosts that. we are encouraging -- >> i was about to mention the same thing and say that kuwait and other countries have been extremely generous when it comes to the syrian refugees. this is a crisis of a different magnitude.

this is a crisis of a different depth. it is to be discussed during the next conference on the syrian refugees. jordan and the refugees and help the host communities that are hosting the camps as well. earlier, you have been in the forefront of helping jordan. you have been our voice as well. thank you enough and for your support. thankould say and administration. they are doing a good job. we thank them and pushing other countries to help and assist.

we want to show how important it is not only from the humanitarian point of view, but a civilian point of view. helped, then there were be conducive ambience for terrorism. thank you. >> thank you. this is certainly fair to say that members of the senate share their concern about regional stability. we want to do everything we can to support you. one of the formulations committee had a meeting. one of the issues that was talked about was the concern about the spread of polio outbreak. an ambassador spoke about the effort to immunize children. and wonder if anyone could speak

about whether the outbreak is under control whether there is more that needs to be done to address it. >> it is not under control. the situation in serious is out of control. eradicated. we are now in a situation where ... and medical conditions that can transcend the borders. this is another reason why we have to put so many resources into the medical assistant in. -- medical system. people are common across from syria to jordan to seek assistance. have not been working for six months or 12 months. jordan is seeing an increase and 20%.northern areas by

jordan does not have enough support and money to pay for pharmaceuticals or joint populations. itsone jordan to keep borders open. we want them to accept refugees. the refugees coming across our the most vulnerable. we are seeing cases of polio and ining in numbers rural the mosque us. these people will continue to come in seeking assistance in this treatment. it is a joint effort. had a mass information campaign that has to be followed through. it will start emerging again. these are the costs that have

not often been taken into account. bring you back to the precrisis level is not sufficient. the health situation in jordan is deteriorating. >> my time is up. >> [indiscernible] help. been a big and the world health organization, too. as much as we do, we need everything. >> thank you. >> thank you very much for having a hearing. following up on that in regards situations, weof are in the process of trying to do the very best. i think the united states can be very proud of their efforts as or as sending monetarily

otherwise. what are other challenges besides sending money? you mentioned health issues. can you comment on some of the other things if you are fortunate to have a resolution? these people won't go home overnight. can you comment on some of the aims besides monetary aid? you mentioned water. >> thank you. thank you for the question. -- is in need of help and support. it is a huge load on our health

care. you can see it. and electricity, for example. that importsountry 96% of its gas from outside market prices. the electricity is being subsidized. we are paying a lot in terms of energies. -- this is thet fourth largest city in jordan. needs to be served. needsmp nin electricity to be lit all the time so that they can take care of the residence over there. we need the generation of electricity and energy bills is enormous.

every time we had to buy, market satisfy andd to cater to the needs of the jordanians. in jordan.s situated they are in need as well. they need the electricity and water. this is a camp that is sitting on our best actor for -- apple quifer. if polluted, there would be a high price for years to come. help jordan to be able to help the communities that are helping the refugees. projects.r own

this is what they need in terms schools. and beds and everything that you can think of. have lost many jobs to syrians. this is a lot for a country that has its own version in terms of economic rises. help is needed. it will enable us to think and plan and at the same time be able to seek more funds for the ist communities that jordan working on. it is very accurate. and it saysrategy those are the needs. that is exactly what is happening on the ground. >> thank you. >> mr. ambassador, you said in your testimony that if you had to continue to accommodate the

extraordinary number of refugees and had testimony that to your surprise might be a whole much more than the time under things continue on, you said that you to have aorced different approach. can you elaborate on what that different approach would be? iswhat i was trying to say we are in a disastrous situation in terms of numbers. lebanon is a country that is hosting the highest number of refugees, of syrian refugees. point 3 million. -- 1.3 million. physically, we cannot host a we are in need of every single thing in terms of education,

physically, we cannot host. we are in need of every single thing in terms of education, workers. unemployment, competition. , i emphasize that we are keeping our borders open and we intend to keep them open often, when you reach -- >> when you reach a limit. >> i was talking physically. , i have called it a cry of pain, but we do not intend to close our borders. appease to the community action -- that they should come to help and enable us --

us to arrive to a limit physically. >> does the international community understand the nature of the crisis with the neighbors? fromd testimony like this the ambassadors saying that there is a limit. when the limit is reached, even if they do not want to do whatever, they will have to do things differently. a good job of making the international community understand that we are truly reaching that crisis point? it sounds like that the international community, the neighbors, you put out a pretty startling statistic for future refugees that even they do not understand. it sounds like -- perhaps we're lagging somewhere there.

moved with as has speed and on a scale that nobody anticipated in 2011. number ofach the 50,000 refugees in limit on, the view then was that this was stretching capacity. we are now almost, if you include syrians who are in the country prior to the conflict, we have reached 1.3 million. the elasticity of the absorption capacity is really in a position to say -- study undertaken by the world bank of the united nations in august-september pointed to the costs to the people of lebanon. that in my experience has been one of the earliest studies ever done in such a refugee situation. we hope that has gained

attention. toknow that it led in part the creation of the friends of lebanon group that is meeting in in york that happened september. we wish that the issue did gain greater accra action -- traction than it has. the facts are relatively unique to address. >> thank you. hopefully that is the purpose of this hearing, that we might make the issue rise to the surface. thank you. thank you, senator graham. thank you for your leadership on this issue. thank you to you and chairman leahy for holding this hearing today. ,hey did to our many witnesses especially the ambassadors for their services and from there

respect to its -- perspectives. challengesery real for the people of lebanon and jordan. we try to work together to make sure refugees are being with respect and humanity. we want to resolve this grinding and terrible civil war. there is a refugee camp that we visited earlier. it was a deeply moving event. i have never seen one of this gale. the folks in it had gone through so much. we were so engaged and passionate -- they were so engaged and passionate about what they expected the united states would do. it has stayed with me for a while. if i could briefly at the offset , this is unusual.

they have continued to exceed any expectations. what is being done to keep track of or register information -- forgive me if i missed this brief testimony -- what more could we do to insist across international community united that were noters duplicating efforts and we're doing everything we can to be as effective and as responsible elaborate tediously -- collaboratively? i will then go to the ambassadors. mr. harper. it is good to be here in washington and also update you on where we stand after your visit to the camp. keepwe're doing is to

track of the refugees as working close of the government of jordan. another example of the close relationship we have come about to have a joint registration system which are based on biometrics. the first time every refugee in --dan -- probably february will be registered by biometrics. out of the 600 plus thousands who have been registered since march 2011, we have registered several thousand. we are registering by the day. i believe we have got the biggest registration center in the most and probably advance registration center in the world in jordan. it is something we have been proud of. that way the syrians can be

registered. accessequired to jordan's free medical system and education. previously documents used to be border.om the with this system, the error being returned to refugees. we're moving in the right way. are being returned to refugees. we are moving in the right way. part of the assessment that we do is that we undertake phone visits as well. one of the issues is that the vast majority of refugees are in basements. 10% of the population lives in basements. have undertaken 70,000 home visits. there is no other refugee operation in the world where an

organization has undertaken 17,000 home visits and the refugees are in the urban environment. we have a good understanding of where they are and what their needs are. the problem is we do not necessarily have the means to address those needs. bottom line -- we are tracking that refugees by the time they cross the border and introducing the most modern, accountable system to keep track of them and to help them where we can. whatrgive me if i may -- is the u.s. doing to ensure that we are avoiding duplication of efforts of doing a better job of delivering systems within the boundaries of syria to reduce outflows? what are major challenges you face a week in help in some way? would provide funding through multilateral organizations like unicef were food program. they have comprehensive plans

and how to address the highest priority needs. they also pull together appeals for aid for the region. for this calendar year that is about to end, the appeal called for $4.4 billion at the end of 2013. the $1.3 billion that the u.s. has been able to get rings to the generosity of the american people is channeled through this subcommittee. it has made a major contribution. as was said earlier, only two thirds of the funding has been raised. in addition to providing assistance through these important multilateral partners and nongovernmental organizations who can sometimes be very nimble and adjust gaps, we also are providing aid to

these close partners like jordan to help them handle the refugees at the same time as a providing services to their own poor citizens who need help. there stretching their services to reach everyone. we are moving on several fronts at once. we know how precious they are. we cannot waste them. >> thank you. i'm from the small state of delaware that is smaller even than lebanon. the services that you have

provided so far, it is of great concern to me, the humanitarian impact --ng for the to what extent has the significant refugee inflow exacerbated some of the tensions, some of the sick terry and divides? divides?ian is there some risk of a conflict reigniting? >> thank you, senator. .hank you for understanding you can live with us a little bit and think about the huge problem.

fact,atter [indiscernible] from the syrian predicament. but that geneva could produce something. meanwhile, refugees are in lebanon. some equilibrium in lebanon. so for, we have not been interfering in this. a i said, we're staying for long time. that puts a lot of pressure on lebanon, on our security forces and on the internal security forces to keep law and order and to keep people safe and to try

to help them for the humanitarian needs. what can you do? theuld like to thank american consulates and administration for their valuable assistance. congressng that provided to lebanon was essential for saving lives and copeelp lebanon to quote -- with this crisis. the american assistance is the highest for any single one country. it has -- we thank you for that. gingrich or to keep going. -- we encourage you to keep going. that is why we are here today. pe's continue to help --

lease continue to help. that is how i see it. >> thank you. ambassador, i visited jordan twice. i had a number of meetings there and here. the king has been a remarkable partner. the people of jordan and have absorbed their significant challenges in terms of refugees and the strategic challenges for jordan as well. it was very moved by his personal appeal for our ongoing support. turkey has the courage or increased humanitarian relief in the keeping syrians within syria that includes some solution to this conflict.

it is a real challenge. to help an interest move the economy forward. i'm also concerned about the impact on jordan. >> thank you, senator. it takes amazing moments for visiting the camps. we have had longer's a partnership and strategic alliance. -- long years of partnership and

strategic alliance. is a political issue that has a humanitarian aspect. this is the product of a dire, political situation. this is an escalating situation inside syria that is acting like a magnet. it is making gift again issues related to our security -- yet again issues to our security -- we are strong. we are resilient. that is why we are hosting .efugees in a country we are committed to opening our borders.

thatillingly, we are doing . but if the situation comes to a point where we cannot any longer , it becomes an actual physical sense. nevertheless, we are committed to that. open.rders are our schools and hospitals are wide open. please bear in mind that we is living inraq jordan. this is a country that is able to bring together all those who are in need. this is where our common values you are awe share --

country that extends everything it has even with financial budget matters. each and every office that i in spite of the difficulties, jordan is a priority. i cannot thank you enough. we are able to come across this. i cannot but applaud the good doing,at the u.n. is especially the help of you in your team. -- and your team. they are there every minute with our armed forces. this is a moment for me to thank you and your team and your dedication to those in jordan and for helping the refugees.

know that this is a situation that you need to act. we are working hand in hand. is is becoming more like a brotherhood. -- this is becoming more like a brotherhood. again this is a strong, resilient country that is able to take all of this and stay outside of the conflict, safe and secure. nightre working day and to make sure that this country is safe and able to open its doors more for anyone who is in need. >> thank you. thank you so much for the work that you are doing. that is helping make some of this possible.

it is the foundation of our and religious tradition that says hospitality is no stranger to the orphan or the widow. the skill that you are experiencing these exceptional -- we are grateful for the example that you showed to the world of sustaining this hospitality even under incredibly different circumstances -- difficult circumstances. thank you. >> i would agree with that. i thank all of you for the job. doing. it is hard to imagine the size and scale of the camps that you visited. i'm glad that we got to this about some of the cities. in some cases these are large cities. things are being provided as fast as possible. again, really are doing a good

job of providing the necessary resources. everyone is working together. we appreciate it. we will do anything we can to help you in your efforts. the hearing record will remain open until 5 p.m. friday, december 13. adjourat, the hearing is ned. [captions copyright national cable satellite corp. 2013] [laughter] [captioning performed by national captioning institute]

>> coming up on c-span, secretary of state john carey -- kerry on more iran sanctions. and later, a hearing on foreign aid to jordan and lebanon for syrian refugees. coming up on the next atshington journal" and look expiring unemployment benefits. every guest is christina wins of the national employment law project. after that, as senator ron johnson of wisconsin on the recent budget agreement. and later, examining the number one year afters the sandy hook elementary school shooting. "washington journal" is live every monday at 7 a.m. eastern on c-span. kathleen sebelius is on

capitol hill on wednesday. she will talk about fixes to that healthcaret.gov website. -- healthcare.gov website. we will take your questions on facebook and on twitter. c-span, we bring public affairs at the cash from washington directly to you, putting in the room at congressional hearings, briefings, conferences, and offering gavel coverage of the u.s. house. it is all as a public service from private industry. c-span, created by the tv industry years ago and funded by your local kb home -- cable or satellite provider. now you can watch us in hd. >> secretary of state john kerry urged congress not to pass additional sanctions against iran. talks continue on parts of the

country's nuclear program. he appeared before a house committee on tuesday for >> this hearing will come to order. today the committee will discuss the interim nuclear agreement which the u.s. and five other nations have reached with iran last month. we welcome our secretary of state, the honorable john kerry, to address the committee's questions and concerns regarding the administration's plan. mr. secretary, we appreciate you coming before the committee. while we will debate how best to derail iran's nuclear program, i know that you appreciate that it poses a threat to our national security. congress has played a key role in u.s. policy towards iran,

mainly by driving sanctions against the regime. i will remind the committee that the legislation which we past year unanimously, legislation that the royce-engel bill, so we look forward to a constructive discussion today. these are high-stakes issues, but i am confident that the spirit of bipartisanship will prevail, as it typically does on this committee. we welcome our secretary of state. the key issue is whether a final agreement would allow iran to manufacture nuclear fuel. unfortunately, the interim agreement raises some questions. my concern is that we have

bargained away our fundamental position, which is enshrined in six un security council resolutions. that fundamental agreement is that iran should not be enriching and reprocessing. we may bargain that away for a false confidence that we can effectively block iran's misuse of these key nuclear bomb making technologies. just within the last few days, iran has announced plans to press on and improve its centrifuge technology in order to enrich uranium. meanwhile, on wednesday, we had the comment from the foreign minister stating that iran will continue construction on the