opening statement by echoes this committee's praise of my fellow witness and friend, ambassador robert ford. ambassador ford's courageous actions on the ground in syria these past months have been a great credit to him, to the foreign service and to the united states. he repeatedly put himself in harm's way to make it clear that the united states stands with the people of syria and their dream of a better future. i want to thank this committee for its leadership in supporting his confirmation. >> thank you very much, mr. secretary. we appreciate that again. ambassador ford, maybe you shouldn't say anything, just stop. >> senator, mr. chairman and ranking member lugar, senators casey, car den, corker, thank you very much for this invitation to come and speak to the committee about syria today. i don't want to do a long opening statement because i'm hoping we can open discussion about syria, but i would just like to say how much i appreciate this committee's support during my time in damascus several times we got messages from members of the committee's staff asking how we were doing, how my

the people of syria no exactly where robert ford stood in terms of their rights and aspirations and robert ford represented us ably showing that's where the american people stood. >> just, senator, i think it's very telling that in the demonstrations every week in syria they burn russian flags. they burn chinese flags. they burn hezbollah flags. that tells you what they think. frankly, from our strategic interests, that's a good thing, i think, in a sense that we want syria in the future to not be the malignant actor that it has been supporting terrorism groups, and being the cause of a great deal of regional instability. and so i think there's huge potential, strategic gain for us as a country with the changes going on in syria, but that's not why the syrians are doing it. that's not why the street protest is doing that. they're doing it because they want dignity. and i think it is very important for us as we go forward to keep in mind that the most important thing we can do is keep stressing over and over our support for universal human rights being respected in syria like other countrie

i am pleased to welcome robert ford and jeffrey feltman.ryeldman knows -- secretary feldman knows the region well and i think he understands the consequences this crisis could have. ambassador, we all want to commend you on your courageous, importance efforts that you made to distinguish between the clientitus that can affect issues of broad. i think we were all impressed by that. robert ford left the country after threats to its own safety, but he returned. so, we thank you both in advance for providing your insides and look forward to your testimony. senator? >> thank you, mr. chairman. i join you in welcoming the secretary feldman and ambassador ford to this committee. ambassador ford was on the ground in syria and deserves special commendation. the hearing today takes place amid the deadly violence and gross human-rights violations, the degradations of the assad regime continues to inflict on the syrian people. since our last hearing on syria in november, the death toll in this 11-month conflict has risen dramatically. we're confronted

the people are syria now exactly where robert ford stood in walk of their rights and aspirations and representative ford represented us very laborly in showing where the united states speaker said. >> senator, i think it very telling that they of every year they burn russian burn his la flals. that -- flags. we want syria to not be the malignant actor had has been supporting terrorist groups and being the cause of a great deal of regional instability. so i think there's huge strateg as a country with the changes going on in syria. but that's not why the syrians are doing -- that's no why the street protest is doing that. they're doing it because they want dignity. and i think it is very important for us as we go forward to keep in mind that the most important thing we can do is keep stressing over and over our support for universal human right being respected in syria like other countries, freedom of speech, free drop to march peacefully, the right to form political parties and to have lifend a rule of law a dignified life. that's what i tried very hard constantly to underline during

opening statement by echoing this committee's praise of my fellow witness and friend, ambassador robert ford. ambassador's ford's courageous acts on the ground in syria these pafflet months are a great credit to him, to the foreign service and to the united states. he repeatedly put himself in harm's way to make it clear that the united states stands with the people of syria and their dream of a better future, and i want to thank this committee for its leadership in supporting his confirmation. >> thank you very much. we appreciate that. again, ambassador ford. maybe you shouldn't say anything, just stop. >> senator, mr. chairman and ranking member lugar, senators casey and corker, thank you very much for this invitation to come and speak to the committee about syria today. i don't want to do a long opening statement, because i'm hoping we can open discussion about syria. but i would just like to say how much i appreciate this committee's support during my time in damascus. several times we got messages from members of the committee staff asking how we were doing, how my team was doing. i wo

ambassador of syria robert ford. i should say ambassador, but not currently in country. secretary feltman knows the region well, and having served as ambassador to lebanon, i think he understands as well as anybody the full implications this crisis could have. ambassador ford has worked tirelessly to engage with the people of syria during his tenure. ambassador, we want to all commend you on your courageous and important efforts that you made to distinguish between the clientitis that can sometimes embrace those abroad and your own connection to the values you represented. i think we all were very impressed by that. ambassador ford had to leave the country once in october because of threats to his own safety, but he returned and continued his efforts until the embassy finally had to close last month because of the continued deterioration in security. so we thank you both in advance for providing your insights, and look forward to your testimony. senator lugar? >> thank you very much, mr. chairman. i join you in welcoming assistant secretary feldman and ambassador ford to

ambassador to syria robert ford will testify before the senate foreign relations committee. that's live at 10:00 a.m. eastern here on c-span 3. >> secretary of state clinton testified on capitol hill this week about her department's budget request for 2013. here is an exchange she had with senator john kerry that shares the senate foreign relation's committee. >> i'd like to ask you -- i'm confident colleagues are going to ask you specific budget questions with respect to specific countries. what i'd like to do is sort of ask you, perhaps, to be a little bit more broadly reflective and expand on the comments that you did just make. since this is now your fourth budget and by your own decision, the final budget that you will put before us and having now been in there for more than three years, i wonder if you could put a little meat on the bones, perhaps even more, of the importance of this budget number that we deal with here. egypt, for instance, is teetering on potential economic collapse, unless the right decisions are made. and that would have profound implications on ev

i am pleased to welcome robert ford and jeffrey feltman. jerryeldman knows -- secretary feldman knows the region well and i think he understands the consequences this crisis could have. ambassador, we all want to commend you on your courageous, importance efforts that you made to distinguish between the clientitus that can affect issues of broad. i think we were all impressed by that. robert ford left the country after threats to its own safety, but he returned. so, we thank you both in advance for providing your insides and look forward to your testimony. senator? >> thank you, mr. chairman. i join you in welcoming the secretary feldman and ambassador ford to this committee. ambassador ford was on the ground in syria and deserves special commendation. the hearing today takes place amid the deadly violence and gross human-rights violations, the degradations of the assad regime continues to inflict on the syrian people. since our last hearing on syria in november, the death toll in this 11-month conflict has risen dramatically. we're confron

ambassador to syria, robert ford. i should say, ambassador, do not currently in country. secretary feldman knows the region well and having served as ambassador of lebanon, i think he understands as well as anybody at the full implications this crisis could have. ambassador ford has worked tirelessly to engage with the people of syria during his tenure. ambassador, we'll want to commend you on your courageous and important efforts that you made to distinguish between -- to the client tightest i can sometimes embrace those abroad and your own connection to the values that he represented. i think we're all very impressed by that. ambassador ford had to leave the country wants in october because of threats to his own safety, but he returned and continued his efforts until the embassy finally had to close last month because of the continued deterioration in security. , but he returned and continued his efforts until the embassy finally had to close last month because of the continued deterioration in security. both in advance for and continued his efforts until the embassy fi

robert ford and jeffrey feldman. he understands -- they understand. ambassador ford has worked to engage with the people of syria during his tenure. we all want to commend you on your courageous and important efforts that you make to distinguish between the clientitis that embraces those abroad and your own connection to the values that you represent. you had to leave the country because of threats to your own safety. he returned and continue your efforts and of the embassy finally closed because of the continued deterioration in security. we thank you both in advance for providing your insights. >> thank you, mr. chairman. i join you in welcoming secretary feldman and the best afford. we appreciate their leadership. ambassador ford and his team in syria were especially courageous and they deserve great credit for documented evidence of the syrian government to cut the aggression against its people. our hearing today takes place amidst the deadly violence that grows -- and degradations of the assad regime that is inflicted on the syrian people. since

opening statement by echoing this committee's raise of my fellow witness and friend, ambassador robert ford. ambassador ford's courageous actions on the ground in syria these past months have been a great credit to him, to the foreign service, and to the united states. he repeatedly put himself in harm's way to make it clear that the united states stands with the people of syria and their dream of a better future. and i want to thank this committee for its leadership in supporting his confirmation. >> thank you very much. mr. secretary, we appreciate that. ambassador ford? maybe you shouldn't say anything. just stop. >> senator, mr. chairman, and ranking member lugar, senators casey and carden, corker, thank you very much for this invitation. to come and speak to the committee about syria today. i don't want to do a long opening statement because i'm hoping we can open discussion about syria, but i would just like to say how much i appreciate this committee's support during my time in damascus. several times we got messages from members of the committee's staff asking how we were doing, how

robert erhlich. the rest of his schedule not yet announced. maryland's primary schedule ford april 3. for now, romney is focused on an even bigger prize. making his case to voters in illinois. where he is involved in a what's becoming a nasty race with rick santorum. santorum mocked romney for the health care bill that he passed as governor of massachusetts. romney retorted by calling santorum an economic lightweight. illinois will hold its primary tomorrow. it is the sixth biggest contest of the year, and is seen as yet another test of whether romney can maintain his status as a front-runner. >> still ahead, apple comes to washington to argue about $60 billion offshore. >> also, what friends and colleagues say led to the apparent breakdown of an invisible children filmmaker, jason russell. >> skinny mirrors can make most of us look better and how it is used to make houses sell faster. used [ male announcer ]l faster. this was how my day began. a little bird told me about a band... ♪ an old man shared some fish stories... ♪ oooh, my turn. ♪ she was in paris, but we talked for hours...

ford sales. we'll also see the march jobs numbers. and monday, we talk with the head of u.b.s. america's robert wolf, about his outlook for the economy and his firm. after a difficult 2011. >> susie: and finally tonight, time for "lou's been thinking" with author and educator lou heckler. let's see what's on lou's mind tonight. >> i've been thinking about responsibility. like you, i occasionally have one of those nutty experiences at a retail store where someone in customer service explains why they can't help me. why do we place so many people in customer-contact spots and then not allow them to make responsible decisions? doesn't responsible mean able to respond? am i the only one who gets tired of being told, i'll have to ask harold about that? about five years after my wife and i built our current home, the driveway started to develop spider cracks. we called the builder simply to ask for some advice. he came over himself and said, this looks like our fault. we'll pour you a new driveway. wow, we were well past any new- home warranty, but he took responsibility. so, how can we inspire that

ford and jimmy carter when he was working there. here is the question. keystone, good argument. here is keystone, people like roberthannah, but i understand the goes goes to texas and overseas. >> it is. have representative ed markey on the show, he talked about this a lot. he even had the ceo of trans-canada in a hearing and said how about making sure some of that gas, if we get go ahead on this, how about making sure some of that product gets sold here. he said no. the point is, it is a tax free zone. they get to sell it to asia, mostly to china. it is not about the domestic market. the other argument they have, jobs, it will create a few thousand temporary construction jobs. neither argument works for keystone. >> i know the politics, we know the politics. higher the gas price, worse off the president is. i understand that. everybody knows that. when i talk to the guy i go to for money advice, i say why is the price of gas going up. he tells me it is fear over possible war in iran. >> no question. >> just like you hoard, people hear a flood is coming, they buy bottled water. hear something is coming, you buy wha