Created by americas Cable Television company as a Public Service and brought to you by your cable provider. Secretary of state mike pompeo was on capitol hill to test of by on the state departments 2021 budget request. Asked about china, u. S. Troop withdrawal from germany, the firing of the state departments Inspector General, and is it an trumps recent tweet on possibly delaying the 2020 election. This Foreign Relations hearing is almost three hours. The efforts of china and russia to so discard and read have a can undo the reand open International Order have reached new heights. They have stepped up this and manipulated international institutions, suppress the voices of freedom, propped up dictators, and invaded their neighbors. They deny millions of people access to humanitarian systems. We have a long road ahead of us in this era of competition. We need sustained political will read these challenges require nothing less. On top of all of this, we are confronted by a new challenge, a biological enemy that we still do not fully understand. It has inflicted levels of fiscal and economic harm on the world that we have not seen in more than 100 years. China and russia have played a in providingole Global Health data and spreading misinformation and stealing vaccine research. China and russia have chosen to be and proven themselves adversaries. Sanctioning bad actors will never be enough. To confront these and other challenges, the department will have to rely on a vast array of tools and resources. Our diplomats must be backed by efficient and successful assistance. Contribute to the growth of a more healthy society. We are eager to support a budget that will advance these critical interest. And support the state departments most critical resources. As the coronavirus emerged from to pullou were forced back thousands of our diplomats and families. You did not just pack up and go without a thought for your fellow americans. The department launched an Unprecedented Mission to help return more than 100,000 americans safely home. All of us who participated in that are greatly appreciative of the departments work in that regard. This involves countries to reopen their airspace flights. Other places you chartered planes to get American People home. There are folks who may never come in contact with the department, but more than 100,000 americans can personally attest to the depression this work the department does for our people every day. We want to support a state department that is up to the staffed, andded, equipped with our national interests. We have threats that impede this. All politics are local. Our adversaries understand this all too well. We need our diplomats to be local as well. You foro publicly thank your accessibility that you have had as secretary. Essential that i have instant access to facts and information. Always make yourself acceptable. I sincerely appreciate that. It is imperative that i have this information. You have always provided it. I never know where you are around the globe but you have always made it happen. I remain very grateful. Sen. Menendez it has been a while since you have joined us. Forpreciate your enthusiasm fulfilling this part of your constitutional responsibilities. I dont imagine we will see you anytime soon. This is your opportunity to defend your stunningly illconceived request to slash the budget of our Foreign Policy instruments. I would like to take a wholesale look at how your department has represented the American People and american interests on the world stage for the past year. That view is not good, to say the least. Under your watch, the u. S. Has seen setback after setback on the world stage. Today, around is much closer to is mucha bomb iran closer to a nuclear bomb. The president and your administration has not addressed this threat. You have abetted putins efforts. Withdrawing forces from germany, ailing to take action when evidence emerged that russia was paying bounties to kill u. S. Troops in afghanistan, and twice redirecting funds to pay for border walls. Meanwhile, the confrontational bluster has not stopped china and the South China Sea, in hong kong, in suppressing its own people. You assured this committee you would have that diplomacy wrapped up a couple of years ago. Flatlined,to have leaving north korea with a more capable nuclear program. The state department has been woefully absent. Engagemently in its with the nile waters. The entirety of our approach seems to be antiimmigrant hysteria and bullying. There is bipartisan support for your venezuela policy. But your approach has met with suffering. The administration will not support those who are already exiled. You propose cutting our International Narcotics and law enforcement. On climate change, your department has not just failed to be part of the solution, but is becoming part of the problem. Actively undermining International Efforts to safeguard our planets future. Our allies across the world routinely wonder out loud whether we can really be counted on. Our values have been denigrated. President trump screen lighting of concentration camps in china and revisionist and sometimes repulsive views expels by espoused by your unalienable rights commission. In the face of a Global Pandemic , we have not just taken a backseat. We are seeing a collapse of leadership at home and abroad. Rather than putting force of real strategy, our leaders are pointing fingers at the World Health Organization and china. They refused to be straight with congress and the American People on the blick health threat. All the while, infections and deaths surge across the country. Of our diplomacy starts and ends with the strength of our diplomatic auris. Arlier this week i released report, diplomacy and crisis. Have a copy here in case you have not seen it. I asked consent to enter into the record. We found a state department at risk of catastrophic value. Career diplomats have a complete and utter disdain. There is a contempt for career employees. Many are asking of their Service Still valued. Even as President Trump refers to our diplomats is the state, state, you have stood by his side and said nothing. There has been an exodus of expertise. I realize that you were not at the department at that time, the artman has continued to suffer persistent vacancies without confirmed nominees. The administration has repeatedly put forth candidates who do not process the qualifications, demeanor, nor temperament to serve in leadership positions and represent the American People. When you send us qualified nominees, we act. We have confirmed more than 190 nominees rate thousands have advanced quickly. This inuously send send us nominees who have Sexual Harassment lawsuits and allegations against them. Who have supported torture and whose conduct disqualifies them from service in any administration. The best people dont seem to want to work for you. Let me touch on a couple of oversight issues that i know you are passionate about as a former member of congress. At your direction, the president recently removed the state department back to general who was investigating last years emergent declaration of arms sales to saudi arabia. We raised serious concerns. We have learned of allegations of you using your office to promote your own personal the mastic lyrical agenda, hosting lavish dinners and using taxpayer resources to impress donors. While this hearing assistance oblique convened for the budget request, you and i and Everybody Knows that the president s wish to completely get our International Affairs budget by a shocking 34 is dead on arrival. Tempted toay, i am provide you with a budget request and see how you would actually operate under it. Hearing werebudget not months after the fact and are too late, it is fundamentally misguided and unsuited for our nations security. I recognize you will take issue with much of what i have said. But facts are a stubborn thing. I offered a hand to work with you in areas where we could fill bipartisan support. Russia, china. , i am disappointed. As i look at the track record of this administration, instead of making America First among the nations of the world you have really Star Leadership relinquished our leadership. Thank you. As we proceed, let me say, those views are at the views of senator menendez, not the views of the chair or the majority of this committee. 11 30 heart stop that will give us time for a round of russians. He will take a short break about halfway through. We would stick with what has been longstanding commitment of this committee for civility. When the witnesses asked a question, we are going to give the witness the opportunity to answer that question and not interrupt his answer simply be as he is doing so well at answering the question. I will enforce that strictly. May have a parliamentary inquiry . If we are going to have answers that are filibusters, i do not expect that we are going to allow that either. I will run the committee. And i will do it as indicated. We will not interrupt the witness. You. Pompeo thank that in full statement the interest of time i will just read the first third. Today i am here to present and testify about the 2021 budget. It request nearly 41 billion for the state department and usaid. To increase the development of democratic societies. It critically reflects a commitment to the strategic use of resources to provide better results for the American People. That is the top line analysis. Expendituresc reflect American Values. My message that they were simple. Lacesump administration are founding principles at the core of american diplomacy. I want to talk about how we have done that. Securing the American Peoples freedoms against authoritarian threats, securing lives during the pandemic, and helping friends secure unalienable rights. Withve evaluated the world the same realism that the american founders did. We see the Islamic Republic of iran for what it is, an aggressor, not a problem victim. We have gone full bore on our maximum pressure campaign. We rallied nations to our side for diplomacy. We have bolstered our military readiness visavis iran. The Security Council must renew the u. N. Arms embargo it expires on october 18. Iran launches missiles at saudi oil facilities. Should the Security Council fail to act, iran will have a freer hand to so destruction around the world. Destabilizings a force. This administration has acted to protect their interests and our friends. We have issued the crimea declaration, which supplied ukraine with military hardware. We sanctioned more than 360 russian targets for everything from human rights abuses to operating mercenaries around the world. Request forpartment the Global Engagement center is 130 billion dollars, more than current estoppel level. Tolerateot misinformation from the kremlin nor any of our adversaries. Two weeks ago, the state department removed nor extreme reamsnordst restriction. This halted construction of the pipeline. We are the toughest administration ever on russia. We see the Chinese Communist party for what it is. The central threat of our times. Our vigorous diplomacy has led to an international awakening. That tide is turning. Have banned ones trusted vendors from their networks. Canada has spoken out against chinese hostagetaking. Denmark has rejected their attempted censorship of danish newspapers. Sweden has closed its confucius institutes. They identify china as a threat. Declared chinas South China Sea claims unlawful and illegitimate. Step up maritime maneuvers and that part of the world. India has banned 106 chinese applications that threaten privacy and security. Our diplomatic effort is working. 10 nations have said the South China Sea must be settled on international norms. Japan has condemned chinas National Security law targeting hong kong. The eu condemned the law as well and declare china a systemic rival. We have agreed to start a dialogue focused totally on china. Nato, they have called to make china a bigger focus. Tolet a multilateral effort make sure intellectual property rights. These nations have been reinvigorated. We have worked hard at this. Our diplomats have done wonderful work. I am very proud of the progress we are making raid in addition ,o these multilateral efforts we sanctioned chinese leaders and exposedutality export controls and exposed export controls on companies that supported it. We warned u. S. Businesses against using slave labor in their supply chain. We terminated special agreements with hong kong. We closed our consulate in houston because it was a den of spies. Our budget reflects this effort and the reality on the ground. We want that part of the world to be free and phosphorus. Happy toose and im take questions. Thank, mr. Secretary. I appreciate that. We will do questioning on a seniority basis. As opposed to the usual firstcome rule. I would ask each member to be respectful of other members and take to the five minutes you are allotted. Once we have gone around, we will make a determination of where we will go from there. Menendez ic seven minutes on the clock. Is that what it will be . Lets do seven. That will just about take up the time. We will have to stick to that. Menendez Vladimir Putins investment in donald trump prior to the 2016 election continues to pay off handsomely. Withdrawing troops from germany is not about germany. It is about our own National Security interest. From theng funds European Deterrence Initiative to pay for the president s ineffective border wall. Refusing to impose meaningful sanctions. Perhaps most shocking, while we have all known for some time that russia has abided support to the alabama, both arms and resources, imposing bounties on the heads of u. S. Service members is an outrageous escalation. Astonishinglyp admitted in an interview on tuesday that he has never raised putin, eventh mr. Though he has spoken to him about seven times this year alone. Do you consider how you would from ao such behavior democratic president if you were sitting in your old house seat . Would you be ok with a president who abandoned our troops without even raising this with the kremlin . You have identified four items you are concerned about. I would like to address each of them. Sen. Menendez i only asked one question. Sec. Pompeo i dont spend much time thinking about what i would have done. I am focused on my job. Sen. Menendez let me ask you this. Had you raised concerns with russia and its foreign minister with respect to russia reportedly placing bounties on the heads of Service Members in afghanistan . Sec. Pompeo i want to be very careful about what is public record. I can assure you and the American People, each time i have spoken with him my i have raised all of the issues that put any american interests at risk. Whether it is soldiers on the ground in syria, afghanistan, the activities taking place in libya, the actions in ukraine. Each and every one of these can threaten american interests. I speak with him with some frequency. Sen. Menendez i appreciate that answer. This is in the public sphere. You raised, there are public reports, very well documented, that the russians were so was late paying bounties to kill our Service Members. Have you raised that issue with him . Sec. Pompeo i will be more careful about the intelligence. I will tell you, make no mistake the proper people have been aware to every threat to our soldiers and at anniston. Whether that was general miller or my team at the embassy in kabul. Any time there was a threat to our assets. We have raised these two are russian counterparts. Every one of our team who interacts with the russians. Me turn to athe few other questions. Maybe you can answer these simply yes or no. Ds 400key purchase system from the Russian Federation . Sec. Pompeo yes. Sen. Menendez did they pay 2. 5 billion for that system . Sec. Pompeo i am not aware of the amount of the transaction. Sen. Menendez but they did pay them whatever the amount was . Sec. Pompeo i believe that is correct. That the cashin has been exchanged. Sen. Menendez does the turkish government currently have it in its possession . Sec. Pompeo it does. Sen. Menendez did turkey tested test it . Sec. Pompeo i will not answer that question. I will not discuss classified information. Sen. Menendez has the president raised this with president erdogan . Sec. Pompeo i do not talk about things that the president speaks about with foreign counterparts. The white house is free to do that if they choose. Sen. Menendez let me ask you a simple question. On said in your responses monday saying you take your responsibilities seriously. All of these elements clearly are in violation. So over a year since all of these facts have attached, when will the Administration Fall low follow the law and impose sanctions on turkey . Sec. Pompeo in response to turkeys acquisition of the s400, we have taken significant actions that have had a real impact in turkey. We have pulled out of a significant weapons program, the f35 program, and we continue to evaluate how to apply sanctions to achieve our end objective. Our end objective is not to punish, it is to ensure our nato partner acts in a way that is consistent with american National Security and the security of our nato partne