Business meeting will come to order. Do just a little bit of business on the front end and hopefully take care of some business quickly. Now people have other meetings and then move to the hearing itself. We thank our witnesses for allowing us to do this, and were glad youre here. We have a number of items on the agenda today. Well move a number of nominations and Foreign Service officer lists. We will also take up s1928. The multilateral if a review act of 2017. Want to thank senator koonce force his leadership and hard work and recognize senators isakson, rubio, young, cane, and merkley for their contributions to this important Bipartisan Legislation before our committee. This bill would establish a process for conducting objective reviews on how well multilateral institutions carry out their missions with our funding. The authorities sunset after four review periods and 11 years. Through this process well be able to evaluate their performance in an objective way. The review will look at performance, management, accountability and transparency. Align immigrant with u. S. Foreign policy goals and efficiency. The u. S. Spent around 11 billion to support the work of these entities and we owe the u. S. Taxpayers good value for their money. These reviews will help us make better informed decisions about how to prioritize scarce rescourses and also provide solely ground for advocating for changes and reforms. Others such as the United Kingdom some australia have done similar reviews of their multilateral and contributions with good results, by the way, multilateral aid contributions with good results. I argue you to support this effort to promote greater accountability for our spending on multilateral entities. Senator card do you have any comment yo wish to make . Yes, die, mr. Chairman. But before i community on the bill and nominations that are on our agenda, i want to comment regarding information statistics regarding the Foreign Service that has been made public over the least week. Ambassador Barbara Stephen serena of the american Foreign Service association stated last week that, and i quote, there is no denying that our leadership ranks are being depleted at a dizzingy speed. Due in part to the decision to slash promotion numbers by more than half, the Foreign Service officer corps at state has lost 60 of its career ambassadors, since january, ranks of the career ministers are three star equivalents are down from 33 to 19. The ranks tower two star ministers, counselors have fallen from 431, after labor day to 369 today, and are still falling. Ambassador stevenson, the float governing board of the fs is improperring to us ask why. I feel like i have been asking by of the administration and state department on at lot issues, including the personnel budget and reorganization matters. Im not getting a lot of answers. Just as onsmall example. The Trump Administration lifted the federal hiring freeze in april of 2017, the state department and the usaid has elected keep its own hiring freeze in place. Why . My impression is that the morale is at an alltime low at the state department and usaid. Causing a massive exodus of diplomatic and developmental expertise. Why is this happening . What is the departments leadership doing about it . Our president said recently we do not need to worry about the fact that many of the senior level positions of the state Department Remain unfilled because when it comes to Foreign Policy, his opinion is the only one that matters. Why on earth would he say that . For the thousands of fsos around the world, working to advance the ideal offered the United States, this was a horrible message. If this is the sort of high level decapitation of leadership going on at the defense department, with three and four star officers resigning and younger officers and a list of personnel suffering low morale and leaving as well, or not even signing up, i can guarantee you congress would be up in arms. Yet here theres silence. Why . The state department and usaid i would offer are everybody bit as vital and critical an element to our National Security as the department of defense. The intelligence and community, our Law Enforcement and a myriad others in the federal government who work tirelessly every day to protect our security, extend our prosperity and promote our values. Folks, this situation is alarming. We put our country danger when we do not have adequate voice and resources so all of our countrys National Security tools. Second Madeline Albright once said in turn bent and Perilous World the men and women of Foreign Service are the front lines every day on every continent for us. This committee needs to continue to press this issue. Its our responsibility to make sure we have the diplomatic assets in place in order to represent our National Security. Moving to the legislative volume, want to thank senator corker and kunes for the evers on the bill its part of our effort to coordinate activitied. Her funds and advance our National Interests and valued. If successful the multilateral aid review ang will provide clear metrics, reliable data and sold analysis of our investments. Mr. Chairman i hope every member of the committee will read the bill because does spell out or expectations in record to carrying our mission, the right use of resources and re we review this periodically and make sure our efforts are on National Security interests. This is an important bill and i applaud you for your work. One last opinion if i might. We have a quorum. Were getting near the end of this work period and we only have one more work period remaining before we adjourn for the year. Theres an extremely important bill that senator rubio and baldwin have been working on which would require Additional State Department reporting on european government efforts to return or provide restitution for property wrongly seed during the holocaust. Ive said that it before but time is running out on this issue as people get much older, fewer or surviving and its much more rick to deal with restitution. I really applaud the work that was done on this bill and i know there are many members of the commiteye that are cosponsors, clung are so johnson, young, and and others and i urge the democratic and republican staff to get together with the sponsors to see whether we cannot move this bill through our committee these year and i appreciate the chairman residents attention. Thank you. Id like to ask if it possible, because i know we have conflicts taking place at 10 00 15, with we could move through the business and if people want to make comments arewardsed im glad to hear it and well have a long hearing. So, let me just say, we had a very unsatisfactory meeting with the state Department Last week, our two staffs did. I think the concerns about the state department are bipartisan in nature. Dont think theyre anywhere close to having a plan to present relative to their reforms they want to make there, and i do think that we need to be much more focused on holding them accountable, because i think many of the things you said, if not all but a many of them anyway are very true. With that, i understand that mr. Alln for the undersecretary of state management has been held over and will be considered the next business meeting. Would entertain a motion to approve the remaining nominations, includes miss lisa johnson, mr. Sean lawler, mr. Steve goldsteen, miss rebecca against gonzalez and two Foreign Service officer lists, and unless theres so moved and seconded. All those in favor say aye. Opposed. Are there any recorded nos . Any individuals would like on any of these nominations . Seeing none, the ayes have and it the nominations and promotions are agreed. To next we move to s1928. First i would entertain a motion to approve the substitute amendment and be portman amendment on block by voice vote. So moved. There is a second . Second. So moved. And seconded. The questions on the motion to approve the substitute amendment and be portman amendmentment al all the fav say aye. Opposed. The ayes have it. The amendments are agreed. To any further amendments . Mr. Chairman. Thank you, mr. Chairman. I appreciate the work of the committee on the multihall rat ail act. Have two amendments and along to that is correct senator rubio for joining me as a cosponsor. One addresses the issue of taiwan. Talks about using the United States voice and our vote in International Organizations to make sure that wire advocate north addition of taiwan as an observe to organizations and entities. We should stand up for taiwan as a great partner and an important voice in the international organizationings. The other amendment is addressing north korea, and a meeting that senator markey and i host evidence with the former a former defector this deputy ambassador to United Kingdom said the one that that could make a difference in north korea is cutting off diplomatic relations with north korea other nations around the globe that havent done that yet and isolating diplomatically north korea as much as possible. So this amendment would use our voice and vote in International Organizations and entities to do just that. To make sure that we are stressing the importance of diplomatic isolation of north korean regime and they represent a significant contrast. You have taiwan, somebody we want to partner with and is an incredible partner, somebody who abide and i resecond in rule of law, that cannot participate in these International Organizations and then you have one north korea, that has been sanctioned almost greater than any other nation on the face of the planet by the United States, and yet theyre allowed to blow in the United Nations. Why is the nation thats Testing Nuclear bombs in violation of every sanction possible being treated bert than taiwan . That is a Great International partner. So, im going to withdraw these two amendmented for the sake of moving forward on 1928 but die think its important we continue this conversation. Thank you for the work you hereafter been doing on this legs. Thank you. I do want to point out that as a new member on the committee, you passed one of the most meaningful pieces of legislation ever been passed on north korea. I know we have had legislation that has passed since that time, and i know theres a Banking Committee piece that has passed down on sanctions. I understand youre working very closely with us and with the sponsors of that bill to add your language there i want to thank you for being so focused on that part of the world and your leadership of that committee, and thank you for withdrawing these so we can work constructively towards another end on the bill im talking about. Is there a motion to approve the legislation as amended . So move. A second . Second. So moved and seconded. The question on the motion to approve s1928 as amended. Install favor say aye. Aye. Opposed . With that the ayes have it. The legs at amounted is agreed. To that completes committees business. Move to make technical and conforming changes. Without objection so ordered. With that the committee stands adjourned exactly at 10 15 as we said. We will see finance Committee Members later. Thank you so. My appreciate it. Mr. Chairman. Yes, sir. If could i just briefly thank you for working with me on this bill. Thanks to senator carden and everybody who has been a cosponsor. We spend ten billion a year of the United Nations world bank and other organizations and i appreciate this approach and i appreciate senator merkleys amendment at him that wake the whole methodology more transparent. We have to continue 0 in a bipartisan way to make sure that what foreign aid we are investing is done well and wisely and i appreciate the opportunity to Work Together on the bill. I appreciate being able to work with you on this, and i think people understand, too this also gives us the ability, with this data, to strongly support those agencies that we believe taught be strongly supported if theyre producing good results. So thank you. Thank you. With that, we will now move to the hearing. The hearing effort will actually come to order women thank general koehler, dr. Fever, mr. Mckeyan for joining today and sitting through the business meeting. Other number of members on both side offered the aisle of this on and off the committee have raised questions about the executives authorities with respect to warmaking, and the use of Nuclear Weapons, and from a diplomatic perspective, entering into and terminating agreements with 0 countries. As ive mentioned publicly, this is one in a series of hearings where our committee will examine all of these issues, but today its my hope that we will remain focused on the topic at hand, the authority and the process for the use of Nuclear Weapons. The Congressional ResearchService Tells Us this is a the first time that the Foreign Relations committee of the senate or house has met on this topic since 1976, 41 years ago. Making the decision to go to war of any sort is a heavy responsibility for our nations elected leaders. And the decision to use Nuclear Weapons is the most consequence shall of all. The Atomic Energy act of 1946 and the scent practices recognize that the use of Nuclear Weapons must be subject to political control. This is why no general or admiral or defense secretary has the authority to order the use of Nuclear Weapons, only the president , the elected political leader of the United States, has this authority. The Nuclear Arms Race between the United States and the soviet union during the cold war dramatically elevated the risk of Nuclear Conflict. As a soviets developed massive numbers of number clock weapons and the systems to develop them to the United States to deliver them to the United States, we plan for the unthinkable, how to get our missiles in the air without within those few minutes before their warheads could hit us and possibly destroy our ability to respond. In that kind of scenario theres no time for debate. Having such forces at the ready has been successful in deterring such an attack and for that we are grateful. But this process means the president has the Sole Authority to give that objector. Whether we are responding to a Nuclear Attack or not. Once that order is given and verified, there is no way to revoke it. To be clear, i would not support changes that would reduce our deterrence offed a sir very order reassurance of our allies but i would like to explore as the house did 341 years ago the at realities of the sim. Want to thank thundershower distinguished witnesses and the member of the committeor the seriousness with which they approach this topic before us today, and hope that together we can have a productive and enlightening discussion about this sober issue. With that id like to turn to my friend and our distinguished ranking member, senator cardin. Mr. Chairman, thank you so much. Almost always thank you for holding hearings, but in this case, i really do believe that this is a critically important discussion to of to have with the senate and the American People. I must tell you, i am always amazed as to what subjects come up at town Hall Meetings i hold throughout maryland. Most of the subjects deal with the local economic or domestic issues. We dont normally get a lot of Foreign Policy questions at town Hall Meetings. But of late, ive been getting more and more questions about, can the president really order a Nuclear Attack without any controls . That question is asked more and more by the American People. Of course, its fueled by comments made by President Trump in regards to north korea. Quoting the president in is his august interview, north korea best not make any more threats to the United States. They will be met with fire and fury like the world has never seen. Or the president s comments will have no choice but to totally destroy north korea. Now, many interpret that to mean that the president is actively considering the use of Nuclear Weapons in order to deal with the threat of north korea. That is frightening. And as the chairman pointed out, based on my understanding of the Nuclear Command and control protocols, there are no checks, no checks, on the president s authority. The syst