Negotiations over Irans Nuclear group began to continue today in switzerland. Secretary of state john kerry is part of those talks that also include officials from other overseas nations. There are questions over how long agreement my last command how soon a ron wyden sanctions relief for their operation a topic on the sunday talk shows this morning, where john boehner have to say this on cnns date of the union. I have serious doubts over the last year whether we can create an agreement, and i still have serious droughts doubts. We have a regime that has never kept their word on anything. Why would the senate bring together a group of people who have no intention of keeping their word . How quickly would you move to further sanctions if they did not keep their word . Very. The sanctions were working. They would never have come to the table, and we should have kept them in place. So we could have gone to a real agreement. The sanctions will come. Congress currently on a two week break. Speaker weiner is landing a true to israel where he will meet with Prime Minister benjamin netanyahu. The Prime Minister discussing those concerns today with Mitch Mcconnell who is heading a delegation of u. S. Senators there a. Nancy pelosi is leading a delegation of her own through asia. Here is a picture of her in cambodia where they are expecting u. S. Resources that are you being used to locate and destroy landmines. Foreign aid was a recent topic on capitol hill that includes testifying by microsoft founder bill gates. We also heard from actor bill left ben affleck. Two hours. Senator graham the subcommittee will come to order. Our hearing is on diplomacy and development and National Security. And we have a very incredible panel of great americans and in their own way in balancing the schedules of these gentlemen had to be very difficult and each and every one of you made a sacrifice to be here. There are other places you needed to go, but the fact that he would that you would share your testimony, your experiences, your thoughts and experiences about the 150 account means a great deal. As to senator leahy, we have been partners for several years on this account. I enjoyed working with him and tim and this is one area of the government that we are trying to make sure actually works and our relationship has grown over time we are both committed to making sure that america stays involved in the world in a productive fashion. Our panel today consists of mr. Bill gates, cochairman of the bill and lind after Gates Foundation, founder of microsoft. Ben affleck, founder of the Eastern Congo Initiative and actor. You are doing great work. John megrue, chairman of the apacks and chairman of the bornfree africa and working with the u. N. Dealing with the mother to child aids transmission. And James Stavridis from tufts university. And worn the uniform and i look forward to your view as a military commander about this account and scott ford is chief executive officer of Westrock Group and i had the pleasure to see what scott has done in rwanda regarding the coffee market. All of you are welcome and i will let the first statement be by senator leahy. Senator leahy i think what is probably the most important is that we hear from the people who are here. We talk about diplomacy, development and National Security. Its really relevant. Probably more so than any time sings world war ii. We know what our military can do and we have this huge economic and military power, but we ought to be showing the rest of the world some of the best parts of our society. Talked to mr. Gates earlier and when senator graham and i told our colleagues that they ought to pony up on money on infectious diseases, the country has 320 million americans and at least match what bill and Melinda Gates are doing, but it also we know we have some problems with development, with funding large contractor n. G. O. s that might take a lot of money. Im worried if we dont see what we want to see and with the cuts in the house and senate budgets, we are going to have difficulties. We have to look at what actually makes life better for the people were dealing with, but also for our own country. I like going into countries where the small country, we find one of our programs is actually about the only medical team thats ever been there where they worked on land mines or the school that now has books instead of a one book for everybody. These are things that show us best as america. But i worked with senator graham over the years. He has been chairman and i have been chairman. We tried to make this as nonpartisan a bill as possible and well continue to do that. Hes a good friend. He understands this program as well as any member of the senate, either party i served with. Senator graham contrary to popular opinion, the foreign assistance account is 1 of the budget. You can eliminate every penny we spend and not move the debt needle one inch, those who demagog that Financial Aid is the root of all problems, please stop, because you dont know what the hell youre talking about. This account is designed to show who we are as a nation, its designed to enhance our National Security and its designed to deal with enemies of mankind such as radical islam, aids, malaria and other diseases poverty. Its designed to build people up so we can live in peace with them and have a better life and make the world a better place. Its designed to have an american presence that is nonlethal. You cannot protect america by just dropping bombs on people. This account in many ways is the best line of defense in terms of africa. We do not have a large military presence in africa, but in a bipartisan fashion, we have had developmental programs fighting aids and malaria, trying to resolve conflicts in africa and this account has been the front line. And the return on investment on behalf of the american taxpayer from this account, i will match it with any place in the budget. I have never seen what a small amount of money can do in a positive way better than here. 50 billion, and it is a large number but in the budget it is a rounding error, but the money we have appropriated each and every year is leveraged for the private sector and each one of these come if the private sector. In partnership with your government, n. G. O. s, faithbased organizations, the Gates Foundation, we have created partnerships that every american should be proud of. And the day we stop doing what this account represents is our best days are behind us. We will have chosen a path that no other american has chosen before, one of indifference and isolationism, one of were not really responsible or the leading voice in the world. We are. And this account represents that philosophy. It is a good investment on behalf of the taxpayer. What you have received in rates of return, you cannot measure. An entire generation of Young African children saved from aids, turning the corner on malaria and in the congo, what mr. Affleck has done is to take hell on earth and make it a bit better. And to mr. Ford, what you have proven that the private sector can do is astounding. Thank you all. We look forward to hearing your testimony. As we speak today, there will be a vote on the floor of the United States senate for a member of the senate has chosen to reduce this account by 50 . And give that money to the military. Heres what i would say on behalf of the military. They dont want this money. They want this account to survive and thrive. General matthus told me about how this account plays in the world as it is, he said, senator, if you do away with the 150 account and withdraw from the world and these programs go away, you better buy me more ammo. I couldnt say it better myself. So since republicans are in charge, well start from the right with mr. Gates. My right. [laughter] mr. Gates good morning, mr. Chairman, senator leahy and other members of the committee. Thank you for the opportunity to talk with you about the importance of u. S. Foreign assistance. Melinda and i in writing our letter for the foundation talked about what great things can happen if the United States and other countries maintain the generosity that they pass through this account. Over the next 15 years, there are some Amazing Things that can be achieved. If we go back to 1960, we have a very dire situation. One child in five died before their fivet birthday. 25 years ago, by 1990, that rate was down to 1 in 10. Since then it has been cut in half to 1 in 20. With the right investments over the next 15 years, we will be able to cut it in half in again, 1 in 40. And there are many u. S. Programs that are absolutely essential to this decline in Child Mortality and to other gains in health and development worldwide. One specific program that makes a huge difference is the vaccine alliance. This Publicprivate Partnership creates a market for companies to develop vaccines that protect children in poor countries against the most common causes of death and illness. As an american, im proud that the United States government is one of their biggest donors. It has helped immunize half a billion children and prevented over seven Million Deaths. I can assure you that the parents of those children would be glad to vouch for simple facts, vaccines are safe and effective and save lives. Another great example of this is the fight against polio. The number of countries where that disease is endemocratic has endemic has fallen from 125 in 1988 to just three today. Melinda and i predict that will be selfsufficient for food production. We are seeing great progress much of it made possible by u. S. Assistance. U. S. Has a major impact in improving agricultural productivity in poor countries through Agricultural Research in partnership with our land grant universities. In my written testimony, i discuss a number of u. S. Programs that are delivering high returns on investment and having a positive impact to the global poor. But there is another area where foreign assistance will make a huge difference not only for the people of the worlds poorest nations, but for the people of this nation as well. As you know, i tend to be optimistic about what the future holds, but there are a small number of catastrophic events that could set back the progress of the past few decades. The most probable and most frightening of these threats is a large epidemic. As i note in my recent new england journal of medicine, im talking about something bigger than the Ebola Outbreak we have seen. Ebola is not a disease that is spread very easily. What concerns me most is the prospect of an even more lethal disease which is also highly contagious. We have seen the flu pandemic of 1918 and 1919 which had a worldwide death toll of 30 million to 50 million. Could an epidemic of this scale happen again . Yes, it could. And it would spread far more easily than a century ago. I have come to congress on other occasions to ask for the sustainment of u. S. Foreign assistance. I have asked for this to prevent needless deaths and suffering. With ebola, and the very real prospect of an even more infectious disease, the case is now even clearer. Im asking you to assist foreign assistance programs not only as a way to help other countries to become more selfsufficient but as a necessary means of protecting this country from a future epidemic. The place to begin is with investments in basic Health Services in those parts of the world that are most susceptible to outbreaks of infectious disease. Whether we are talking about preventing the next epidemic or building upon the enormous health gains, the time to act is now. The need for foreign assistance remains strong and recent events demonstrate its urgency. Thank you for inviting me to join you today. I look forward to your questions. Mr. Affleck its an honor to sit here in this room and speak before you. Thank you for having me here. Im humbled by this panel. Thanks for having me follow the greatest and most important philanthropist in the history of the world. [laughter] but its an honor to sit next to mr. Gates who has done extraordinary things in technology and philanthropy and doing so on your way to bridge. I want to thank you deeply for inviting me to testify. Im the founder of the eastern congo, we are in agreement a grant making organization working with and for the people of the democratic republic of congo. I want to offer a special thanks to the chairman for holding todays hearings. Senator graham and others has proven time and time again to be a champion for smart, effective u. S. Foreign assistance. In august 2013, amid new violence, the senator brought a delegation. This marks the largest ever delegation of u. S. Senators to visit this wartorn region. Thank you for your confidence in the people of congo. And to senator leahy i would be remiss if i didnt acknowledge my costar in batman, but i understand you are quite good. Good morning, sir. Im here today to offer a case study on the difference diplomacy is making where investments are transforming communities in need, advancing our nations interests and creating opportunities both in the countries we assist. Even though you heard about the congo and its challenges, estimated five Million Deaths due to violence, disease and starvation. 2. 7 million remain displaced and sexual violence. But these statistics tell you nothing about congos future or about the extraordinary and resilient people working every day. Despite the many challenges, the people refuse to be defined by the countrys past and those who may question the effectiveness of our foreign assistance, u. S. Diplomatic and Financial Investment in congo are working. It accounts for only 1 of the federal budget and 1 of that 1 is important and powerful progress. Let me give you an example. In the late 1970s, congo was coffees leading exporters. Production is less than 10 of what it once was. The families lost a vital source of income. Three years ago, we saw an opportunity to revitalize congo sector. We knew with the right partners, we could give them the skills they needed. Our government created a partnership. Together, only in two years, we have trained and supported coffee farmers across four cooperatetives to increase the quality and quantity of their crop and maximize farmer profits. We brought in global trade specialist that keeps money in the pockets of farmers and their families. But what we have been able to achieve together doesnt end there. These coffee farmers had no access to farming or line of credit. Imagine trying to start a business without any capital. You cant do that let alone another emerging economy. We brought in Westrock Company to scale their businesses. Scott was part of that delegation that visited congo. The final public peace was getting this peace into american homes. And we brought in starbucks. They will travel to the Eastern Region of congo to begin a partnership with us to develop congo as a key source of coffee. Starbucks has purchased 40 tons and may not be a lot for starbucks but a heck of a lot. Entirety of the cooperatives export representing millions of cups of coffee. The Largest Coffee Company is a clear testament. This isnt charity or aid in the traditional sense. Its good business. From a relatively modest investment, farmers income have more than tripled and can send their children to school and put food on the table and access Proper Health care. This Publicprivate Partnership has transformed the lives of thousands of families. All made possible because usaid agreed it could be done. But this is the beginning. It will launch an Economic Development fund that focuses on expanding our work not only in coffee but other strategic crops. We will work with 10,000 additional farmers over the next four years to build their business capacity and improve the quantity and quality of their projects and secure direct access to premium markets. This work is scaleable and republically cabble and in five and replicable and in short five years it will have an impact on individuals living in eastern congo. None of this would have happened without ussaid and without private sector partners to operate in one of the highest risk areas. Agriculture will be one of the driving investments in the country. It is a driving force. Supporting the more than 60 of the people of congo, 40 million people, whose families rely on agriculture as a primary source of income. Feed a third of the worlds population should not struggle to feed its own people or for basic health care. Senators, the next two years represent a critical turning point. With local elections scheduled for later this year and National Elections in 2016, we enter into a window of opportunity for unprecedented democratic condition. Democratic transition. Engagement by secretary kerry and the ambassador have reached congo reach this moment. Senator feingold served as special envoy. His leadership and the 15 trips he made during his 18month tenure was the very direct intervention and we thank him for his service. The u. S. Leadership played a vital role. To ensure this progress does not come undone, we urge you to join other groups like Human Rights Watch in calling on the administration to appoint a new special envoy without delay. As we continue to make smart and effective investments, we will foster the next leaders who will carry their country forward to stand as a model for the continent. Senator graham jennifer and violet are very proud. [laughter] mr. Megrue good morning and thank you, chairman graham, and Ranking Member leahy and members of the committee for allowing me to come today and talk to you about something which we are all very passionate about which is foreign aid and had a chance to get to know many of you. And so i understand the k