Rnd. Why doesnt he go over and talk and say it has been a nice ride, but what we are going to do is just going to depend on you a lot for r d. We will pay our fair share, but why dont we do something for our people instead of looking toward europe, asia and everybody else . Have him put his money where his mouth is and lower costs medicine. Host donna in massachusetts, good morning. Caller hello. I just wanted to ask a question regarding psychotropic medications and how dangerous they are and as far as the cost of health care, billions and billions of dollars in big pharma and i wish that the doctor was still on because there were not any lab test the confirm a mental illness. Sometimes, people keep talking about the stigma of mental illness, but it just makes up symptoms and that book or whatever it is, it is like hundreds of Mental Illnesses, but they are not being honest but there is big money in the pills that are really dangerous to people, especially the children. They want to screen the kids for d and there really is there are no test to definitely confirm these allegedly Mental Illnesses and the other thing, the suicide rate is increasing with teenagers. People in general, but i think that is given to the state of the nation and all the problems we have, but have they done research correlating the thatdes with the people have been on these drugs . They are really dangerous. Host we will have dr. John knows where the on again, down the road. We will get to questions with him down the road. We want to remove remind our viewers of our coverage of the connecticut,t in delaware, maryland, pennsylvania and rhode island that begins at 8 30. We will follow results and hear from the candidates and get viewer reactions. You can tune in right here on cspan. That will do it for the washington journal and we now take our viewers up to the senate. The Senate Foreign relations subcommittee on western hemispheres is holding a hearing on the 2017 budget request for the state department beginning in just a few. And the purpose of this hearing is to review the resources, realities, and programs in fiscal year 2017 budget west the president and the u. S. Department of States Bureau of western Hemisphere Affairs and the bureau of democracy in human rights and labor as well as the bureau for latin american and caribbean. A howled we will have official panel with three witnesses. The Principal Deputy assistant secretary of state for western Hemisphere Affairs, the acting assistant administrator for latin america and the caribbean at the u. S. He for international development. I want to thank all of you for being with us, we appreciate your time and commitment to further the important work of this committee. I also want to thank your staff for working with the committee and members of my staff to making this hearing possible. Today is an opportunity to learn more about the nations priorities in the western hemisphere in promoting democracy and human rights around the world. There are many challenges we need to collaborate on. Building strong Democratic Institutions and building is in the moral and Strategic Interests of the United States and she to be one of our top priorities. It is important for u. S. Programs to be aligned with our priorities and not just in the western hemisphere. It is also important that u. S. Taxpayer dollars are not wasted that instead used to address significant challenges to National Security interest. I believe congress can continue to work in a constructive way to enhance the departments efforts. I hope you address these issues in your testimonies and with that, i turn it over to our Ranking Member. I asked that my entire statement be placed in the record and i will summarize. This is an important hearing and i want to extend my welcome to our guest and witnesses gue sts and witnesses. Our subcommittee is a very important one that has a range of matters, including the countries of the western hemisphere as well as Global Responsibility for democracy, human rights and womens issues. While we face numerous challenges in the western hemisphere ranging from narcotics trafficking to assisting countries in the wake of natural disasters, the region is making tremendous progress and it is rife with opportunity, due in large part to the support of the United States. Areow the chairman and i friends, but we disagree strongly on cuba, so i will say that president obamas to change a field plus decision to change a fail policy is working with me and i hope it will turn out to be so for the cuban people and the human rights activists there. It is an unprecedented moment and i hope the cuban people make the most of it that the government understands that they have to change. We have also witnessed progress in columbia due in large part to the support of the u. S. Negotiations between the government and they continue to move forward. A look at argentina where the United States is poised to build stronger ties. And was soecently depressed and disgusted with what i saw in that kershner government. I have hope now and i really believe as we see the new government saying they will pay back the bonds and make investors at least partially whole, it is an important point. In mexico, we continue to build upon and rhea horse our relationship with our close ourhbor and reinforce relationship with our close neighbor and i am very concerned about threats posed by the spread of the zika virus and i think we will be hearing more on that. This is an emergency. We should not be quibbling about it. Our people are going to get sick. Have in florida, 99 cases. It is going to happen as sure as we are sitting here and in short order. World, andleave the i know there are no sure answers. We will stumble and fall, but as they say, what is important is get back up and make sure we dont repeat those mistakes because in any kind of human relations, let alone foreign relations, we make mistakes. I support funding for programs that support human rights defenders and Simple Society organizations that promote religious freedom, strengthen accountability and the rule of law. We begin with a testimony from our panel and we will have a vote at 11 00. We will get into the pretty heavier statements the record. For the record. Mr. Chairman, Ranking Member boxer and disturbing to sing with members of the i ammmittee, iq for the pleased to present fiscal plans for the year 2017. Our request for 970 million will promote the interests of the United States while significantly improving the quality of life are those we help. We have identified five priorities to focus our assistance where we can have the greatest impact, prosperity, good governance, promoting a sustainable and equitable peace in colombia, longterm development in haiti, advancing democracy and human rights across the americas and addressing environmental threats to livelihoods. One of our highest priorities is Central America, particularly in el salvador, guatemala and kanye west and honduras. We know that Opening Doors for citizens, especially will bolster our efforts for more prosperous societies. Our programs include efforts to support Small Businesses and entrepreneurs, encourage private investment, train youth in job skills and improve agricultural productivity. These efforts to grow prosperity are only sustainable in an environment where Democratic Values and institutions flourish , human rights are respected and Civil Society and the media can play their rightful role. Our programs are aimed at rooting out corruption, strengthening Civil Societys ability to hold governments accountable, fostering a culture of respect for human rights, especially for historically marginalized roofs and improving fiscal transparency groups and improving fiscal transparency. It will ultimately be difficult for our efforts to take root in societies played by insecurity. Tacit approaches in the most violence prone communities to create safe spaces, provide job and life skills training and provide police for the residents. Northern help the triangle develop into a safer and more prosperous region for all those who live there. Such sustained commitment yields as we have seen with the notable strides made in columbia. 2017, we are requesting 187 billion dollars to expand upon current programming to help the Colombian Program government established a stronger presence, provide postconflict reconciliation and justice, improve Economic Growth and sustainably manage the countrys natural resources. It programs will build upon current successes, especially for marginalized population. Along with Central America and columbia, haiti remains a high priority. Our fy 17 request will continue our efforts to help haiti grow into a stable and economically viable country. We remain focused on promoting Economic Growth, creation and agricultural invest advances, providing basic health care and Education Services and improving the transparency of government institutions and the responsiveness citizens. While more remains to be done, we are committed to supporting the haitian people as they build a more secure future. Throughout the region, our democracy and human rights friends address fundamental issues including anticorruption anticorruption, and the rule of law and the support for Civil Society. Thatrk to ensure governments are open and accountable and use public runs responsibly and effectively and deliver Critical Services to citizens. We are also committed to serving human rights wherever we work, underpinning all of these efforts is support and protection for a strong Civil Society that can hold governments accountable. Another challenge facing the region is the negative impact of extreme weather events. Our mitigation and adaptation efforts helped reduce dividends devastation to life, property and economic activity. We are also seeing the development and the one at of advanced Clean Technology and revelatory environments. We have one goal in mind with everything that we do, to empower countries to assume responsibility for their own development and grow beyond the need for national assistant. We use science, technology and private sector partnerships to find new solutions and scale up what works. For every dollar we spend in the region in 2014, we mobilized ive times that in every sector resources. We take our responsibility to the taxpayer seriously and we are committed to accountability, transparency and oversight of our programs. We use a full range of monitoring and evaluation tools to track progress and ensure the programs are meeting goals and delivering results. With sustained commitment from countries in the region to advance their own developing goals and our government support, we are well paced for success. I look forward to your questions. Thank you. Thank you for the opportunity 2017stify on fiscal year for assistance request for the western hemisphere and thank you for your ongoing support of our diplomatic efforts in the hemisphere. The administrations approach to improves security, strengthens the rule of law, promotes the sea and human rights, advances partnerships, and promotes prosperity and inclusive growth for all its citizens. U. S. Assistance is a critical tool that supports these goals. In our request for Central America and mexico, the to address the underlying conditions driving migration from Central America through mexico and to the United States. The request also includes increases to support colombias implementation of an expected Peace Agreement marking the end of the hemispheres longestrunning conflict. The request maintains support for key partnerships with peru, haiti and the caribbean. The fy 2017 foreign assistance request for our strategy in Central America continues support for prosperity, governance and disparity in recognition of the acute challenges these companies countries face. U. S. Assistance complements the investments northern triangle governments or making through their own development plan, the alliance for prosperity. They planned to spend 2. 6 million this year on their own plan. Continued u. S. Support will be vital to columbias success as it seeks to implement a peace accord. Our partnership with mexico remains an important priority for the United States and includes a range of issues that benefit both countries, including trade and investment, energy and security. The America Initiative continues to provide the framework for our bilateral Security Cooperation at both rural and date levels. Our request also includes essential democracy assistance for cuba and venezuela were the United States will continue to provide assistance that advances in universal human rights and supports Civil Society. Promotions of democratic principles and human rights remains of the core of u. S. Interest in cuba. Our continued investment in infrastructure, agriculture, Economic Growth, basic education and health, expanded governance and security. A sustained u. S. Commitment is essential to build on the past gains of u. S. Efforts in haiti and build its capacity to respond to citizens banks. Eds. Itizens ne cattlemansative caribbean efforts to reduce crime and violence, strengthen the rule of law and address the factors that put you in marginalized communities that put youth and marginalized communities insecurity. In eradication and alternative development and cultivation. I urge the u. S. Congress to fully fund this request for the western hemisphere as it advances our National Security and wisely invest our resources where they can have the most significant impact. I look forward to your questions and i just want to point out there is a great group of students from richmond, virginia at the hearing. Ask if they are Maggie Walker students . Congratulations on we the people, you guys are fantastic. Think your thank you, senator rubio, it is a pleasure to be here. I will say a few words about our Global Programs support people who are struggling for advances in democracy and human rights around the world. I will start by technology that this is obviously not the time not an easy time to be doing this kind of work. Authoritarian governments are beginning are striking out with great ferocity against freedoms of expression, association, and the press. Andhorrible war in syria the terror of isis and mass migrations of refugees and the fear that all of this security creates even in democratic countries with all the impact on our politics that we have seen. All of that should disturb us, i dont think it should surprise us. Freedom has advanced in waves over the last few decades. By advancesfollowed in the internet and the global Civil Society which allows people in just about every society in the world know exactly what they are missing and to connect with each other and people around the world, to build effective mover movements for social change. People often say to me that human rights is a soft issue, but i think it is the hardest issue there is, because its advance is a threat to the most dangerous people in the world. If you are trying to steal an election or stay in office for life or profit corruption, then of course you are threaten by ngos and journalists who try to expose those abuses of power. Of course you will fight back and that is what we are facing in many parts of the world. World, i around the find that the good guys are winning as many victories as they are losing, particularly when we are there to help them. Look at the historical elections that took place in burma, nigeria, sri lanka even in venezuela. The lesson i take from that is that if we have patience and determination and stick with these efforts and with these programs, we are going to win more victories than defeats. That is where the funding you provide my bureau, through our human rights and Democracy Fund comes in. It is about 85 million. We like to think of it as our Venture Capital fund for freedom. We are using it to get news, knowledge and get entertainment into north korea, an effort that is changing minds and awakening expectations in the most closed society on earth. We are using it to support the Legal Defense of political activists and dissidents in multiple countries. We are using it to support Political Prisoners in burma so they can contribute to Building Democracy and fight the religious hatreds that threatens democracy. We are using it to deploy cuttingedge technology that breaks through chinas great firewall and protect activists in dozens of countries from cyberattacks and cyber intrusions. We are using it to help organizations defending him of expression in latin america. One of our programs supported a campaign that saved ecuadors number one press freedom watchdog. To keep civilt Society Organizations alive in area where groups we funded negotiated c