Transcripts For CSPAN2 Key Capitol Hill Hearings 20150130 :

CSPAN2 Key Capitol Hill Hearings January 30, 2015

Today a 62 to 36 but was passed on the keystone pipeline. How Speaker John Boehner read the statement that we hope president obama will drop his threat to veto this commonsense bill that would strengthen Energy Security and create thousands and thousands of good new paying american jobs. More reaction to the senate votes available on our website at cspan. Org. Former secretary of state Henry Kissinger, Madeleine Albright and George Shultz testified to the Senate Armed Services committee hearing. They discussed the Russia Ukraine conflict and the Islamic State. The beginning of the hearing is interrupted by protesters calling Henry Kissinger a war criminal. John mccain chairs this twohour hearing. [inaudible conversations] [inaudible conversations] [inaudible conversations] [inaudible] [inaudible] [inaudible] [inaudible] [inaudible] [inaudible conversations] [inaudible conversations] new paragraphs [chanting loudly] nuke aircraft [chanting loudly] [inaudible] [inaudible] [inaudible] [inaudible] i would like to say to my colleagues in our distinguished witnesses this morning that i have been a member of this committee for many years and i have never seen anything as disgraceful and outrageous and despicable as the last demonstration that just to ways. You know youre going to have to shut up or im going to have you arrested. If we cannot get it peace in here immediately, get out of here you lowlife scum. [applause] [applause] doctor kissinger, i hope that on behalf of all of the members of this committee on both sides of the aisle in fact, from all of my colleagues i would like to apologize for allowing such disgraceful behavior towards a man who has served this country with the greatest distinction and i apologize profusely. The Senate Armed Services Committee Meets today to receive testimony on global challenges on u. S. National security strategy. This is the third hearing in a series designed to examine the strategic context in which we find ourselves, one characterized by how this informs the work of the committee and the congress. Well, we have had previous testimony from general keane and amaral William Fallon and we have heard consistent themes. Our Foreign Policy is reactive and we need to repeal sequestration and we should not withdraw from with afghanistan on this timeline and we need a strategy again. We will explore these topics and many more with todays outstanding panel of witnesses and i am honored to welcome three former secretaries of state among our nations most admired diplomats and public servants, doctor Henry Kissinger, doctor George Shultz and doctor Madeleine Albright. Our nation owes each of these statements a debt of gratitude for the years of service advancing national interest. The secretary has held nearly every senior position of our federal government on his illustrious career. Doctor albright was an instrumental leader with key points in our nations history and influencing policies in the balkans in the middle east. Finally i would be remiss if i did not acknowledge that personal debt of gratitude that i go to doctor kissinger. When henry came to conclude the agreement that would end americas war on vietnam, the vietnamese told him that they would send me home with him and he refused the offer. Saying that the commander will return the in the same order that the others, he told them. He knew my Early Release would be seen as favoritism to my father and a violation on the code of conduct by rejecting this last attempt with a dereliction of duty and he saved one of my important possessions my honor. For that, i am eternally grateful. Thank you to all of our witnesses for being here today and i look forward to your testimony. Thank you very much, mr. Chairman, let me thank you in welcoming us and we have provided leadership in so many capacities and we are deeply appreciative of you for joining us this morning. It is an opportunity to hear from individuals who have witnessed and shaped history over the course of many years and we thank you again for joining us. I also want to commend the senator mccain for these hearings that have allowed us to work very carefully as the strategy of the United States and in view of many complex problems that face us today. You all have done so much again and let me reiterate our appreciation and our thanks. And each of you throughout your career has demonstrated an indepth understanding of historical economic and ethnic political situations and each of you emphasizing the need to use all instruments of National Power, not just military power but also diplomacy and economic power. To address the challenges. The International Order and the United States today is seen as complex as any previously. And we would be interested in your perspective on the challenges and the principles that should guide our security strategy. On a recent hearing as was mentioned we have held off on additional sanctions with sufficient time to reach a conclusion and indeed the Senate Banking committee is considering the issue in a few moments and i would like to participate in a markup. We would certainly be interested in this critical issue. Regarding the military aspects of the security strategy, we need to have a clear understanding what the political objectives are in the region and he also made clear that any intent to impose a solution would come at a very high course. Doctor, you talk about the importance of this and also warned against the United States and owning it and we have to be very careful going forward. All of these issues and many more from this to the impact of cyber, National Security policy, i think that we would in a fit enough from this and your wisdom. We thank you so much and again, thank you and senator. We will begin with doctor albright, thank you for being here today. Im delighted to be here chairman members of the committee. Thank you very much for inviting me to participate in this important series of hearings and im very pleased to be here alongside with my distinguished colleagues and very dear friends, secretary kissinger and secretary schultz and this embodies the best positions of bipartisanship and Foreign Policy and we have long believed that congress has a Critical Role to play in our National Security. When i became the secretary of state, i valued my regular appearances before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and then headed by jesse helms, he and i did disagree on many things, but we were respecting of each other in building an Effective Partnership that we believe because america had a unique role to play in the world. And that informs the perspective that i bring to our discussion today. It doesnt take a seasoned observer of International Relations to point out that we are living through a time of monumental change across the world and we are reckoning with new forces that are pushing humanity down the path of progress while also unleashing new contradictions in the world team. One of these forces of globalization which has made the world more interconnected than ever before. Also adding new layers of complexity to the challenges. With globalization it is impossible to act as the global problem solver, another force is technology which has released unprecedented innovation and benefited people the world over and also amplifying their frustrations and empowering networks of criminals and terrorists. Globalization and technology are disrupting the International System and we are struggling to keep pace with change and nowhere is this more apparent than where we have largest refugee crisis and a dangerous competition is playing out for regional primacy. And mark the First Time Since european borders have been altered by force. Events have shown that what many have assumed would become a frozen conflict is still red hot. Meanwhile in asia the growth and rise of new powers are creating new opportunities in the United States and these are also as part of this and world war ii. And the intensity of complexity seems daunting, particularly after we have been through 13 years of protracted war and threat such as Climate Change Nuclear Proliferation and also looming on the horizon. And the American People may be tired, but we must afford another danger lurking in this new era of temptation to turn inward. Because for all the turmoil this century has brought america remains the mightiest economic power with a resurgent economy and an Energy Revolution giving us new found confidence in our future. Were the only nation with not just the capacity and will to lead, but also the ideal and ideal to do so in a direction that most of the world would prefer to go towards liberty and justice and peace and Economic Opportunity for all. And as the president said last week, the question is not whether america should lead but how it should lead and that in many ways is the focus of todays hearing. So let me just suggest a few basic principles that might help guide this discussion. First, we are the worlds indispensable nation but nothing about this requires us to act alone. Alliances and partnerships matter. Enhancing our power and working on our actions. And when possible, we should work with coalitions of friends and allies. Second, given the fluid nature of todays threats, we must make wide use of every Foreign Policy option. From quiet diplomacy to military force to protect Americas National interest. Enter the foundation of American Leadership must remain what it has done for generations. Our belief in the fundamental dignity and importance of every human being. We should not be shy about promoting these volleys and that is why i am proud to be chairman of the National Democratic institute and i know that you mr. Chairman, are proud of your leadership of the International Republican institute and the things we do together. Working with allies and partners, balancing our diplomatic economic military tools of National Power these will all be critical in navigating todays challenges and this means in the middle east we must continue working with european and regional allies to apply direct military pressure against the Islamic State while making clear that these violent extremist are guilty not of islamic terrorism but of crimes that are profoundly un islamic. And this includes those that have fled the terror of isis and the depravity of the Bashar Alassad regime. Another challenge remains iran the president has rightly made it the policy of the United States to prevent iran from obtaining a Nuclear Weapon and he has taken no options off the table to achieve that and we are exploring a diplomatic resolution. If this fails or if iran does not honor its commitments, the United States should and i believe will impose additional sanctions with strong support internationally. But i believe it would be a mistake to do so before the negotiations run their course. And until russia honors its commitment and draws its forces from the ukraine, there can be no sanctions relief and if russia continues this pattern of destabilizing action, it must face even more severe consequences. On economic reform the administration has made strong pledges to work with our allies and we do have to help them interns of military assistance so they can defend themselves and we should not make this road harder by suggesting that we see the future subject that russia has vetoed. I have many other comments that i would like to reserve to put in the record and i thank you very much for your kindness in asking all of this. Thank you, madame secretary. Secretary schultz . Thank you. Please push the button there. I appreciate the pillage of being here. You can see im out of practice. [laughter] i havent been here for 25 years. And we had the idea when i was in office but if you want me include me at the table. So we did lots of consultations. And so i would like to set up basic ideas that we use and president reagan uses in thinking of his Foreign Policy defense policy and applying those to areas that are important right now. And so first of all is the idea of execution. To arrange itself in the way we go about things to execute the idea that you have in mind. I remember when i returned to california after serving as secretary of labor and secretary of treasurer. And so i came away feeling that this guy wants to be president but he wants to do the job making things work. I remember not long after he took office, the air controllers went on strike. And people keep running and saying this is very complicated. And he said its not complicated, its simple. They took in both of office and they violated it. But he had surrounded himself and the Transportation Department who had been the chief executive a large transportation company. And so all of the world its like he plays so you better pay attention. So its execution. The second thing in his playbook was always be realistic and do not kid yourself. Recognize the situation as it is and dont kid yourself, its very important as a principal. And the next, be strong. And i dont know sequestration seems to me i cant run anything at a percentage basis we have to be able to pick and choose. And we need a Strong Military and a Strong Economy something vibrant and to go on and we need to have that kind of selfconfidence that madeleine talked about. So that we have all this adding to the strength. And the next thing is to think through the agenda. Not the other guys agenda. Dont spend time thinking about what he might accept. Stick to your agenda. That is what you are after. And i remember one president reagan proposed the zero option and people said you were crazy well, we went through a lot of pain and agony, but we wound up with zero and zero and so we tend to respect that. And so i think its very important to be very careful with your words. Mean what you say, say what you mean. I know that the chairman at the start of world war ii was a noreen core boot camp and the surgeon handed me my rifle and says take good care of this and remember one thing never point is rifle at anybody unless youre willing to pull the trigger. Im sure they had the same experience in boot camp. And you can translate that when you say or do something, do it. They cant do what youre going to do, they cant trust you. So i think this is a very important principle. And then once you have this in place hell people engage with you but do it on your agenda and with your strength. So that is the outline. So let me turn to something that could be on your agenda and that is the neighborhood. President reagan felt that our policies stored in our neighborhood and this is where we live. And that trade between these countries has been apart of this. And listen to this the imports from canada are 25 u. S. Content and the imports from mexico are 40 . So there is a process going on here. Even more in terms of people until fertility in mexico now is down to a little before this level of crisis. And so the border that we need to be worried about is mexicos southern border. And we need to be worried about how can we help and why is it that conditions are so bad in all cell door and guatemala that parents send their children north to see if they cant do something better. And it isnt just ranting about our border, its much more diverse than that. And then i want to turn to iran. What is the reality . Lets start with reality. The first point to remember is that they are the leading state sponsor of terrorism. It started right away when they took people in the embassy hostage for the first year. One of the first acts was also to act this way. They acted indirectly through his power. And so i think its probably a fair statement to say that if it werent for this they would be in syria right now. But it is an iranian entity and we shouldnt kid ourselves about that and thats point number one about what they are like. Point number two is they are developing Ballistic Missiles and they are pretty advanced and that as far as i can figure out. And that is a military item. Number three in turn away theres a lot to be desired in the way that they have lot of local executions and the mayor also trying to develop Nuclear Weapons. There is no sensible explanation for the extent and the money and the talent that they have devoted other than the development of a Nuclear Weapon. So we are negotiating with them. And there is nothing going on about this let alone internal affairs. Its just about the nuclear business. And we had numerous situations and i always seem to talk about as they say we have the right to enrich an already we have talked about how much and their agend

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