WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Jim Risch (R-Idaho), chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, today gave the following opening remarks at a full committee nomination hearing. Witnesses included Wesley Brooks to be assistant secretary of State for oceans, international environment, and scientific affairs, Jeremy Carl to be assistant secretary of State for international organizations, William Long to be ambassador to Iceland, and Robert Sweeney to be director of the Asian Development Bank.
Chairman Risch gave the following remarks:
“Thank you to the nominees and especially to the families who also help whenever their spouses or loved ones participate in government operations. The families also provide as much sacrifice as the actual nominees do so thank you to the families for being here today.
“Mr. Long, Iceland is a critical partner of the United States in protecting our homeland from threats that could impact us and our allies in the North Atlantic. Both China and Russia have made their strategic goals in the Arctic clear, and advancing U.S.-Iceland cooperation will be critical to monitoring and deterring their efforts to exert influence over the region's vast resources.
“If confirmed as ambassador, I encourage you to continue developing our cooperation at Naval Air Station Keflavik to advance these counter-Russia and China efforts. I look forward to hearing how you will work with Iceland to improve our bilateral relationship, and other NATO allies on our shared security interests.
“Mr. Carl, as you know, historically, the United States has been the most generous donor to the United Nations, paying billions every year. Yet, the return on our investment for the American taxpayer is at best, questionable.
“President Trump and Congress have made clear that the status quo at the UN and other international organizations is no longer acceptable.
“As Assistant Secretary for International Organization Affairs, you will be responsible for continuing President Trump’s strong reform agenda, including the option to withdraw from any of these various UN organizations that are not meeting our standards. In addition to reducing the size of the UN and eliminating waste, fraud, and abuse, you will also have to deal with the organization’s disgusting obsession with Israel and its deep anti-Semitism that is within the very foundation.
“In 2020, I published a report outlining how we can work with our allies to promote Americans and like-minded individuals in these organizations, enabling us to compete with our adversaries. In your role, I hope you’ll implement some of these recommendations and, above all, ensure that every taxpayer dollar given to an international organization makes America safer and better off – a heavy lift to say the least.
“Mr. Sweeney, as you know, the Asian Development Bank occupies a unique position among the global development banks, in its ability to directly counter China’s predatory economic coercion in the region.
“In recent years, the ADB has provided high-quality alternatives to predatory Chinese loans. Yet, China remains its third-largest shareholder and continues to receive funding from the ADB.
“If confirmed, I’d like to know how you plan to use the voice and vote of the United States to drive quality development projects that are aligned with U.S. strategic interests. I’d also like to hear your views on how the ADB can work with its member countries and with multilateral institutions to prioritize hard infrastructure projects and energy security in the region.
“And finally, Mr. Brooks—if confirmed, you will play an important role in overseeing policies related to oceans, space, illegal wildlife trade, and IUU fishing. These are all areas in which China continues to play according to its own rules.
“Countries that participate in IUU fishing, including China, not only gain unfair trade advantages but also disrupt the global supply chain and enable other illicit activities like drug trafficking and forced labor.
“You will also oversee Antarctic Treaty cooperation and enforcement, as well as U.S. research engagement in Antarctica. Both Russia and China have long been suspected of conducting military and intelligence activities under the guise of “research,” and Russia has reportedly conducted commercial resource exploration—all of which violate the Antarctic Treaty.
“I look forward to hearing about how you will push back on these illicit activities in your role.
“Once again, thank you to our nominees, thank you to your families for supporting you. Now, I’ll turn it over to our distinguished ranking member.”
These remarks have been lightly edited for clarity. Witness testimony is available on foreign.senate.gov.
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