Ukraine Mentioned Six Times By U.S. Secretary of State During Opening Statements About Department Budget Before Three Committees Of The U.S. Congress
Ukraine Mentioned Six Times By U.S. Secretary Of State During Opening Statements About Department Budget Before Three Committees Of The U.S. Congress
Twice- U.S. House Committee On Appropriations Subcommittee on State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs
Twice- U.S. House Committee On Foreign Affairs
Twice- U.S. Senate Committee On Foreign Relations
Antony J. Blinken, Secretary of State
Washington, D.C.- U.S. Capitol
23 March 2023
SECRETARY BLINKEN: Thank you very much. Chairman Diaz-Balart, Chairwoman Granger, Ranking Member Lee, Ranking Member DeLauro, all the members of the committee, thank you for the opportunity today to speak with you about the FY24 budget for the State Department and USAID. But also, thank you day-in, day-out for the work that we’re doing together. This is critical for us. We appreciate deeply the work of this committee, and I really look forward to the year ahead as we work together to try to make sure, together, that we have the strongest possible tools to advance America’s interests around the world.
eAnd second, Mr. Chairman, Ranking Member Lee, thank you for – both of you – for your strong and positive words about the State Department – the people of the State Department. I couldn’t agree with you more. I am so deeply honored for this period of time to be leading them and serving with them. And I deeply appreciate the appreciation you’ve expressed for the work that they do, day-in, day-out. So thank you for that.
And I could not agree more – we are at an inflection point. The post-Cold War era is over, and there is an intense competition underway right now to shape what comes next. The United States has a positive vision for the future: a world that is free, that is secure, that is open, that is prosperous.
This budget will help us advance that vision and deliver on the issues that matter to the American people, by preparing us to take on two major sets of challenges that are distinct but also interconnected and overlapping.
The first set is posed by our strategic competitors – the immediate, acute threat posed by Russia’s autocracy and aggression, most destructively through its brutal aggression against Ukraine, and of course, the long-term challenge that is posed by the People’s Republic of China.
The second set of challenges is posed by shared global tests that we have to meet, including the climate crisis, migration, food and energy insecurity, pandemics, all of which directly affect the lives of our fellow citizens, as well as their livelihoods, and people around the world.
With this committee’s leadership and support, including through the FY23 Omnibus, the United States is in a stronger geopolitical position than we were a few years ago to take on these challenges. We have drawn enormous power from investments that we’ve made here at home in our economic strength and technological edge, including through the Infrastructure Investment Act, the CHIPS and Science Act, the Inflation Reduction Act.
The unmatched network of alliances and partnerships has never been stronger, and I think that’s in part because we have reinvested in them, working to re-engage them, rejuvenate them, re-energize them.
We’re expanding our presence in critical regions, like the Indo-Pacific. And we’re leading unprecedented coalitions to confront aggression and address humanitarian crises around the world.
The FY24 budget request for the State Department and USAID meets this moment. The budget will sustain our security, our economic and energy and humanitarian support for Ukraine, so that we ensure that President Putin’s war remains a strategic failure.
The budget will also strengthen our efforts to outcompete the PRC. President Biden is firmly committed to advancing a free and open Indo-Pacific. That’s why this proposal asks for an 18 percent increase in our budget for that region for FY – over FY23. The budget contains both discretionary and mandatory proposals – I suspect we’ll come back to those – for new, innovative investments to outcompete China, including by enhancing our presence in the region, ensuring that what we and our fellow democracies have to offer – including things like maritime security, disease surveillance, energy infrastructure, digital technology – is more attractive than the alternative being proposed.
The budget will help us push back on advancing authoritarianism and democratic backsliding by strengthening democracies around the world including through supporting independent media, countering corruption, defending free and fair elections. And it will allow us to pay our contributions to international organizations because we do need to be at the table wherever and whenever new international rules, standards, norms are being decided that affect the livelihoods of our people. Wherever they’re being debated and decided, we need to be there.
The budget will also allow us to continue leading the world in addressing these global challenges, from food and energy insecurity to climate and health crises. Just on that last point: we are celebrating the 20th anniversary of PEPFAR, which I believe is one the greatest achievements in our foreign policy over the last couple of decades. And to Ranking Member Lee, to you and others, for your strong support and leadership on this, I think it’s been a great tribute and credit to our country. It’s something I hear, as I travel, for example, throughout Africa. It saved 25 million lives. This budget will help us continue the fight against HIV/AIDS while advancing health security more broadly through a new Bureau of Global Health Security and Diplomacy, which I look forward to working with Congress to establish this year.
The budget will advance our efforts to modernize our department, including by expanding our training float, updating our technology, carrying out diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility initiatives, including to make our overseas missions more accessible. I’m grateful for the progress that we’ve already made together, including Congress’s support in updating the Secure Embassy Construction and Counterterrorism Act and the Accountability Review Board, to give us the flexibility to open new missions and to better manage the risks that our people face around the world.
We know there’s more to do, and we’re looking forward to working with Congress, working with this committee, to accelerate modernization efforts so that the department can better attract, retain, and support our first-rate workforce that you referred to. We’re in a competition there, too, for talent, and I want to make sure we have a department that attracts that workforce and keeps them.
Finally, the budget will further what is a personal priority for me that’s been referenced today already, and I know for many of you, and that is supporting Enduring Welcome, our whole-of-government effort to resettle our Afghan allies. Keeping our promises to those who stood by us and served with us remains an unwavering priority for me. The budget will help us continue to make good on that commitment.
When I took on this role, one of the things that I was dead serious about was working to restore Congress’s place as an equal partner in our foreign policymaking. I really am serious and committed to that. I, Mr. Chairman, deeply appreciate the conversations we’ve had and the work that I hope we can do together. So with that, I welcome questions, comments. Thank you.
Antony J. Blinken, Secretary of State
Washington, D.C.- U.S. Capitol
23 March 2023
SECRETARY BLINKEN: Mr. Chairman, thank you very, very much. To you, to Ranking Member Meeks, to all the members of the committee, thank you for the opportunity to speak with you about the administration’s proposed FY24 budget for the State Department and the Agency for International Development.
Let me say at the outset that I join both of you – I join every member of this committee – in saluting all of our veterans of Afghanistan, saluting those who lost their lives, gave their lives, so that their fellow citizens could enjoy a greater measure of security, and particularly the presence of Sergeant Gee’s mother here today; I am humble in your presence. I think of the 13. I think of the 2,402 Americans who lost their lives over 20 years in Afghanistan, serving and protecting our country. I think of the 20,000-plus wounded. And I think of so many others who served and have injuries of a different kind, including members of my State Department team. And I join you, Mr. Chairman, I join you, Ranking Member Meeks, I think I join every member of this committee in being determined that we look – not only look but draw the lessons from 20 years, including the last year in Afghanistan.
We do meet at an inflection point. The post-Cold War world is over. There is an intense competition underway to determine what comes next. The United States has a positive vision for the future: a world that is free, that is open, secure, and that’s prosperous.
The budget that we put before you will, in our judgment, advance that vision and deliver on the issues that matter most to the American people by preparing us to meet two major sets of challenges that are distinct but also overlapping.
The first set is posed by our strategic competitors – the immediate, acute threat posed by Russia’s autocracy and aggression, most destructively through this brutal war of aggression against Ukraine, and the long-term challenge from the People’s Republic of China.
The second set is posed by a series of shared global tests, including the climate crisis, migration, food and energy insecurity, pandemics, all of which directly impact the lives and the livelihoods of Americans and people around the world.
With this committee’s leadership and support across two State Department authorization bills, the United States is in a stronger geopolitical position than we were two years ago to address these challenges.
We’ve drawn enormous power from investments that we’ve made in our economic strength and technological edge here at home, including through the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, the CHIPS and Science Act, the Inflation Reduction Act. Our unmatched network of alliances and partnerships has grown stronger – in fact, they have never been stronger. We’re expanding our presence in critical regions, like the Indo-Pacific. We are leading unprecedented coalitions, including a number of new ones, to confront aggression and to address humanitarian crises around the world.
The President’s FY24 Budget, the requests for the State Department and USAID meet this moment head on.
The budget will sustain our security, economic, energy, and humanitarian support for Ukraine to ensure that President Putin’s war remains a strategic failure.
The budget will also strengthen our efforts to outcompete the PRC. President Biden is firmly committed to advancing a free and open Indo-Pacific, which is why this proposal asks for an 18 percent increase in our budget for that region over FY23. The budget contains both discretionary and mandatory proposals for new, innovative investments to outcompete China – including by enhancing our presence in the region, ensuring what we and our fellow democracies have to offer, including things like maritime security, disease surveillance, clean energy infrastructure, digital technology, is more attractive than the alternative being proposed to them.
The budget will help us push back on advancing authoritarianism and democratic backsliding by strengthening democracies around the world, including through supporting independent media, countering corruption, defending free and fair elections. And it will allow us to pay our contributions to international organizations, because the United States needs to be at the table wherever and whenever new international rules that affect the livelihoods of our people are debated and decided.
The budget will allow us to continue leading the world in addressing some of these global challenges, from food and energy insecurity to climate and health crises. And on that last point: we’re celebrating the 20th anniversary of PEPFAR – I think one of the greatest achievements in American foreign policy over the last decades. It’s helped save 25 million lives around the world. This budget will help us continue the fight against HIV/AIDS, while advancing health security more broadly through a new Bureau of Global Health Security and Diplomacy, which I look forward to working with Congress to establish this year.
The budget will advance our efforts to modernize the State Department, including by expanding our training float, updating our technology, carrying out diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility initiatives, including to make our overseas missions more accessible. I’m grateful for the progress that we’ve already made together, including Congress’ support in updating the Secure Embassy Construction and Counterterrorism Act and Accountability Review Board that give us more flexibility to open new missions and to better manage the risks that our people face. We know there’s more to do, and we look forward to working with the Congress and this committee to accelerate modernization efforts so that the department can better attract, retain, as well as support our first-rate workforce as they advance our interests in what is a very complex and fast-moving world.
Finally, the budget will further a personal priority for me that I know is shared by the leadership and the members of this committee, and that is supporting Enduring Welcome, our whole-of-government effort to resettle our Afghan allies. Keeping our promises to those who served the U.S. remains an unwavering priority; this budget will help us continue to make good on that commitment.
Mr. Chairman, when I began this role, I committed to working to really restore the partnership between the Executive Branch and Congress when it comes to our foreign policymaking.
I’m determined to continue to work with you, the ranking member, the members of this committee, to do that, and I very much look forward to the close coordination over the coming year. Grateful for the chance to appear before you today and to answer any questions. Thank you.
Antony J. Blinken, Secretary of State
Washington, D.C.- Dirksen Senate Office Building
23 March 2023
SECRETARY BLINKEN: Well, thank you very much, Chairman Menendez, Ranking Member Risch, committee members. Very good to be with you today as always, and thanks for the opportunity to speak to the administration’s proposed FY24 budget for the State Department and the Agency for International Development.
We meet at an inflection point and I think that’s reflected actually in what both the chairman and ranking member said. The post-Cold War world era is over, and there is an intense competition underway to determine, to shape, what comes next. The United States has a positive vision for the future: a world that is free, that is secure, that is open, that is prosperous.
The budget that we’re putting forward will help us advance that vision and deliver on issues that are important to most of the American people by preparing us to engage effectively two broad sets of challenges.
The first set is posed by our strategic competitors – the immediate, acute threat posed by Russia’s autocracy and its aggression against Ukraine, and the long-term challenge from the People’s Republic of China.
The second set is posed by some shared global tests, including the climate crisis, migration, food and energy insecurity, pandemics, all of which have a direct impact on the lives and livelihoods of Americans as well as people around the world.
With this committee’s leadership and support across two State Department authorization bills, the United States is in a stronger geopolitical position than we were a couple of years ago.
We’ve drawn enormous power from investments we’ve made in our own economic strength and technological edge at home, including through the Infrastructure Investment Act, through the CHIPS and Science Act, through the Inflation Reduction Act. Our unmatched network of alliances and partnerships has never been stronger. We’re expanding our presence in critical regions like the Indo-Pacific, and we’re leading unprecedented coalitions to confront aggression and address humanitarian crises around the world.
The President’s FY24 Budget Request for the State Department and USAID meet this moment head on.
The budget will sustain our security, economic, energy, and humanitarian support for Ukraine to ensure that President Putin’s war remains a strategic failure.
The budget will also strengthen our efforts to outcompete the PRC. President Biden and I share the chairman and ranking member’s commitment to the Indo-Pacific, which is why this proposal asks for an 18 percent increase in our budget for that region over FY23. The budget contains both discretionary and mandatory proposals for new innovative investments to outcompete China – including by enhancing our presence in the region and ensuring what we and other fellow democracies have to offer, including things like maritime security, disease surveillance, clean energy infrastructure; digital technology is more attractive than the alternative.
The budget will help us push back on advancing authoritarianism and democratic backsliding by strengthening democracies around the world – including through supporting independent media, countering corruption, defending free and fair elections. And it will allow us to pay our contributions to international organizations because we need to be at the table wherever and whenever new international rules that affect the livelihoods of our people are actually being debated and decided.
The budget will allow us to continue leading the world in addressing global challenges, from food and energy insecurity to climate and health crises. And on that last point, we’re celebrating this week the 20th anniversary of PEPFAR – I think one of the greatest achievements in our foreign policy in recent decades – which has helped save 25 million lives around the world. This budget will help us continue the fight against HIV/AIDS while advancing global health security more broadly through a new Bureau of Global Health Security and Diplomacy, which I look forward to working with Congress to establish this year.
The budget will advance our efforts to modernize the State Department, including by expanding our training float; updating our technology; carrying out diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility initiatives, including to make our overseas missions more accessible. I’m grateful for the progress that we’ve already made together, including Congress’s support in updating the Secure Embassy Construction and Counterterrorism Act and Accountability Review Board, which gives us more flexibility to open new missions and to better manage the risks that our people face around the world. We know there’s more to do, and we’re looking forward to working with Congress to accelerate modernization efforts so that the department can better attract and retain and support our first-rate workforce as they advance our interests in what is a complex and fast-moving landscape.
Finally, the budget will further a priority for me, and I know for many of you, and that is supporting Enduring Welcome, our whole-of-government effort to resettle our Afghan allies. Keeping our promises to those who served with us remains an unwavering priority. This budget will help us continue to make good on that commitment.
Mr. Chairman, as you referenced, when I began this role, I committed to restoring a real partnership with Congress as an equal partner in our foreign policymaking. And I really value tremendously the work that we’ve done together, the engagements that we’ve had, Mr. Chairman, Ranking Member Risch, and look forward to continuing those, and also to working on this budget together as we move forward in the months ahead. So thank you very much for having me here today.
