U.S. Department of State

I appreciate you having me here today. I look forward to our conversation. Distinguished members of the subcommittee, I appreciate the opportunity to talk today about the President’s Budget and the issues that are on your mind. The lists that you show there, Senator Graham, are long, and I could probably add a couple others. I’m sure you could add a couple more as well.

And I want you to know too how much I appreciate the fact that you all have operated in a bipartisan manner. I’ve had a chance to talk to many of you on the phone. We’ve had productive conversations over a wide range of topics. Know that I am always available to listen and make sure I understand your priorities and the way you are thinking about the world. It is helpful to me. It’s not just something I do as a courtesy but something that I value extraordinarily.

You all were very short with your opening statements. I will do the same.

You should see that the overall proposed budget will reflect an effort to manage dollars wisely. We’ve already made substantial progress in working on next year’s budget. I look forward to each of us and our teams continuing to work to achieve America’s foreign policy objectives.

And with that, I have a written statement and I’m happy – I’ve submitted it, and I’m happy to close there and take questions.