▶ 0:21:58Chair Risch: The senate committee will come to order. We remind our guests and the people that we are glad to have everyone here watching and we have zero tolerance for interruptions, as has been demonstrated in recent times. Senator budd, good to see you back again. Welcome, good to see you. Thank you. I think that what we are going to do here is make a few remarks and then I'm going to turn it over to senator shaheen.
▶ 0:22:26Chair Risch: Then we will hear from each of the -- we have people who do introductions. You can leave if you would like to leave and then we will hear from the nominees. Thank you to the nominees and also the families who also help whenever their spouses or loved ones participate in government operations.
▶ 0:22:48Chair Risch: The families also provide as much sacrifice as much is the actual nominees, so thank you to the families for being here, too . Mr. long, iceland is critical in protecting our homeland from threats that could impact us and our allies in the north atlantic, with china and russia making their strategic goals in the arctic clear. Advancing U.S.
▶ 0:23:10Chair Risch: Iceland cooperation will be critical to monitoring and ensuring their efforts to assert influence over the vast resources of the regent. If confirmed as ambassador, I encourage you to continue developing that operation at the naval air station. That will be necessary in these counter russia counter china efforts. I work -- look forward to hearing how you will work with them on a bilateral relationship and other allies on secured interests.
▶ 0:23:41Chair Risch: Mr. carl, as you know the U.S. has been the most generous donor to the united nations, paying billions every year. The return on the investment for the american taxpayer is at best questionable. The president and congress have made it clear that the status quo at the u.n. And other international organizations is no longer acceptable.
▶ 0:24:02Chair Risch: As assistant secretary for international organization affairs, you will be responsible for continuing the president's strong reform agenda, including the option to withdraw from any of these various organizations not meeting our standards. In addition to reducing the size of the u.n. And eliminating waste, fraud, and abuse, we will have to deal with their disgusting obsession with israel and to deep anti-semitism that is within the very foundation.
▶ 0:24:31Chair Risch: In 2020i published a report outlining how we can work with allies to promote american working with like-minded individuals in these organizations, enabling us to compete with our adversaries. In your role I hope you will 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.
▶ 0:24:56Chair Risch: Sweeney, as you know, the asian development bank occupies a unique position among global development to directly combat chinese predatory coercion in the region and any recent years they have provided high quality alternatives to predatory chinese loans, but china remains their third largest shareholder and continues to receive funds from the adb.
▶ 0:25:21Chair Risch: I would like to know how you would use the voice and vote of the united states to develop quality projects in line with U.S. strategic interests and would like to hear your views on how adb can work with member countries and with multilateral institutions to prioritize hard infrastructure projects and energy security in the region. Finally, Mr.
▶ 0:25:44Chair Risch: Brooks, if confirmed you would play an important role overseeing policies related to oceans, space, wildlife trade and fishing, areas in which china continues to plague can -- according to its own rules. Countries that participate in this fishing not only gain unfair trade advantages, but also disrupt the global supply chain and enable other elicited -- illicit activities.
▶ 0:26:12Chair Risch: You will also oversee and arctic treaty enforcement and U.S. engagement in antarctica. Russia and china have both long been suspected to be conducting military intelligence activities under the guise of research and russia has reportedly conducted commercial resource export, all of which violates the antarctic treaty and we look forward to hearing how you will push back on these illicit activities. Once again, thank you to the nominees, thank you to your families supporting you.
▶ 0:26:42Chair Risch: I would like to now turn it over to my distinguished ranking member.
▶ 0:26:46Sen. Shaheen: Thank you very much, Mr. chairman. Welcome to all the nominees this morning, to your families your supporters who are here with you. Around the world today, we are seeing a roll and the rights and protection of women and girls.
▶ 0:27:02Sen. Shaheen: We are seeing bands on girls education, conflict zones where women and girls face sexual violence, laws and policies restricting their legal status, property rights, access to health care and economic participation. America's response to these developments matters. Allies look to us to set the course.
▶ 0:27:25Sen. Shaheen: If we weaken our position, others will hedge or stay silent. Peacekeeping, humanitarian aid, and the implementation of the law that was passed in the first trump administration called women, peace, and security, all depend on U.S. engagement. When we do this well, women and girls and societies are better off it. When we don't, they face a greater threat.
▶ 0:27:52Sen. Shaheen: In january of this administration pulled out of more than 66 organizations including programs that supported child protections, education access, and women's health. This weekend our ability to lead coalitions and protect the rights and safety of women and girls. That is why who represents the united states on the global stage matters. Mr.
▶ 0:28:14Sen. Shaheen: Carl, you have been nominated to serve as the assistant secretary for international organizations, yet you have expressed views that are deeply concerning, for me and for many members of this committee, and for many americans. These include comments promoting racial supremacy, minimizing the experiences of jewish people, and warning about a cultural genocide against white americans.
▶ 0:28:40Sen. Shaheen: You have said that these descriptions are smears or politically motivated attacks and we will have a chance to hear from you in your opening statement. I can tell you that as a woman who has served as both governor and senator from the state of new hampshire, I have seen firsthand how expanding opportunity for women strengthens our economy, communities, and national security. That isn't just my opinion.
▶ 0:29:06Sen. Shaheen: There is global data that shows that women contribute more to their societies, families, and communities, and to their countries. So, I find your views about women particularly concerning. Mr. long, you have been nominated to serve as our ambassador to iceland, a nato ally. That has been critical to U.S.
▶ 0:29:35Sen. Shaheen: Security interests, especially in the arctic. I have concerns about your past involvement and questionable tax referral operations and what it says about your judgment. Despite the jokes you have reportedly made related to iceland, this is a role that requires seriousness and sound judgment. We don't have the luxury of treating this lightly. Certainly not in the environment we are in right now. Mr.
▶ 0:30:01Sen. Shaheen: Brooks, you have been nominated to serve as the assistant secretary for oceans, environmental, and scientific affairs. We have not had a senate confirmed leader in this role for too long and I hope that if confirmed, you will continue to advance U.S. leadership in science, technology, and the group gluck -- and the global rules that shape them. Mr. sweeney, you been nominated to be director of the asian development bank, which is critical in advancing U.S.
▶ 0:30:32Sen. Shaheen: Economic priorities in asia and providing a credible alternative to chinese state directed development finance. If confirmed, you would need to work closely with our allies and partners to counter the influence of the prc at the bank. I look forward to hearing from each of you. Thank you.
▶ 0:30:47Chair Risch: Thank, senator shaheen. We will now have some introductions. Congressman mast, welcome to the committee. I think this is your first time. As you recall, we run a tight operation, much like yours. Thank you so much for joining us. The floor is yours.
▶ 0:31:10Congressman: Chairman risch, ranking member shaheen, thank you for having me and I'm happy to repay the favor anytime you want me to put a microphone in front of you at the house, more than happy to bring you over.
▶ 0:31:18Chair Risch: You know, that's a really bad mistake. [laughter]
▶ 0:31:25Congressman: Other members of the committee, thank you for having me. Still the best dressed member of the house of representatives, Mr. curtis, if he doesn't work out for you we are happy to take them back. It's an honor. Truly, personally, for me to introduce Dr. brooks. I've known him since the moment I came to the hill.
▶ 0:31:48Congressman: He's a dedicated scholar and public servant with a proven track record of advancing critical and environmental efforts in my home state of florida and beyond, he's made it a priority to advance himself every day he has the chance to work for the people.
▶ 0:32:05Congressman: He's hungry for it and without hesitation I recommend him as assistant secretary of state for oceans, environment, and scientific affairs, and inspiring leader who brings with him an extensive background in ecological science and environmental policy. When he served as director of federal affairs for the florida department of environmental protection, he developed and led the fight for the restoration of the everglades, something so many are familiar with.
▶ 0:32:32Congressman: In 2022 when he was appointed as florida's chief resiliency officer he worked tirelessly to rehabilitate coastal communities grappling with hurricane ian and its devastating aftermath. He made sure to meet with as many local officials as possible, from st. Johns river water management and across the state, he was everywhere and responded to everyone. I can tell that's something about him.
▶ 0:32:58Congressman: If you call, he is responsive and he will get back to you, continually, no matter the time of day. Listen closely in each unique community learned how the office could support their recovery efforts. He knows what it takes to lead and that's a testament to his character as one of the many reasons I'm so proud to call Dr. brooks a great friend.
▶ 0:33:21Congressman: He now serves as the deputy assistant manager for no affairs at the epa and in this role he has secured agreements with mexico alongside minister zeldin for the tijuana river sewage crisis. All of us know how central oes is in addressing one of our most pressing national security challenges. As illegal fishing undermines our allies, commercialization and space expands, Dr.
▶ 0:33:47Congressman: Brooks is more than ready to shape a new era of preservation and prosperity and I couldn't recommend him more. If you need to call me outside of this and ask for other stories, I am happy to tell you those stories as well. I can speak about him at length four hours, which I will not do to you today and as I simply close, I will say one other thing not related to Dr. brooks, if it is a benefit to Mr.
▶ 0:34:11Congressman: Long, I had dinner with him last night and if it is not, I can't remember the last time I had dinner with them. [laughter]
▶ 0:34:19Chair Risch: Thank you, congressman, for coming over and joining us. I know you've got pressing matters. You are welcome to stay if you'd like it, but I know you probably have things to do.
▶ 0:34:31Rep. Mast: Let me know how munich goes if I don't see you.
▶ 0:34:35Chair Risch: Good to see you. Senator budd, so good to see you back here. Always happy to have you return.
▶ 0:34:43Senator Budd: Great to be here with my friends, senator shaheen and the others on the committee to be here to introduce my long-time friend, billy long, to the committee. Many of you know him, many of the committee members know him from service in the house and in other ways, but they don't know him as long as I've known him. We've been friends for at least 30 years. My wife, abby, and his wife, barbara, our good friends.
▶ 0:35:09Senator Budd: Barbara is an important part of the long team and will be an important part of our team in iceland. We watched his two daughters grow up. One of them as a doctor back in springfield and the other work for the house and the senate here in washington. So, I come from a lot of understanding of billy and his strengths. I saw him build an incredible business as an auctioneer and realtor in springfield and for 12 years he was my congressman. When I left congress to come to the senate, billy took that job.
▶ 0:35:43Senator Budd: We were constantly working for things in our part of missouri, as I work for things all over our state. Billy was a great member of the energy and commerce committee, but also very interested in our foreign relationships.
▶ 0:35:57Senator Budd: The last year that he was in the house, abby and I went to a ceremony that the british, that the japanese ambassador was having, where he gave billy what I think is the highest award that can be given to a noncitizen of japan for his interest and friendship in japan. I think that billy will establish in iceland a unique opportunity.
▶ 0:36:24Senator Budd: As both of you mentioned, a unique country for us, a very important country for us for a long time, but at this moment may be more important than it has ever been. You know, he comes from the middle of america to a country where relationships really matter.
▶ 0:36:43Senator Budd: I guarantee you that if he has a strength, it's building relationships, understanding what other people are thinking about the issues that impact them, and I think you will be effective both in expanding that to us and in explaining our view on these issues to them. I think that billy will be a great ambassador.
▶ 0:37:02Senator Budd: Wherever he goes, he's a great ambassador, and in this case I think he will be a great ambassador to a very important country and I'm glad to be here today to recommend him to the committee and look forward to him having this opportunity to serve. Thank you all for letting me be here.
▶ 0:37:20Chair Risch: Well done, as always. You are welcome to stay, but I understand you have other things to do, too. With that, senator daines, I understand you would like the floor?
▶ 0:37:33It Senator Daines: Thank you. I'm delighted to introduce jeremy carl, from my hometown of bozeman, montana. I will get to his professional experience in a bit, but first I'd like to share a bit more on the personal side. I've gotten to know him well over the past several years. He has a lovely family.
▶ 0:37:57It Senator Daines: Five children, three sons, two daughters, a wonderful wife, anna, an emergency room physician. We've had a lot of great discussions over the years ranging from everything from hunting and fishing, very montana, to politics. We also share a common admiration for president reagan. Jeremy has had a distinguished professional career where his work took him from technology to the ngo world.
▶ 0:38:26It Senator Daines: From yale to harvard, then to stanford. As we say in montana, get a good education, then get over it. His current role now is at the claremont institute. He spent almost a decade as a research fellow at the hoover institute at stanford, where his scholarship was frequently cited by public policy professionals, including nobel prize recipients and political leaders from both parties.
▶ 0:38:55It Senator Daines: Relevant to this committee, he was hired at hoover directly by the late U.S. secretary of state, george schultz. He worked with president reagan to win the cold war and with whom he worked closely for a decade on numerous policy issues working with political leaders and distinguished diplomats from america to india to israel.
▶ 0:39:24It Senator Daines: Schultz praised his work, citing his mastery of subject matter and "the integrity he brought to his work." he also added "his seemingly boundless capacity to explore new avenues of research." the clear risk -- clear support and respect secretary schultz had for jeremy is a very strong endorsement of his candidacy for this important role.
▶ 0:39:51It Senator Daines: Jeremy also had the privilege of previously serving america as a deputy assistance secretary of the interior under donald trump in the first trump administration. I'm pleased to introduce him at this committee and look forward to having him serve this important role.
▶ 0:40:07Chair Risch: Thank you so much, senator. We really appreciate that. Now, we are going to hear from each of the nominees. I ask you to keep it to about five minutes. If you have things that you want to put him in addition to that, we have unlimited room on the record and are happy to include anything you want to put on the record. With that, we will start with you, Mr. brooks. The floor is yours.
▶ 0:40:34Mr. Brooks: Thank you, chairman. Ranking member, distinguished members of the committee, I'm honored to appear before you today is the trump nominee for assistant secretary of state for oceans, inter--- international scientific affairs. If confirmed, I look forward to working with you and your staff. I'm beyond grateful to serve the nation with the trust and confidence of the president and secretary rubio. I'm grateful to my wonderful friends and colleagues.
▶ 0:41:05Mr. Brooks: I'm honored in particular to be joined by the most important people in my life. My await -- amazing wife of 13 years, megan, to whom I owe more than I could ever repay, including sharing our greatest blessings in life, or children.
▶ 0:41:20Mr. Brooks: My mother, a living testament to the american dream, fleeing castro's cuba as a child in working incessantly to provide me with a life not burdened by that history, and my father and stepmother who demonstrated day in and day out what honor and service look like with their long years in law enforcement. Thank you all for your love and support.
▶ 0:41:44Mr. Brooks: After earning a phd in ecological science, I had the privilege of advising the florida delegation on water resources, trade issues. The former former affair -- foreign affairs committee chair, layton, current chair, brian mast, and then senator marco rubio, who some of you may be familiar with. I deeply admire each of them to this day.
▶ 0:42:12Mr. Brooks: In 2020i was appointed as the chief resilience officer of florida by the governor. Working across agencies and governments to address flood risks and adapt infrastructure to reduce the economic impact of flooding and hurricanes on communities and businesses across my home state. Most recently I enjoyed serving under administrators eldon and assistant administrator kramer.
▶ 0:42:36Mr. Brooks: If confirmed, I will leverage my extensive experience, cultivating and sustaining relationships, successfully coordinating across diverse entities to achieve results for the american people. As y'all are aware, the bureau of oceans and international environmental scientific affairs was created by congress in 1973 and given responsibility for matters related to oceans, environmental, wildlife, and conservation affairs.
▶ 0:43:06Mr. Brooks: Today, oes is at the forefront of returning us to commonsense policy that puts americans and american workers first. Under the president's leadership, oes protects the national security and interests beyond national borders, including the high seas, arctic, antarctic, and united states -- outer space.
▶ 0:43:29Mr. Brooks: Securing this is critical for combating transnational crime in countering the chinese communist party ambitions. If confirmed, I implore you to drive these priorities, including access to rare earths and critical minerals, oes leadership team seabed mining and the recovery pillar in the administrative bilateral critical frameworks to support their broader tax silica initiative.
▶ 0:44:04Mr. Brooks: Energetic commercial diplomacy on behalf of the american space industry and the promotion of capability services is imperative as we seek to advance the space technologies that we've come to rely on in our daily lives, seeking to maintain that U.S. edge in space as china works to beat nasa back to the moon. Productive oceans with coordinated action to combat fishing by the chinese water fishing fleet.
▶ 0:44:32Mr. Brooks: I commit to supporting water security by supporting regional bureaus and U.S. ambassador's, oes can help stabilize water supplies to safeguard industrial supply chains, create opportunities, reduce migration and prevent conflicts. Oes must also defend against global regulatory approaches into innovation and disadvantaging U.S.
▶ 0:44:53Mr. Brooks: Companies, including continuing pressure to oppose aspects of the eu space act into poorly pragmatic agreements to reduce plastic pollution, drawing on success in protecting jobs and investment. At its core, the united states is a frontier nation. American ingenuity and optimism have fueled our rise as a global power and our national interests in the oceans, and outer space, in the deepening interface between biology and technology.
▶ 0:45:24Mr. Brooks: If confirmed, I will make sure that oh yes it is at the leading edge of U.S. efforts to explore, exploit, and defend these vital frontier so that the 21st century remains american. Thank you for considering my nomination.
▶ 0:45:37Chair Risch: Mr. karl, you're up.
▶ 0:45:42Mr. Carl: Thank you so much, chairman risch, member sheen, distinguish members of the foreign relations committee. I'm honored to appear before you today is the trump nominee for the assistant secretary of the bureau of international affairs at the department of state. I'm deeply grateful but trust the president's need to guard the broadly multilateral system.
▶ 0:46:09Mr. Carl: If confirmed I will work to advance the mission by holding u.n. Organizations accountable, promoting transparency, and ensuring the U.S. taxpayer contributions to these organizations delivers tangible results aligning with our national interests. I would like to begin by acknowledging three people who are no longer with us because without them I would not be sitting before you today.
▶ 0:46:31Mr. Carl: In my career I had the tremendous privilege of learning besides george schultz, for whom I was the right and demand for a decade as a staffer. During my time with him, I collaborated with some of america and the world's greatest diplomats. I also want to acknowledge celeste juva, my first professional champion in the first person who allowed me to work within the u.n. System.
▶ 0:47:04Mr. Carl: Third, thank you to the late charlie kirk, a peerless leader in the conservative movement, longtime supporter of me and my work, and a champion of my candidacy in this position. The loss I feel from his passing personally and professionally is incalculable. I also want to thank my colleagues at the claremont institute. They've been so supportive of my work.
▶ 0:47:26Mr. Carl: Thank you to senator daines for his kind introduction, who I was privileged to get to know well over the past several years and who has been a constant source of encouragement and savvy advice as I have gone through this process. I would like to thank my wife in their five children for their support. If I'm confirmed, these are the people who are going to suffer the most through my absence from my home in montana while I work in washington, D.C.
▶ 0:47:52Mr. Carl: And abroad, and they have been unfailingly supportive of me and my desire to serve. As president trump has said, the U.S. has potential but -- u.n. Has potential but needs renewed focus as it has strayed beyond its original purpose of solving international disputes peacefully. The U.S. must lead the effort to demand accountability and results from the u.n. To bring it back to its founding purpose.
▶ 0:48:19Mr. Carl: If confirmed, I will refocus the system of the u.n. On its foundational visit. International organizations exist to advance the interests of sovereign nations. They are not political or independent sources of moral, legal, or political authority. By restoring competitiveness, we can better foster a more stable and secure world.
▶ 0:48:44Mr. Carl: The inefficiencies and bureaucratic sprawl within have been a source of frustration for member states, including the united states. These institutions are often burdened by duplicate of mandates, bloated budgets, and lack of accountability for results, undermining their ability to deliver on their mission and if confirmed, I will prioritize management reform to streamline operations, limit waste, ensuring that these
▶ 0:49:15Mr. Carl: Organizations operate with the efficiency and effectiveness our country and taxpayers deserve. A leaner and more focused u.n. Is in the interest of americans and I look forward to working within our capitols to achieve that one goal, one that mission teams are already excelling at right now. In december U.S. leadership resulted in historic budget cuts of the u.n., with an elimination of 2900 positions. The united states is the largest financial donor to the U.S.
▶ 0:49:47Mr. Carl: System and other international organizations, but too often we are used to support programs and agendas counter to our interests and frequently our allies do not vote with us while privately signaling agreement with us. This is unacceptable. American taxpayers should not fund positions undermining america's interests.
▶ 0:50:09Mr. Carl: It was made clear on january 7 when the president announced he would withdraw from 66 international organizations that he deemed to be redundant in scope, mismanage, or incompatible with foreign policy . The U.S. should only engage in international organizations when it advances national interests and if confirmed I will make sure that every dollar in the united states contributes to wise spending and is in line with national priorities.
▶ 0:50:36Mr. Carl: By taking a principled and strategic approach to funding, we can assure that american voices and values remain at the forefront of the multilateral system. I'm confident that strong leadership and with clear vision we can make sure that international organizations once again serve as effective tools for advancing peace, security, and prosperity. I pledge to work to restore the effectiveness of international organizations while making sure they serve the purposes for which they were created.
▶ 0:51:06Mr. Carl: As secretary rubio said, america first doesn't mean america alone . Our role in the system will continue and be changing but it doesn't mean we will not be active. If confirmed, I will dedicate myself to the mission, working in close partnership with the priorities of the american people. Thank you for your time, your questions, and consideration for my nomination.
▶ 0:51:27Chair Risch: Thank you. Mr. long, you are up.
▶ 0:51:31Mr. Long: Thank you. Chairman, ranking member, another missourian, from st. Charles. I have a bone to pick with you, though. When we appeared in the washington press club together in 2012, you were funnier than I was. I've never gotten over it. Also, to distinguish members of the committee, some of whom I served with on the house, thank you for giving me your time today.
▶ 0:52:01Mr. Long: Thank you for the honor and privilege of appearing before you today as president trump's nominee to serve as U.S. ambassador to iceland. I am deeply grateful to the president, secretary rubio for the trust they have placed in me with this nomination. I want to take a moment to acknowledge my family and all of you that have ever been elected to a position anywhere, whether it is washington, D.C., back home, whether you were the mayor or a city councilman.
▶ 0:52:31Mr. Long: You all know that these physicians, it's hard but tougher on your family. So, I want to give a heartfelt shout out to folks who want to hear -- have to hear all about me directly. Someone with a problem, they can come up and say hey, you messed up on this or that. Someone who comes up and says your husband, your dad, whatever, you want to get on roy blunt's mathematic skills a little bit.
▶ 0:53:01Mr. Long: Said we had been friends for 30 years. Barb and I got married in 1984, 41 years. I have assigned auctioneer license in my office that I still hang on the wall from 1982. That predates 84. That's 40 some odd years now, signed by our greene county clerk, roy blunt. So, we go back a long, long way.
▶ 0:53:29Mr. Long: Abby has been an absolute godsend to barbara, whenever we came out. We had no political experience whatsoever. I come from a business background, 30 two years as a real estate broker, 31 as an auctioneer, not regard -- not counting the 12 years in congress. I have built up a wealth of friends over that time.
▶ 0:53:55Mr. Long: When I came, when I ran, I had never held political office and I said it would work 12 years and then come home and if the senate had that opportunity there, I would do 12 years there in the senate that opened up. At the same time, roy was retiring at the same time I 12 years was up. I was going home either way. I came in 22nd. Didn't do quite as good as you, Mr. curtis. You all remember back when ronald reagan was elected president?
▶ 0:54:24Mr. Long: On his first or second day the hostages that had been held for 144 days were coming home? He called this guy and he said -- I want you to stand there and be there whenever they get off. You know what he told him? No. He said, why? You are the tie a yellow ribbon guy. Why would you not want to be standing there with me to welcome the troops home? He said, Mr. president, that would make it about me.
▶ 0:54:53Mr. Long: That tells me everything you need to know about the gentleman behind me, tony orlando, not many would take that attitude. He it was 4f, cook -- couldn't serve, but he's done more for veterans around the world, 170 $8 million, as far as I know. The guy next to him, paul bear, auctioneer I have known for 40 years.
▶ 0:55:22Mr. Long: Our time at the certified institute at the university of indiana, he is a world champion officer in vietnam veteran on a 100% disability. It's hard for him to get around, hard for him to get in and out of a car or on a plane. He took three rides out here just to be with me. Next to him, lance walker, another auctioneer. He had a long beard and hair.
▶ 0:55:54Mr. Long: He and his wife, terry, they are salt of the earth. I hope that when you judge me today, you judge the little bit about the company I keep, because I've got some very, very good people around me in my life, and I have for years. The united states and iceland have a long history of cooperation and economic security. Our diplomatic relationship dates back to 1941.
▶ 0:56:22Mr. Long: In the united states we accepted responsibility for icelandic defense in world war ii. Since then, the partnership has only grown and matured. I have been working very hard to get here today, to be a representative of the united states and iceland. If unconfirmed, I will do everything I can. I have known to work hard. Don't ever invite me to work, I will always go and always want to get around iceland.
▶ 0:56:53Mr. Long: As far as the priorities of protecting american citizens, in terms of priority enhancement of security authorizations, iceland played a critical role in the transatlantic security and is a founding member of nato and a key partner in the north atlantic with founding corporations for biotechnology in that area.
▶ 0:57:17Mr. Long: Biotech, they are, it's huge and iceland. However you say it, without any pretenses, and just made. Coming from a sales background, biotech in missouri, strengthening the ark of cooperation. With that, I yelled back.
▶ 0:57:47Chair Risch: We let the house go over little bit, no problem. With that, Mr. sweeney.
▶ 0:57:58Mr. Sweeney: Thank you very much. Chairman, number, thank you for the opportunity to appear before you today. It's a distinct honor to be considered for the role of the U.S. asian development bank. I would like to thank the president and the secretary for their confidence in me an opportunity to serve in this position. I'm grateful to the senators, their staff, and the staff of this committee who have taken the time to meet with me.
▶ 0:58:28Mr. Sweeney: I appreciate that opportunity to discuss your priorities and if confirmed, I look forward to working together to promote the interests of the united states. I would like to thank the members of my family for their love and support. Maria, I'm deeply grateful for your advice, support, and love through our adventure together. Next, her three children, andrea, robert, and kelly, each of which we could not be more proud of.
▶ 0:58:56Mr. Sweeney: They have been the bedrock of my adult life, without which I'm not sure I would be appearing before you today. I've had the privilege of pursuing a long career in finance centered on international business development and as an executive around the world at bank and finance companies, including seoul, tokyo, and taipei. If confirmed, it would be an honor to seek -- return to asia and face the challenges and opportunities we have today.
▶ 0:59:25Mr. Sweeney: It would be a special privilege to serve as the U.S. director of the 80 be at a time when there is so much at stake in the nation. China's expanding influence through the belt and rode initiative and asian infrastructure investment bank, as the secretary emphasized, american first doesn't mean america alone.
▶ 0:59:49Mr. Sweeney: The united states should then be seeking to develop borrowers who are both willing to engage in fair trade with the united states and are mutually interesting in terms of diversifying or supplying chains. If approved, I would ask for projects that lead to a freer, fair -- fair or economic system. It's of vital importance that political reforms of adp policies and operational efficiencies have accelerated.
▶ 1:00:21Mr. Sweeney: Secretary bessent has emphasized the need for adb to pursue and I can intensified reform with greater transparency and efficiency. Taxpayers deserve to know that this is productive and an efficient steward. I will ensure that they maintain their focus on this core development goal for the countries it serves. It must do so in a streamlined and transparent structure for operational efficiency.
▶ 1:00:52Mr. Sweeney: The treasury role is vitally important, as one of two founding countries in large equity. It can drive policies at the adb and as a consequence must ensure that they are effective at delivering economic development, financing, and value, to both of the countries they serve and the U.S. taxpayer.
▶ 1:01:21Mr. Sweeney: Both for the efficiency of the operations and opening up opportunities for U.S. businesses to deliver results for adb funded projects. Finally, I understand and respect the importance of a close working relationship with congress and if confirmed, I look forward to working with congress on issues surrounding the asian development bank. Thank you for your time and I look forward to your questions. >> thank you, Mr. sweeney.
▶ 1:01:48Mr. Sweeney: Now we will do a round of questions, five minutes each, for members. I am going to start with you, Mr. brooks. I want to talk about a subject that generally is not in our wheelhouse, but as everybody knows, every tree that the united states -- treaty the united states attempt to enter into has got to go through this committee, regardless of the subject matter. It's necessary, internationally.
▶ 1:02:17Mr. Sweeney: The one I want to focus on right now is something that is really I think flying below the radar and nationally, but is talked about appear to a degree, an international agreement on plastics. Are you familiar with that, I assume? >> I am, senator.
▶ 1:02:39Chair Risch: What can you tell us about the current negotiations. Anything you can shed light on, what a final product might look like? As you may or may not know, I wrote a letter to the administration expressing the reservations I have about hearing these discussions and it really looks to upstream as opposed to simple solution the problem. Your thoughts? Thank you very much for that question, chairman.
▶ 1:03:09Chair Risch: I have not read your letter, but if confirmed I look forward to the fact that maybe later tonight I will go home and maybe take a look for it. What I can tell you is the plastics negotiations have been very long, unfolding international drama. We just heard word that there is a new chair for the inc elected from she lay.
▶ 1:03:38Chair Risch: The united states, the administration looks forward to working with them to work towards consensus on an agreement that protects U.S. interests and ultimately solves the plastic pollution problem. Again, largely drawing on U.S. innovation or success with waste management. Ultimately, ensuring that products that the american people have come to rely on in their daily lives are available and cost-effective.
▶ 1:04:10Chair Risch: Appreciate that. First of all, the plastic issue certainly deserves more attention than it's getting. The resolution is incredibly important to the plastics industry not only in america, but in the world. Can you talk briefly about the two sides of the debate, as I understand it? One is the upstream, the other is the recycling side.
▶ 1:04:35Chair Risch: Can you talk briefly about that conflict and the result of that conflict and how you view it?
▶ 1:04:44Mr. Brooks: You have a group of countries on the one hand looking to establish a global regulatory framework that would seek to ban certain products or additives, placing caps on the amount of plastics or certain additives in products. We think that this is a bad approach. The U.S. manufacturing industry, 27 percent of it is plastics.
▶ 1:05:15Mr. Brooks: As you all know, many of you have been forceful champions for advanced manufacturing and rebuilding the manufacturing base and we need to hold onto as much of that industry base as possible. America has shown that we can manage plastic waste well and encourage that style in other places. And in other places where they are currently lacking.
▶ 1:05:39Chair Risch: Well said. We will take that argument to the table as you talk about this on the international stage and we look forward to getting some kind of legitimate treaty or agreement. Senator shaheen?
▶ 1:05:54Sen. Shaheen: Thank you, Mr. chairman. I have some letters of opposition and off ads regarding the nomination. I ask that they be entered into the record.
▶ 1:06:04Chair Risch: They will.
▶ 1:06:06Sen. Shaheen: I ask that certain articles in tweets by him be put into the record.
▶ 1:06:11Chair Risch: They will be put into the record.
▶ 1:06:13Sen. Shaheen: You have argued that feminism has led to the downfall of the american society, Mr. carl, arguing that the civil rights act has worked the american culture, arguing that the united states should be a white christian nation, writing that a post-feminist is one of falling fertility rapidly rising out of religious collapse.
▶ 1:06:40Sen. Shaheen: In october of 2020 four you stated on the christian ghetto podcast that "jews have often loved to play the victim, the holocaust dominates so much of modern jewish history, jews love to see themselves as oppressed." in 2020 four, you wrote that you want america to be a christian nation and that you continue to make anti-semitic and racist comments even after your nomination was announced last year.
▶ 1:07:10Sen. Shaheen: Mr. carl, and this committee we have heard from many who say things we don't agree with. Since your nomination, you have tweeted more than 850 times, appeared on five podcasts, and repeated this language. This is a pattern.
▶ 1:07:27Sen. Shaheen: How can this committee trust that you can represent the united states of america to the rest of the world in an unbiased manner when you have taken no steps to restrain your conduct after your nomination?
▶ 1:07:43Mr. Carl: Thank you very much for this question, senator. I didn't recognize a couple Sen.
▶ 1:07:52Shaheen: Of those quotes.
▶ 1:07:52Sen. Shaheen: I can assure you they are accurate.
▶ 1:07:53Mr. Carl: I will take your word for it that they are. Senator shaheen, I am greatly -- I understand the importance of restraint and -- and conduct. Unfortunately I have to balance that with my current job, which involves advocacy. I cannot as I explained to totally put away my day job. I'm not being offered a job here yet. I'm hoping to be offered a job.
▶ 1:08:20Sen. Daines: Sen. shaheen: it's
▶ 1:08:22Hard Talk -- Sen. Shaheen: It is hard to understand how we can trust you if you cannot restrain yourself during the time in which you been nominated. Mr. long, thank you for your comments. I'm a fellow missourian, only born in st. Charles. I grew up in sikeston and lived in kirksville as well. I appreciate what you said about coming to the house without any political background.
▶ 1:08:53Hard Talk -- Sen. Shaheen: Being a businessperson, I understand that. I am concerned about comments you made when you referenced iceland as the U.S. at 52nd state, referring to yourself as the potential governor of iceland. I understand that you intended this to be viewed as a joke.
▶ 1:09:12Hard Talk -- Sen. Shaheen: I would urge you to understand that when you are being considered as an ambassador of the united states, those kinds of jokes are not necessarily viewed by others as funny. I think that's what we are hearing in iceland, that there is some real concern about what your views are if you serve as ambassador there.
▶ 1:09:37Hard Talk -- Sen. Shaheen: So, I'm going to give you the opportunity to correct that rhetoric and to express what you think the ambassador to the country of iceland should be thinking about in terms of approaching that job and how important it is to recognize the importance of iceland as an ally of the united states, critical, as I think you did reference in your opening statement to our own national security.
▶ 1:10:08Mr. Long: Thank you. As soon as that, and use a joke or whatever, it was, I was, the way I became appraised of that was from a member of the diplomatic corps from iceland. They, you know, they explained, I hadn't even heard anything about it. I was shocked. It was just like a three way.
▶ 1:10:36Mr. Long: Somebody said something, some they'll say something. I did at the part about the 52nd state. It was totally inappropriate but not something as I said is a pronouncement that was serious. Whenever the arctic news called the next day to ask me about it, I said there was nothing serious about it and I apologize to anyone who may have been offended and that's all I had to say. To me, that's what I could do.
▶ 1:11:04Mr. Long: Senator feinstein, the late senator feinstein, but I was a freshman, we were in a meeting over -- I cannot think of the name of the taco place over there on the corner. The room down there where we meet with democrats, and I'm a freshman and here's dianne feinstein. She opened the meeting by saying -- now, this is all off the record, isn't it? I look at her as a freshman, nobody knew me.
▶ 1:11:36Mr. Long: I said -- I said, "senator feinstein, this is washington, D.C., everything is off the record here unless it's too good not to tell." someone overheard my comment and thought they needed to run to a publication and say that, and I was sorry it happened. All that I can do, I apologized immediately and didn't try to sugarcoat it.
▶ 1:12:05Mr. Long: If that -- I just hope that the people in iceland can give me a second chance to make a first impression. Whenever tom eagleton, our senator from missouri, when he was picked I remember the government saying that he had gotten stuffing other things that had happened. Dropped off the ticket. He said he was behind the senator 110% and I'm a kid and I'm like -- there isn't 110%.
▶ 1:12:32Mr. Long: Going to iceland, I planned to put in 100% and then I said I can't put in 100, I will put in 110 to let the folks in iceland know that I have a lot of respect for them, they have a beautiful country. 700,000 americans go there every year and I hope I can get it up to one million if I'm fortunate enough to be confirmed here today. That's my attitude. I am known to be a very, very good boss.
▶ 1:13:04Mr. Long: The post over there, that's the smallest one. The people there have been great to me, they are excited to get me over there at post. The state department said they wanted me to -- you will lose half of your people by mid-summer, they rotate out, something you have to get used to here.
▶ 1:13:29Mr. Long: They said we had this lady, joni, we want her to be or deputy she mission and leave her in there for a year and I said no. They were like -- what you mean question my cassette I won't be locked into someone I don't know for a year. I want to talk to her, visit her. They didn't want be going to iceland beforehand.
▶ 1:13:56Mr. Long: They set it up with karen, set up a 91, better than the husband -- new at the end of that I said will you be my deputy she mission for a year? She said no. I said why. She said she wanted two years and all three of us fell in love with her and she has agreed to stay for two years.
▶ 1:14:20Mr. Long: So, like I said, it's equipped that shouldn't have been said, I apologize for it immediately and that's all I have to say on that.
▶ 1:14:26Sen. Shaheen: C1
▶ 1:14:34Sen. Shaheen: Sen. shaheen: I appreciate your clarification. Thank you. Thank you, Mr. chairman.
▶ 1:14:38Chair Risch: Thank you. Senator curtis.
▶ 1:14:40Sen. Curtis: Mr. carl, I think I heard in your testimony something very similar to this, but core among U.S. interest and international organizations is the protection of U.S. sovereignty, international security and I'm sure we agree on this. What I didn't hear and what is important to me, high among these interests is the protection of our allies. Namely israel and taiwan. Both of which are consistently mistreated in these international organizations.
▶ 1:15:14Sen. Curtis: As a system for secretary organization, I view one of your core responsibilities to counter the systemic antisemitism and anti-israel bias in international organizations. It does ask for diplomatic support and helping.
▶ 1:15:35Sen. Curtis: In your podcast of october 24, you said the united states spends too much time, often to the detriment of our own national interests. Start with me specifically, what is in the U.S. interest that has been harmed by sustained american support of israel?
▶ 1:15:55Mr. Carl: Senator, thank you for that question. It's a good one. And I think in the context of this particular role, we are israel's closest ally. In the u.n. Context, I wish the u.n. Would stop being antisemitic all the time, so therefore we could stop -- there are a million other problems like the rohingya.
▶ 1:16:26Sen. Curtis: Hold that thought. I want to come back to that. Let me just clarify. Do you think it is all one directional? What I mean by that is it is all U.S. going to help israel? And do you recognize the intelligence, the military innovations and things like that that come back to the united states?
▶ 1:16:45Mr. Carl: I'm so glad you mentioned that, senator curtis. As mentioned before, I spent 10 years under one of the greatest friends of israel, the U.S. diplomatic or has ever had, in secretary schulz. Charlie kirk was almost -- also probably second to no one in america.
▶ 1:17:02Sen. Curtis: Let me rein you in here. That is not going in the direction I want answered. Do you view diplomatic support as important or critical, or does not fall in the too much time and energy?
▶ 1:17:15Mr. Carl: I think -- thank you for that question. I think diplomatic support of israel and the u.n. Context is absolutely critical.
▶ 1:17:24Sen. Curtis: Are there other allies for whom you believe the united states spends too much time and energy?
▶ 1:17:30Mr. Carl: Senator, it would depend -- thank you for the question -- on the situation. In the u.n. Context, I want to be very clear that we have to be by israel's side because nobody else will be by israel's side. You see the effects of the anti-semitism that is rife. You -- it is one of the reasons we have withdrawn.
▶ 1:17:53Sen. Curtis: Do you see how difficult it is for you when approached by these other countries, and you hear that line from them, for you to defend what you just said when you have made these other comments. How do you say to some of these other foreign nations, diplomats, when they echo that same thinking that you have echoed that they are wrong?
▶ 1:18:15Mr. Carl: Could you -- I want to make sure I understand.
▶ 1:18:19Sen. Curtis: Let me give you a specific. On the same cap podcast, the host, and I understand it is the host, not you, he criticized use for claiming special victim status. He said the state of israel is not a victim but a perpetrator, and set how long are you going to rest on the holy cost because based on how you are treating the palestinians? That was the host. But this was your response.
▶ 1:18:46Sen. Curtis: Right, right, yeah, no, but I think that's true. Given that, when asked by other diplomats who do come with these agendas that you refer to in your remarks, how do you push back on that and you didn't push back on that moderator?
▶ 1:19:02Mr. Carl: First of all, thank you for the question. And I would have to review the podcast in question that you are mentioning. I do a lot of podcasts.
▶ 1:19:13Sen. Curtis: I have given you your exact words.
▶ 1:19:14Mr. Carl: I'm sure they are accurate.
▶ 1:19:17Sen. Curtis: Trust me, those diplomats also know your exact words. Let me ask you this question. Do you believe it is remotely acceptable to compare the holocaust to the war launched after october 7?
▶ 1:19:30Mr. Carl: Absolutely not.
▶ 1:19:30Sen. Curtis: I'm out of time here they only give us five minutes. I think you can sense for my questions the concerns. You have not been nominated to some random position to a post, for instance, to iceland, where you get a second chance on these issues. But you are the principal manager of the U.S. multilateral policy.
▶ 1:19:55Sen. Curtis: An anti-israel bias and international organizations as part of a broader strategy to undermine the united states, our legitimacy. I don't know that I have been convinced you understand the threat posed to the west in the narrative. I'm out of time. Mr. chairman, I will yield.
▶ 1:20:13Chair Risch: Thank you. Senator rosen.
▶ 1:20:16Sen. Rosen: Thank you, Mr. chair, ranking member for holding this hearing. Senator curtis, I want to thank you for your comments and your concerns and always for your kindness. It is much appreciated. Because I too today want to speak paint -- plainly about the troubling nomination of Mr. jeremy carl. It is not a close call. Denomination should alarm every senator who believes in basic decency, truth and responsibility that does come with public service.
▶ 1:20:47Sen. Rosen: Mr. carl is infamous for deleting thousands of his past tweets but deleting tweets does not delete the many recorded podcast interviews, public speeches or editorials he has done. As many of my colleagues have and will point out, Mr. carl's vile anti-semitic comments are very real. Whether he tried to erase them or excuse them.
▶ 1:21:11Sen. Rosen: As cofounder and cochair of the senate's bipartisan task force for combating anti-semitism, the only former senate president to serve in the united states senate, and as a jewish woman and mother, I am especially compelled to call out Mr. carl's record. I'm just going to put it in context. In a study released this week by the american jewish committee, one in three jewish americans stated they have personally experienced anti-semitism at least once in the last year.
▶ 1:21:40Sen. Rosen: In last year, and other study that found one in five jewish americans were assaulted, physically threatened or harassed right here in the united states. Our own citizens, all of our constituents, everyone, nobody feels safe in their home -- their own communities. I think this is something that senators on both sides of the aisle really care about. I do know that. Yet Mr.
▶ 1:22:06Sen. Rosen: Carl, despite his long record of problematic statements, has been nominated to lead our country's engagement with every single country in the world through our diplomatic work with international organizations. Some may try to excuse Mr. quarles remarks, claiming his bars were taken out of context and he never said that, his home heritage protects them from criticism. Let me be clear. Identity does not excuse anti-semitism. Identity does not excuse racism.
▶ 1:22:38Sen. Rosen: Identity does not excuse hateful rhetoric, regardless of who says them. Words matter, is -- as my colleagues have said. Words matter. Character matters. Judgment matters. To my colleagues that may consider voting in favor of Mr. carl's nomination, understand what the vote signals. It tells americans you are willing to use your sacred vote, not just to ignore but to endorse the hateful statements that tells jewish americans they simply don't matter.
▶ 1:23:07Sen. Rosen: I ask everyone in this room, depending what your age is, many of us here have had relatives, parents, who fought in world war ii. We know those stories. Thank you for your service. I see a vietnam veteran in the audience. But imagine them young. Or maybe not so young, sitting here today, in their uniform.
▶ 1:23:29Sen. Rosen: Hard to imagine may be parents young, but imagine them young or coming back sitting here today, looking at us, knowing what they fought for. They are watching us. Whether they are there or here. Mr. carl, I would be hard-pressed to find any person in this room, not any of my colleagues who would agree with your statements. I want to quote some of them. The jews love to see themselves as oppressed.
▶ 1:23:56Sen. Rosen: "jews have often loved to play the victim, rather than accept their participants in history." another one, "hitler is always the convenient kind of bad example." hitler's is always a convenient kind of bad example. Anyone who had family members who served in world war ii, I would have them, I wish they were here to argue with you on that one.
▶ 1:24:20Sen. Rosen: I'm very critical on other -- on another thing you said, a stance of sociology of the jewish community, it has been very destructive overall. Another quote "you guys are spearheading a lot of bad causes." another quote, "we need to criticize and critique them" referring to the jews when they are enemies, without being worried about being called anti-semites.
▶ 1:24:44Sen. Rosen: In discussing the holocaust, where 6 million jews, almost half the population a life at the time, were slaughtered, an event that continues to be denied to this day, you say, "the holocaust dominates so much of modern jewish thinking, even today. Everyone has traumas in their past. How much are we going to relitigate them? " save it to the members of the folks who fought in world war ii. Fought and died. Speaking to my colleagues.
▶ 1:25:16Sen. Rosen: A vote in favor of Mr. carl is a vote -- full throated endorsement of any and all of these statements. I know everyone cares about the rise of anti-semitism here and around the united states and around the world.
▶ 1:25:32Sen. Rosen: If you have empathy for the jewish community, communities experiencing hate, simply tired of advancing nominees who I doubt will be respected on the world stage, you must vote against Mr. carl's nomination. I just remember from my father who fought in the war and so many of my family members, I know he is watching, I know other parents are watching, I know our children are watching, I know the world is watching.
▶ 1:26:05Sen. Rosen: So, where will we stand? Where will be stand? What did they fight for? That matters. My time is up. Thank you, Mr. chairman.
▶ 1:26:14Chair Risch: Thank you. Senator -- senator merkley is next.
▶ 1:26:20Sen. Merkley: Thank you very much, Mr. chairman. I share concern about the troubling points of view you have expressed. Here we are in february, february often starts with folks attending mlk breakfast, thinking about some of the points he made for inclusion.
▶ 1:26:47Sen. Merkley: I think a phrase that resonates across america is when he said, I have a dream that my four little children will be judged someday -- or that we will one day live in a nation where they will be judged not by the color of their skin but by the content of their character. Yet you devote yourself to judging people either color of their skin. And I find that type of prejudice unacceptable.
▶ 1:27:19Sen. Merkley: And I think it would be absolutely unacceptable for you to represent the united states and our international body. I find all of that very troubling. But I also find it troubling that your resume is pretty thin for this position. You did serve as deputy assistant secretary for fish, wildlife and parks. I'm sure there are some international issues that that might resonate for.
▶ 1:27:48Sen. Merkley: I service the ranking democrat on the spending committee, so I'm familiar with those issues. But that is very small piece internationally. You did serve as a visiting fellow and resourced of element energy and resources institute in new delhi. A research fellow at the hoover institute on energy. But I believe, and I will just ask it plainly in case I am mistaken, you have not served for the united states previously on the U.S. mission to the u.n., is that correct?
▶ 1:28:16Mr. Carl: That is correct.
▶ 1:28:21Sen. Merkley: Thank you. I believe you have not served on an international organization.
▶ 1:28:23Mr. Carl: Thank you for that question. As I referred to in my opening remarks, I was an official research assistant on several of professional -- of harvard's international organization related things, related to sustainable development.
▶ 1:28:38Sen. Merkley: You wrote and thought about some of these things but you did not serve in a staff capacity on an international organization.
▶ 1:28:45Mr. Carl: Thank you for that question. That is correct.
▶ 1:28:48Sen. Merkley: And have you served in any position in a diplomatic role with the state department?
▶ 1:28:55Mr. Carl: Senator, I have not. Although I had many opportunities to do track diplomacy while working with secretary schulz.
▶ 1:29:03Sen. Merkley: Do you have a background or expertise, and I know you have some in energy, and nuclear nonproliferation?
▶ 1:29:09Mr. Carl: I have actually written a book about nuclear power that does go into some of these issues. I'm fairly familiar with nonproliferation issues, but would not call myself an expert.
▶ 1:29:24Sen. Merkley: I'm familiar with your distributed power in the U.S. book, which is very different from the nuclear nonproliferation issue. Which role is most important, the U.S. ambassador to the U.S. mission, the U.S. permanent representative to the human, or the U.S. representative to the general assembly?
▶ 1:29:41Mr. Carl: I believe it would be the U.S. permanent representative to the u.n. Would be the most important.
▶ 1:29:48Sen. Merkley: Why is that?
▶ 1:29:51Mr. Carl: I believe, I may be incorrect, that it is simply the highest ranking of those positions.
▶ 1:29:59Sen. Merkley: That is the role of the security council rather than to the u.n., as a whole. The U.S. is a member of iaea and iom and foa and I to you. Which do you think the U.S. should be committed to funding in 2026?
▶ 1:30:19Mr. Carl: Senator, I can simply tell you I have not been party obviously to the funding or defunding decisions. Although thank you for your question. I think it has been the general public statements of the secretary and others in the administration that standards bodies of all types are particularly important.
▶ 1:30:45Mr. Carl: I would expect that we would be looking to largely continue to participate in most all standards bodies but I have not been part of those deliberations as a private citizen.
▶ 1:30:56Sen. Merkley: The administration has committed funding three of those five. Why those three and not the other two?
▶ 1:31:01Mr. Carl: Thank you for that question. I simply as a private citizen, I don't have insight as to why they have chosen to fund, other than as the generality that if we felt missions were duplicate it, if we felt that U.S. interests were not being looked after or if we felt that they were being run contrary to U.S. interests, that we did not want to participate in those organizations.
▶ 1:31:31Sen. Merkley: Are you aware which of the three of the five they committed to funding?
▶ 1:31:37Mr. Carl: I would assume that we have continued to fund the iaea and beyond that, I'm not familiar.
▶ 1:31:44Sen. Merkley: My time is up, so I will yield back. It is a very complex assembly of organizations at the human -- that u.n. We withdrew from 66 organizations, 3591 and 31 u.n.
▶ 1:32:03Sen. Merkley: The lack of your previous experience in that thicket of international connections and lack of experiences is a key subject matter that is addressed concerns me as well as your previous comments. Thank you.
▶ 1:32:16Chair Risch: Senator ricketts.
▶ 1:32:19Sen. Ricketts: The U.S. has long raised concerns about the continued lending to communist china through the asian development bank. The rationale is pretty straightforward. Communist china is the world's second largest economies and maintains massive foreign exchange reserves, operates some of the largest state directed of element banks and finances global infrastructure through its belt and road initiative.
▶ 1:32:47Sen. Ricketts: Get communist china continues to receive financing from institutions designed to support developing economies struggling with poverty and infrastructure deficits. Frustratingly, the agent development bank is no exception. This dual staff allows beijing to benefit from global institutions while undermining the very rules-based systems those institutions are designed to uphold.
▶ 1:33:09Sen. Ricketts: Treasury secretary ascent recently reinforced this message by calling four concrete steps to place communist china on a clear path to graduating from asia develop banks borrowing. Esther sweeney, do you agree with what secretary percent said, in the agent develop meant bank should end communist china's borrowing of asian development bank funds?
▶ 1:33:34Mr. Sweeney: Thank you for that question. I wholeheartedly agree with that position. As we all know, I believe, funding is fungible. Funding from the adb, which is intended to go for economic to valid and for poverty reduction to places that need it, it is highly inappropriate that that funding be directed to china -- chinese entities.
▶ 1:34:03Mr. Sweeney: Whether they are state owned entities, private entities, entities of any sort. Money is fungible. That money which is not directed toward the developing country members, and goes to china, which is still classified as a dcm, I don't. Think that is appropriate but yes, I think it is highly inappropriate.
▶ 1:34:27Mr. Sweeney: If confirmed, I would be doing everything in my power to eight, advance the long-standing need to graduate china from the adb and secondly, related but somewhat different, is ending the lending. Which is probably a somewhat more immediate possibility.
▶ 1:34:45Sen. Ricketts: Can you provide a few details? Do you have thoughts on your confirmed -- if confirmed, what would you do within the government structure to be able to stop this sort of lending to communist china?
▶ 1:34:58Mr. Sweeney: Thank you for the question. The first piece of this is that from what I understand, I have not sat in the position, I don't know the details of how graduation works, but I understand it is going to need to be a consortium effort to convince china to withdraw. That is different.
▶ 1:35:23Mr. Sweeney: From stopping lending but I believe with our equal partner, japan, and other developing countries, which have an interest, a personal interest in seeing that lending stop, we will arrive at a program for graduation of china.
▶ 1:35:38Sen. Ricketts: Let's talk about the belden road initiative. Last year, the asian development bank announced a investment in a real way along the china-pakistan corridor that was filled with the belt and road initiative. Was concerning his this project was slated for chinese to but was deemed to be too risky by beijing.
▶ 1:36:03Sen. Ricketts: After years of delay, cost, and concerns about pakistan's debt sustainability, chinese lenders stepped back. The result is the risk one suborned by chinese policy banks is now being transferred to a multilateral development bank in which the U.S. is the leading shareholder. Should the asian development bank be acting as a lender of last resort for the belt and road projects that failed to be market or policy banks standards, even by china's own standards?
▶ 1:36:32Mr. Sweeney: Thank you for that question. It should not. It is highly inappropriate. If confirmed, I commit to you and the committee to oppose any such lending. It is highly inappropriate.
▶ 1:36:41Sen. Ricketts: I do want to commend the asia development banks for its recent decision to allow investments in nuclear power projects. This is a significant and overdue shift. Last year, I led a bipartisan code out to the philippines. We heard about the energy challenges and it is not just the philippines, it is other countries as well.
▶ 1:37:09Sen. Ricketts: Our partners in the regions are confronting similar product -- problems affecting their economies and creating economic instability or impacting their ability to resist disasters and national security issues. Competitors understand this vulnerability and actively work to exploit it. The asia development bank has shifted and represents not only an energy milestone, but the strategic opportunity for the U.S. how will you ensure the agent of element banks supports partner countries in addressing urgent energy security needs?
▶ 1:37:39Mr. Sweeney: Thank you for the question. We are fortunate to have a country which is second to none. And in my opinion, above all in our energy development technologies. That includes nuclear. If confirmed, I will work assiduously and tirelessly to assure U.S. technology is brought to bear on those issues.
▶ 1:38:01Sen. Ricketts: Thank you.
▶ 1:38:02Chair Risch: Senator murphy.
▶ 1:38:04Sen. Murphy: Thank you, Mr. chairman and thank you for appearing here today. Mr. carl, I think it is heartbreaking that you have been nominated for this position, and you have reached a panel before the united states senate. That I do want to give you a chance to go a little deeper in your explanations of your personal beliefs. They are directly relevant to your fitness to serve. You already have had some of your statements read to you.
▶ 1:38:32Sen. Murphy: I would like you to respond to at least a few of them. One of the things you have said is that antiwhite discrimination is the most pervasive and politically salient form of racism today. Do you continue to believe that antiwhite discrimination is more salient than the discrimination faced today by blacks, latinos,
▶ 1:39:03Sen. Murphy: Muslims, or other american groups?
▶ 1:39:06Mr. Carl: Thank you for that question. And thank you also for giving me the opportunity to speak at length. I have not necessarily had much opportunity to respond.
▶ 1:39:19Sen. Murphy: I will have at least one more question for you so I will give you a minute or two.
▶ 1:39:21Mr. Carl: Yes. Thanks to the great work of my friend, harvey dylan, as the assistant attorney general, I think we have done an incredible job in this administration of getting rid of certain policies that discriminate against white americans, but also in some cases, asian americans.
▶ 1:39:38Sen. Murphy: Answer my question. Let's rewind. As you may be will suggest that everything is fine now. Let's rewind a year ago. A year ago, were white americans the most discriminated against group in the united states? You said it.
▶ 1:39:55Mr. Carl: Certainly this is my belief, I'm not running away from that. I think that while of course all races in different contexts can be subject to yearly severe discrimination -- to really severe discrimination, white americans are often very disfavored in overt ways. We see this in the small business administration and other places.
▶ 1:40:16Sen. Murphy: Your believe is white americans face more discrimination, at least prior to the trump administration fixing this, van black americans?
▶ 1:40:28Mr. Carl: On average, that's correct and I'm not running away from that statement.
▶ 1:40:31Sen. Murphy: You have made several statements about your worry regarding the erasure of white culture in america. I understand irish-american culture, I understand italian american culture. I maybe don't understand white culture.
▶ 1:40:56Sen. Murphy: Tell, me the values the white values that you believe are being erased by the current american government or prior american governments.
▶ 1:41:03Mr. Carl: Thank you for that question. I would say -- I didn't use the word value, I used the word culture. Anytime you have large degrees of mass emigration, you're going to have a change in culture, if the -- especially if they come from culturally dissimilar backgrounds. No matter what group it is, if it were in china, it would be the same thing. If it were in new guinea, it would be the same thing.
▶ 1:41:28Sen. Murphy: Tell me what that means. Culture is values. His expressions of identity. Tell me what is being erased. Give me some examples. Of what you believe are being erased about white identity pair what is white identity to you?
▶ 1:41:43Mr. Carl: Thank you for that.
▶ 1:41:47Sen. Murphy: Tell me how it is different than other identities.
▶ 1:41:48Mr. Carl: I think the question of identity is something that lots of --
▶ 1:41:52Sen. Murphy: Just tell me how you define white identity and what you think is being erased about white identity.
▶ 1:41:59Mr. Carl: Thank you for the question. And genuinely, thank you for letting me have a chance to explain some of my comments a little bit. I would say, they could be things like going to a certain type of christian church, and that sort of culture which is very different.
▶ 1:42:21Mr. Carl: We can all be christians in a certain environment, but african-american christians might worship differently than chinese christians, that might worship differently than white christians. You sometimes have multiethnic churches but things like that. Certain types of anglo derived culture that comes from our history.
▶ 1:42:38Sen. Murphy: Like what?
▶ 1:42:40Mr. Carl: Let me think about this. You know, if you were to look at the book by one of your former senate colleagues about the scotch irish military culture, and certain pride that went with that, that would be one example. Obviously you could have some elements of the culture. You could have italians, irish. Those are --
▶ 1:43:07Sen. Murphy: You are worried about white culture. You are now retreating to ethnic identity. You did speak about ethnic identity. You speak about white identity. Tell me the values that stitch together white identity. That make it different than black identity.
▶ 1:43:21Mr. Carl: Again, thank you --
▶ 1:43:27Sen. Murphy: You have spent a lot of time talking and writing about. You are struggling with this. You should fairly easily be able to tell us your thoughts on how white identity is different than other kinds of identities and how it is being erased.
▶ 1:43:41Mr. Carl: Thank you for the question.
▶ 1:43:43Sen. Murphy: You're welcome.
▶ 1:43:45Mr. Carl: I'm trying to be very precise. Because I'm here in front of the senate committee. I would say the white church is very different than the black church in terms of its tone and style, on average. Foodways could be different. Music could be different. If you look at the super bowl halftime show which was snotty in english.
▶ 1:44:08Sen. Murphy: Our ability to access white churches or white food or white music is being erased?
▶ 1:44:16Mr. Carl: Thank you for the question. What I would say is the biggest thing, because actually, contrary to many of the comments that have been shown, racial nationalists have been critical of my work because they correctly say that I'm not a racial nationalist, I'm a civic nationalist.
▶ 1:44:35Mr. Carl: I'm concerned with the majority of common american culture that we had for some time that through particularly mass emigration, I think has become much more balkanized. I think that weakens us. I'm not running away from that comment.
▶ 1:44:50Sen. Murphy: I'm way over my time. I think you are struggling to answer this question. Because underlying your beliefs is a sentiment that white culture is just simply better.
▶ 1:45:04Mr. Carl: No. I have to disagree.
▶ 1:45:09Sen. Murphy: You have not been able to coherently answer any of my questions about how you define white culture, how you define the threat that is posed. I appreciate you being very honest that you believe white americans are subject to greater amounts of discrimination in this country than black americans. I do not that is a sentiment shared probably on this committee. It is all what makes you just wildly, wildly unqualified to take this post. But I'm all over my time.
▶ 1:45:33Mr. Carl: I do appreciate you letting me actually respond. I genuinely do. Thank you.
▶ 1:45:41Sen. Kaine: Mr. carl, I will follow up a little bit. You gave a speech to the national conservatism conference in july of 2024. Entitled "the persecution of whites in america." one of the things you said was, american whites are victims of a cultural genocide. A cultural genocide. Where to start.
▶ 1:46:08Sen. Kaine: We would agree with me that whites are pretty well represented in the united states senate.
▶ 1:46:14Mr. Carl: They are represented in this body.
▶ 1:46:17Sen. Kaine: Sen. kaine: how about in the house of representatives?
▶ 1:46:18Mr. Carl: I don't have those particular numbers.
▶ 1:46:24Sen. Kaine: You would agree they are pretty well represented in the house of representatives?
▶ 1:46:26Mr. Carl: Thank you for the question. I would point out that there were no white protestants by birth under joe biden.
▶ 1:46:37Sen. Kaine: How about in the ranks of american presidents throughout history including -- pretty well represented whites? And how about in the ranks of vice president's during american history? Pretty well represented in that group.
▶ 1:46:50Mr. Carl: Thank you for the question.
▶ 1:46:50Sen. Kaine: How about on the united states supreme court? Whites are pretty well represented on the united states supreme court, correct?
▶ 1:46:59Mr. Carl: Will you permit me the opposite -- the opportunity to finish my answer? I think historically, I would agree with you. The vast majority of americans were white at that time. Is now much more diverse society.
▶ 1:47:14Mr. Carl: How about in the ranks of american government -- Sen.
▶ 1:47:17Kaine: How about in the ranks of american government?
▶ 1:47:18Mr. Carl: I would have to look at the numbers.
▶ 1:47:26Sen. Kaine: In the ranks of ceos of major corporations today, let's not talk about that. Do you think whites are pretty well represented?
▶ 1:47:30Mr. Carl: Thank you for the question. I suspect they are pretty well represented in that. There are others where they are not well represented.
▶ 1:47:38Sen. Kaine: How about in the ranks of high income people. We can define it however you want. Top 10% of wealthy americans. You think whites are well represented?
▶ 1:47:47Sen. Kaine: Thank you for the question --
▶ 1:47:49Mr. Carl: Thank you for the question. . They would be underrepresented with respect to asian americans.
▶ 1:47:55Sen. Kaine: A cultural genocide, that is a stiff claim. And it is an interesting one because it is kind of a wider victimhood argument. If I remember my colleague, senator rosen, she was reading comments to you where you have been saying, jews play the victim, jews like to be the victim.
▶ 1:48:19Sen. Kaine: Yet, you are making a claim that whites are victimized by a cultural dentist -- genocide, when all of the statistics would say, not just in history but today, that whites are very well represented at every level of every institution. They are very well represented in the incomes of americans, and that doesn't mean each person's high income or each person is a supreme court justice. .
▶ 1:48:47Sen. Kaine: But you can look institution after institution in this country, and the facts completely rebut the notion that whites are victimized by a cultural genocide. I have a question for Mr. long I want to get to. Have had a little controversy in the last couple weeks about iceland. President trump gave a speech in davos and said, I'm helping nato until when I told him about iceland, they left me. The problem with nato is we will be with -- be there with them 100%, but I'm not sure they will be there for us.
▶ 1:49:17Sen. Kaine: They are not with us on iceland. Art -- our stock market took a dip because of iceland. Iceland has already cost us a lot of money. The white house said the president did not mistake greenland and iceland. Senator rubio at a hearing said the president was talking about iceland. Do you know of any problem we have with iceland? Has iceland cost us a lot of money? Did iceland because our stock market to decline?
▶ 1:49:47Sen. Kaine: Are you aware of any facts that would support that iceland has cost the U.S. a lot of money?
▶ 1:49:52Mr. Long: Everything. We will take this against my time, but don't you have a -- two here now. I've got a couple opportunities. Everything that I have been given to understand, everything I have been studying in the last six months, iceland is a very good ally, as you know. We have been with them since day one when no one else one.
▶ 1:50:19Sen. Kaine: And this is important. You have not, in your conversations with folks with the trump administration, been told in any way that iceland is a problem, iceland is costing us money, iceland is turning our stock market, is that correct?
▶ 1:50:36Mr. Long: I have not been told that, no. I think it's just the opposite. We were talking earlier, I'm not sure if you were in the room --
▶ 1:50:47Sen. Kaine: We were talking about how you regretted the 52nd state thing.
▶ 1:50:53Mr. Long: The biotechnology they have, in the state of tech -- of misery, huge in biotech. I'm excited to get over there and have opportunities to get things going. I'm a people person. I was an option or a real estate broker salesman. I enjoy people. I just do. If you go to the house and check through the democrats that are still there, I have as many friends on the democrat side of the aisle as republicans.
▶ 1:51:24Sen. Kaine: I'm glad to hear you have not been given any warning or instruction or expression of concern from the administration that iceland is a problem, because I think they are an ally. Thank you.
▶ 1:51:36Chair Risch: Sen. curtis:. >> I never thought I would have somebody that made a lot of the statements you have made before the united states senate. I would love to discuss some of your comments. You are going to be working with international organizations. Do you think one race is superior to another race?
▶ 1:51:58Mr. Carl: Absolutely not.
▶ 1:51:58Sen. Booker: You don't. So do you think america would be weaker if it was, say, 40% jewish?
▶ 1:52:06Mr. Carl: Senator, absolutely not in and of itself. I think the problem --
▶ 1:52:11Sen. Booker: Why did you qualify that?
▶ 1:52:13Mr. Carl: If you would let me finish, I believe unity, is president trump has said, rather than diversity is a greater strength.
▶ 1:52:21Sen. Booker: But why not simply say it doesn't matter what percentage of our population is jewish?
▶ 1:52:27Mr. Carl: It certainly doesn't matter. If I could finish. If somebody of jewish -- as somebody of jewish origin myself, and I want to take this moment to say because there have been comments made, one of my weaknesses, and we have discussed some that you may think in general our weaknesses, is sometimes I take an idea too far.
▶ 1:52:53Mr. Carl: And I made some comments in interviews about minimizing the effect of the holocaust that were absolutely wrong. I'm not going to sit here and defend them here. I just want to be clear on that point. Had I been in germany at that time even though I was a sixth generation american --
▶ 1:53:12Sen. Booker: I have heard you say that you regret some of your comments about jews.
▶ 1:53:21Mr. Carl: Absolutely.
▶ 1:53:22Sen. Booker: Do you regret any other comments about any other races?
▶ 1:53:31Mr. Carl: You would have to reference a certain comment but I'm certainly not a perfect person and I'm sure I've --
▶ 1:53:33Sen. Booker: Do you regret your comments about latino americans?
▶ 1:53:40Mr. Carl: I'm sure if you read me every single comment I made about a group, there would be some that --
▶ 1:53:42Sen. Booker: You stipulate for this body that you have in your past made comments about jewish -- jews and latinos and blacks that you regret?
▶ 1:53:50Mr. Carl: Senator, thank you for the question. As someone who believes we are all infinitely sinful --
▶ 1:54:01Sen. Booker: We are sending you into a very diverse world. And you can't say unequivocally that america does not matter what our racial makeup is. You believe it matters what the racial makeup of america is?
▶ 1:54:13Mr. Carl: Do you believe --
▶ 1:54:15Mr. Carl: Do you believe it matters what the racial makeup of america is?
▶ 1:54:20Mr. Carl: Two echo president trump --
▶ 1:54:22Sen. Booker: I want you to answer my question yes or no. Does it matter what the racial makeup of america is?
▶ 1:54:32Mr. Carl: I will stand on my comment, thank you.
▶ 1:54:33Sen. Booker: What's your comment, yes or no?
▶ 1:54:37Mr. Carl: I believe unity rather than diversity is a strength.
▶ 1:54:39Sen. Booker: So you have a problem if america grew to be more latinos than white people?
▶ 1:54:44Mr. Carl: The individual group is not important.
▶ 1:54:49Sen. Booker: What do you mean when you say that you believe in the great replacement theory?
▶ 1:54:54Mr. Carl: Thank you for that question. This refers to the intentional demographic replacement of europeans in europe. It was invented by a french scholar.
▶ 1:55:11Sen. Booker: You think there is an active effort to quote unquote replace americans right now?
▶ 1:55:16Mr. Carl: I think the democratic party through its immigration policy shows signs of that.
▶ 1:55:23Sen. Booker: I don't understand that. You are saying that if more americans are black or latino, americans, that that somehow weakens america because it puts whites in a minority.
▶ 1:55:40Mr. Carl: I never said anything like that, nor do I actually believe that. I want to be very clear. Regardless of country, if people generally share --
▶ 1:55:51Sen. Booker: Can I redo what you have set? You have said the great replacement israel, and they -- is real, and they are going to try to make you pay for it. Who is say? -- who is they?
▶ 1:56:04Mr. Carl: Simply don't know from you reading that one isolated comment.
▶ 1:56:08Sen. Booker: This is the problem here you make the most incendiary comments that you admit you regret about jews, about latinos, about blacks. And you sit here and say that you do not have a worldview that somehow our country is weakened based upon the populations of each. In fact, you say in your writings that it is a threat to the united states of america, and create nas versus them.
▶ 1:56:40Sen. Booker: And the only interpretation I can have of us versus them is its white people against others, which sounds a deeply racist to me. That somehow you think our country's greatness depends upon its ethnic diversity, as long as white people have more numbers than others. That does not sound like a nation that was founded with the belief that all people are created equal.
▶ 1:57:10Sen. Booker: And equal before the eyes of god. It sounds like you have a racial hierarchy. There is no way for me to read this in any other way. You have said our country, based upon religious diversity, based upon ethnic diversity, based upon racial diversity, you have indicated that somehow, those make america weaker or stronger.
▶ 1:57:34Sen. Booker: That god forbid our nation grows in population that then you suddenly say, I'm aggrieved, and they are trying to replace us. This is the united states of america. We are one nation under god. But you cut us up and divide us along racial lines.
▶ 1:57:55Mr. Carl: Respectfully, I do not say they do.
▶ 1:58:01Sen. Booker: You cannot use the word respectfully because you do not respect me. You use the color of my skin, you say holidays like juneteenth are racial hustles. Don't come here and hustle me. You have said statements that other nations are going to look upon you and read plainly. You go to a country of a different religion or ethnicity, you have discriminated against jews in your writing, have discriminated against others, and then you claim yourself as a victim. Mr.
▶ 1:58:29Sen. Booker: Chairman, I have never seen such a blatantly racist individual who does not even deny that he has made these statements, but wants to tell us that he regrets them, and yet still believes that this body, who is committed to principles of equality, who is committed to ideals of our founders, that you are not in direct violation to the ideals and values and principles.
▶ 1:58:56Sen. Booker: The last I want to say, I watched people beat others when they attacked the capitol. Viciously attacked police officers. Brian sicknick, a new jersey resident, was beaten near death and would die days later. And you say those violent felons, you literally have said that they were treated worse than people during jim crow.
▶ 1:59:25Sen. Booker: When thousands of americans were lynched, murdered, beaten, and killed, you equate capitol hill rioters with receiving worst treatment than americans during jim crow, which even some of the worst people who participated in that violence and beatings have come forward decades later and said, I was wrong.
▶ 1:59:53Sen. Booker: It is shameful that when this body ran for its life, when they had gallows for the vice president put outside, when they tried to stop the peaceful transfer of power, that you would equate those people to the folks that were victimized and terrorized by white nationalist organizations like the kkk.
▶ 2:00:17Sen. Booker: Surf, you have no decent -- server, you have no decency, you have no honor, you say inflammatory things because you think it will ingratiate you to those who are paying your salary. And you sit here before me and try to wrap yourself with the american flag. I believe in this nation. I believe in the principles. I believe in those who fought and died for our country.
▶ 2:00:38Sen. Booker: You disgrace that legacy, and the ideals that we all swear an oath to uphold that does not believe in one nation for one people and another people. Dear god, I pray for us if we let somebody like you represent us to the diverse nations of the world as representing the values of our country.
▶ 2:00:58Mr. Carl: I absolutely deplore jim crow but I do not agree the characterization you have done of my views.
▶ 2:01:08Chair Risch: The record will remain open until close of business tomorrow. If there is any questions put into the record, I would appreciate it if you would respond to the record, respond to the questions as quickly as you can. I want to thank all of you, and all of the families who are here today for submitting yourself for a potential nomination by the president.
▶ 2:01:34Chair Risch: And I will include in the record all letters of support and other matters will be received, regarding any of the nominees. Again, thanks from the committee. With that, the committee is adjourned.