POMED Notes: “Hearing on FY2012 State Department Budget “

Clinton closed by stating, “[T]he world has never been in greater need of the qualities that distinguish us, our openness and innovation, our determination, our devotion to universal values. Everywhere I travel, I see people looking to us for leadership.”

Senator Leahy asked the Secretary to compile a list of those countries in the Middle East and South Asia which may be deemed ineligible for U.S. assistance under the Leahy Act for using U.S. funds and resources to perpetrate attacks against peaceful protesters.  He also asked Clinton about the nature of the Libyan opposition and how the U.S. would go about arming those opposition members, as called for by some Senators.  Leahy also asked about the U.S. could support the ICC investigation given the fact that is not a member.  Clinton responded by stating that the administration and its European allies are still considering their options and that no decisions have been made as of yet due to the uncertainty of the situation on the ground.  In the meantime, the administration is focusing on the humanitarian mission.  On the ICC investigation, Clinton said that the U.S. is doing all it can to support them, but is also pursuing an American investigation surrounding the Lockerbie bombing.

Leahy also asked Clinton to discuss how funds appropriated for internet freedom were being utilized.  Clinton stated that the State Department is very committed to this issue and that she has made it a priority.  Thus far, they have awarded $22 million in grants through an open process and will award 25 million dollars using a venture capital approach by supporting a portfolio of technologies and tools.  She stated that it was a new and changing field and that they are moving as fast as they can to deal with situations that are totally unprecedented such as Egypt shutting down the internet.

Senator Graham asked Clinton if we missed an opportunity in Iran during the 2009 Green Revolution and whether the State Department has the resources to adequately prepare for the civilian surge in Iraq this October.  Clinton responded by stating that while we spoke out in support of the people in 2009, we were advised by people both inside and outside of Iran that it was very important that the opposition forces were not seen to be, in any way, directed by or affiliated with the United States and that this be seen as an indigenous Iranian movement.  She stated that since then we have seen the brutality of the Iranian regime and their commitment to repressing any kind of opposition.  In response, she is upping her rhetoric and designating human rights abusers.  In response to questions by Graham, Clinton stated that she personally considers Gadhafi and Mohammed Ahmadinejad to be human rights abusers.  On Iraq, Clinton stated that the State Department has been preparing for the civilian surge since it was agreed to under Bush, noted the importance of the OCO account, and  said that she is concerned with security of her people there, and as such the department will be hiring private security contractors.  Graham noted his concern that the U.S. military was in essence being replaced by a private one.

Responding to questions by Senator Sherrod Brown (D-OH) on protecting labor rights through trade agreements, Clinton noted the importance of unions in Tunisia and Egypt during the uprisings stating that “the secular opposition is coming out of the trade union movement.”  She stated that in these countries they are best organized groups aside from the Islamist movements and that we need to support them to help create “indigenous, organized centers of power and influence that are not going to be pretty to ideology and radicalism.”  She noted that in the 1970s and 1980s the United States supported unions across the world as part of our democracy promotion efforts.

Senator Mark Kirk questioned the imposition of sanctions which support the Iranian regime and asked for a list of companies currently being investigated by the department.  Clinton noted that she is the first secretary of state to impose sanctions.  Senator Graham asked about how we can contain a nuclear Iran.  Clinton stated that she hopes we will not have to address that issue and is doing everything she can to prevent that from occurring as it would be highly destabilizing and will lead to other regional powers attempting to obtain weapons as well. “When the genie’s out of the bottle it’s hard to know what is going to happen next.”

Senator Barbara Mikulski (D-MD) asked Clinton how House’s cuts have affected the morale of State Department workers.  Clinton stated that moral has been high because there is a great sense of mission.  She stated that at the end of the day the budget is about values and priorities and if this Congress cuts non-defense discretionary spending while retaining defense spending it sends a message.  She states it is unfortunate as the department is working hard to be the partners the military needs with limited support.  Mikulski asked what the effects of the cuts will be on missions in the frontline countries. Clinton stated that it is going to compromise our efforts in Iraq, Pakistan and Afghanistan and efforts in the Middle East where the cuts will force the U.S. to cut back our assistance thereby undermining our influence at a particularly crucial time.  She states that many missions that are seen as directly impacting our national security will be derailed.

Senator Mikulski also addressed the role of social media and the work the State Department has played in attempts to win “the hearts and minds” of the people.  Clinton stated that in the Middle East we are seeing the youth expressing their frustrations with the economic and security issues in their countries on sites like Twitter and Facebook.  She stated that she has developed, in the State Department, a “mini think tank” to deal with the media and they were in the front lines in pushing the use of technologies to combat censorship by governments in Iran and Egypt.  She noted the fact that the State Department now has a Twitter page in both Farsi and Arabic and that the department is trying to engage the people through both new media and old media.  She called for the formation of global networks similar to AlJazeera so that the U.S. can “win the information competition.” She discussed the importance that played during the Cold War, and later also pointed to a report completed by Senator Richard Lugar (R-IN) on this issue.  Responding to a question by Senator Ron Johnson (R-WI), Clinton also noted the importance of our cultural exports in “freeing people’s minds” and inculcating “the aspirations of the human soul for freedom.”  She said that was what was seen in Tahrir Square where people were living democracy by expressing themselves.

Senator Don Coats (R-IN) also asked how we can engage in the Middle East and help foster the growth of democracy and if the State Department could reappropriate funds internally to help do so.  Clinton stated that the department has begun doing so already and stated that we have the opportunity to engage the region in the coming weeks and we have a lot at stake in what happens there.  Thus, she called on congress to “be as surgical as possible” in dealing with the budget and to “prioritize our national security interests.”  She also noted that while we attempt to play an important role in fostering democratic transition we need to keep our eye on other countries as well to prevent countries like Iran from filling the void with their narrative.  She stated that we are also coordinating our efforts with our allies in Europe to ensure that all bases are covered and we are not duplicating aid.  Clinton also made note of the conservative UK government’s increase in foreign aid budget even as they make large cuts.

In response to questions by Senator Frank Lautenberg (D-NJ), Senator Roy Blunt (R-MO), and Senator Leahy on the no-fly zone, Clinton stated that all of us want to see an end to the killing, but the Security Council resolution did not authorize military action and the Arab League as well as others have strongly opposed military intervention. She stated that there are political and logistical concerns at play here as the U.S. seeks not to be painted as interventionists seeking to protect oil interests.  In the meantime, they are speaking with allies and with the Department of Defense about all possible options while focusing on the humanitarian mission.

Senator Ron Johnson (R-WI) asked Clinton about the role of the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt.  She responded by saying that there is no doubt that they opposed the Mubarak regime and has in the past expressed desire to impose Shariah law.  However they are prepared to participate in the democratic process which means that they will have to compromise, respect the democratic institutions and the rights of minorities and women.  She said that the U.S. has expressed caution and will wait to see what happens while noting the sobering example of Iran.

Senator Roy Blunt (R-MO) questioned the difference between the current House proposal from FY2008 and the FY2010 budget and also asked about why no funds for the Iran Freedom Support Act have been requested.  Clinton stated that the FY2010 represents a 36 percent increase from FY2008 and that the continuing resolution from the House represents a 16 percent decrease from FY2010 including funds designated to Iraq, Afghanistan and Pakistan. She noted however, the difference in the construction of the current budget from those in the past as it has been divided between the core budget and the extraordinary costs in Iraq, Afghanistan and Pakistan.  On the question of Iran, Clinton stated that there many ongoing efforts that she will speak to at a later date and that while the Middle East Partnership Initiative does not appropriate funds for Iran it is one of the Department’s strongest and most important programs.

Senator John Hoeven (R-ND) asked about how we are using aid to influence events in the Middle East and asked what kind of governments will be formed as a result of revolutions. Clinton stated that we are trying hard to use aid in a positive influential way.  She stated that Tunisia has a strong chance to have a successful democracy given its small size and they want our help as they remember how the U.S. stood by them during their independence in the 1960s.  In Egypt, she said, the leadership does not foreign aid but rather wants economic aid and seeks to draw a distinction there.  She stated that the U.S. needs to be sensitive to that.  She stated that Yemen is a very different situation as there are multiple secession movements there and it is the base for al-Qaeda on the Arabian Peninsula. She said it remains unclear how the situation will be resolved in Yemen but we are doing as much as we can and have sent our diplomats, development experts, and military leaders to help fight Iranian attempts to influence these movements.

In his closing remarks, Leahy thanked the Secretary and noted the large cuts in the House proposal to refugee missions stating that this was unfortunate given the large amounts of good will the U.S. receives for those efforts.