00:00Chair now recognizes Representative Dean.
00:03I thank the chairman, I thank the ranking member, and I thank you Mr. Secretary for being here.
00:07Since his return to office in January, President Trump has chosen to bully our foreign partners rather than to negotiate.
00:14This administration has claimed their policies will bring safety, security, and prosperity to America.
00:21But all I have seen thus far is weakened relationships with our allies and emboldened adversaries.
00:28Friday's termination of 1,300 State Department employees, I would risk to say heroes, patriots.
00:37Decades of experience and specialized technical expertise will only make us worse off.
00:43Combined, they have hundreds of years of experience, expertise, sacrifice, and work, and they got a note on Friday, you're done.
00:53Secretary Rubio has repeatedly said addressing the threat to China is our national security interests.
01:00Yet the same day he was in Southeast Asia lauding the cooperation that will come from future engagements,
01:06the entire team that prepared him for his trip were fired.
01:11Offices that were responsible for ensuring arms control and nonproliferation of weapons of mass destruction by our adversaries gutted.
01:20As we struggle with drug smuggling at our borders and deaths in our communities,
01:25the department fired those who were working to interdict drugs at foreign borders before they would get to our own.
01:33Those who were fired were essential to our national security.
01:36They were selfless public servants who swore an oath to uphold the Constitution.
01:41I so regret the action that your department took.
01:46They negotiated key agreements for our global stability.
01:49They ensured threats do not reach our borders.
01:52They sacrificed their own safety and time with their families.
01:55All in service to us, the United States of America.
01:58I believe the administration has actively betrayed them.
02:02And we in turn have lost experts who were quietly and faithfully keeping us safe.
02:08Secretary Regas, how is any of this improving the safety and security for America?
02:13Thank you for the question, Congressman.
02:16With respect to the office that prepared the Secretary for his trip overseas,
02:21so none of the country offices were affected, none of the foreign-
02:25People who prepped him were terminated.
02:27So that was the- Thank you.
02:28That doesn't make us safer.
02:30That's such a non sequitur.
02:31Yeah.
02:32That does not make us safer.
02:33You fired 1,300 people, the very team who prepped him as he was in Asia.
02:37I want to follow up on what the ranking member said and his line of questions,
02:40and I look forward to you sharing the 600 respondents.
02:44Where did that survey go?
02:46To whom did it go?
02:48And to whom did it go back?
02:50600 respondents.
02:51Yes, so it went- Who sent it out and who got it?
02:54It went- It was a department-wide email distribution asking all employees,
03:00foreign service, civil service for their- So how many people received that email?
03:03Everybody?
03:04Yeah.
03:05Every- Yeah.
03:06That's my understanding.
03:07Every single person.
03:08That's my understanding.
03:09It's your understanding.
03:10I've spoken to people.
03:11They didn't receive it.
03:12It's your understanding?
03:13It went to everybody?
03:14Who sent it out?
03:15Did you send it?
03:16I did not send it out.
03:17It was sent out by staff.
03:18Sent out by staff.
03:19It was a global distribution list, so I'd be curious as to someone saying they didn't
03:24get that email.
03:25Okay.
03:26We look forward to seeing exactly the distribution list and who wrote back because I have a wonder.
03:32I bet they didn't write and say, I think you need to can 1,300 people on Friday.
03:37Let's talk and shift to Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, the newly formed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation.
03:44Do you agree that the American people deserve to know where their taxpayer dollars are being
03:48spent and for what policy objectives they're being used?
03:51Certainly.
03:52Do you know that all foreign assistance programs are required to conduct risk assessments
03:58for funding they will administer?
04:00That sounds right to me.
04:02It's true.
04:03Nevertheless, it has been reported that the State Department waived nine mandatory counterterrorism
04:08and anti-fraud safeguards to rush the $30 million award in simply five days for this startup,
04:17Gaza Humanitarian Foundation.
04:19Sound like the right way to go about that?
04:21I'm not familiar with this particular situation, but I'd be happy to look into it.
04:26You're familiar with the famine, the deprivation in Gaza, the fact that other programs are there,
04:34like Mrs. Cindy McCain, World Food Program, that have been working faithfully there for a very long time,
04:40not to mention UNRWA.
04:42Five days, $30 million grant, and they waived through nine mandatory counterterrorism reviews.
04:51Do you think that's efficient and effective?
04:54I'd have to look at that particular situation.
04:56I would think you would want to.
04:57It's within your purview.
04:58Right.
04:59It's $30 million.
05:00Let me move on.
05:01Sure.
05:02This organization has been rejected by a humanitarian and human rights organization.
05:06It's proving to be a death trap for Gazans.
05:09Do you know that, and I want to ask as I end here, I recognize my time is up, Mr. Chairman,
05:15nearly 900 Gazans have been shot and killed, desperately seeking food in some of these aid areas.
05:22Thousands.
05:23The Chair will remind members that you're more than welcome.
05:26I'm going to put a question in writing through the Chair and that will be submitted.
05:29And I will seek more questions.
05:30I seek unanimous consent to enter onto the record.
05:33May I tell you what I have?
05:35Yes.
05:36Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
05:37An article.
05:38Two articles.
05:39Gaza.
05:40875 people confirmed dead trying to source food in recent weeks.
05:46And then a Reuters article.
05:47Ordered.
05:48Former Doge employees rushed grant to Trump-backed Gaza aid group over staff objections.
05:54So ordered.
05:56With that.
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