'It Is Indeed Embarrassing': Todd Young Bemoans The Empty Ambassador Seats

2 months ago

Prior to the Congressional recess, during a Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing, Sen. Todd Young (R-IN) questioned Deputy Secretary of State Kurt Campbell about ambassadorial nominations and confirmations, as well as US global standing.

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Transcript

00:00Senator Young

00:02Thank You chairman. I want to pull a bit on that thread about the importance of having ambassadors in place

00:09It's it's unbecoming of a great power

00:12It is indeed embarrassing to our professionals like Secretary Campbell and to members of Congress alike

00:19And it's injurious to our foreign policy. So if we can't if we can't

00:24somehow

00:26persuade colleagues to

00:28to

00:29use

00:31To operate within the existing rules. Maybe we need to change the rules. It's something that's been

00:36Discussed for a long period of time. I know a number of my colleagues on the committee agree, but I just

00:42Encouraged them and others who are listening to let's give this another run as we approach years in and see if we can improve

00:49this situation moving forward

00:53Mr. Secretary, I'm so grateful for your service and your accessibility

00:58Thank you for for all you're doing and all you've done to serve our country

01:03The PRC continues to be defined as a developing country

01:09Defined by

01:11international financial institutions development banks this hampers our ability to get China to pay its fair share of

01:18contributions to

01:20multilateral institutions it ensures their access to generous loans and

01:25Financial terms from these selfsame institutions that they shouldn't have and it presents a normative challenge

01:34They refuse to demonstrate the leadership that a global power would so they want all the benefits of

01:41Being a global power

01:43But they don't want to put forward the same sort of work and resources that we would expect of a global power. So

01:51What do we do about this, how are we trying to deal with the

01:57hypocrisy of they're not really a developing country, but they claim that status and

02:03Are there steps that we can take?

02:06to

02:07Here in Congress or within the administration that have not yet been

02:11exploited to strip them of this developing nation status

02:16So first of all before I answer that question I do want to

02:22Thank you and commend you senator. Yeah, I would say the most important thing that we've been able to do is

02:28To understand that the high ground the strategic high ground that is necessary for us to continue to command is in technology

02:35And I don't think we would be able to do this

02:37You taught me a lot. I've tried to extend that not only what we're doing domestically, but internationally with partners

02:45It is a hugely

02:47Consequential area that we need to do more on and I just thank you for your leadership on this

02:53You said it perfectly

02:54I would say this you can't have it both ways you can't demand to be a great Bauer and then in certain

03:01Circumstances say I'm just a developing country. We have sought

03:05to

03:06Reform certain issues in the multilateral development banks and the international financial institutions

03:12We need we need more help along the road. My my biggest concern senator is not that China's not

03:20Providing resources globally they do but they're outside of these institution actually

03:26They're doing it in bilateral context where they can extract a quid pro quo

03:31They're doing it outside of the appropriate mechanisms that allow for a degree of transparency

03:37Which we think are essential and so I think just simply making the case more in international financial

03:45institutions about the

03:46Challenges this presents that's the World Bank. That's the EBRD. That's the Asian Development Bank

03:52This is an essential fight that we need we need to frankly raise the awareness on more substantially

03:59Well

04:01We have a role to play there as to of course

04:05All our diplomats, so we'll continue to focus on this important area

04:09with respect to technology

04:13Most especially our movement towards green energy we need critical minerals. I'm glad it's something you brought up and you're opening

04:21Comments if we can't get them through our deep sea beds by ratifying the laws

04:27The sea treaty which looks to be a challenge based on current circumstances

04:32Then we should look to Africa which is where the preponderance of these minerals are

04:38How can we help foster the public-private partnerships bringing American capital and expertise and standards?

04:46To Africa so that we can keep exploiting

04:51So that we can

04:54Exploring where we can get these minerals. So if you look at like a balance sheet of the top

05:0140 trace elements and minerals that are necessary for

05:06batteries or for

05:09Semiconductors the

05:11vast lion's share of

05:13Those supplies are now controlled by China and we start behind the eight ball

05:19We've got to you know, we we were late understanding that while we were playing a globalized game the Chinese were basically

05:27Cornering markets now, we've responded with a number of arrangements with specific countries

05:34We have a critical minerals agreement with Japan with Australia

05:38We've worked with other countries in Africa. The Lubita quarter will help us in this context

05:44I would simply say this is an area these these these mines are often dirty

05:50They the the processing is challenging. It's gonna take resourcing

05:55We have to do this with allies and partners more and frankly

05:58We've got to scour the globe and it won't be just Africa senator. It's Mongolia. Yes, it's countries in

06:06Southeast Asia and and it will be our intent to continue to prosecute this

06:11One one last point I think it's important to make because I didn't and I did not support the Inflation Reduction Act

06:17But the reason we pursued the Chips and Science Act and a handful of Republican colleagues

06:23Joined me on that effort was in part for purposes of economic resiliency

06:30The Inflation Reduction Act took the opposite approach we've become far more dependent on these upstream critical inputs

06:37And that was never I think seriously wrestled with before we took this approach to mitigating climate change. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you

'It Is Indeed Embarrassing': Todd Young Bemoans The Empty Ambassador Seats

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