Washington (AP) – Secretary of State Marco Rubio And the Democratic senators fought on Tuesday on the Trump administration policies, ranging from Ukraine and Russia In the Middle East, Latin America, the reduction of the foreign assistance budget in the United States and Refugees admissions.
Rubio defended administration’s decisions to his former colleagues during a hearing of the senatorial committee for foreign relations, his first since his confirmation of the president Donald Trump Inauguration day.
He said that “America is back” and claimed four months of foreign policy achievements, even if many of them remain frustrating and not very conclusive. Among them are the resumption of nuclear talks with Iranefforts to bring Russia and Ukraine to peace talks and efforts to end the War in Gaza Between Israel and Hamas.
The best diplomat in America praised Agreements with El Salvador And other Latin American countries to accept migrant deportees, saying that “secure borders, safe communities and zero tolerance for criminal cartels are once again the guiding principles of our foreign policy.”
He also rejected the assertions that Massive cuts on the budget of his department would injure the United States abroad. Instead, he said the cuts would really improve the American reputation internationally.
The audience opens with a joke, then becomes serious
The chairman of the committee, Jim Risch, opened the hearing with praise for the changes and discounts of Trump spending and praised what he called the promising nuclear talks of the administration with Iran.
Risch also noted what he joked the “modest disagreement” with Democratic legislators, who used Tuesday’s audience to face Rubio about the movements of Trump’s administration.
The Democratic Member of the Jeanne Shaheen ranking argued that the Trump administration had “avoided six decades of investment in foreign policy” and given Openings in China in the world.
“I urge you to resist the extremists of the administration,” said New Hampshire senator.
Other Democrats have excited the administration for its suspension of the refugee admission program, in particular while Allow white Afrikaners from South Africa To enter the country.
Some Republicans have also warned of drastic foreign assistance cuts, notably the former head of the Senate Mitch McConnell and Susan Collins. They expressed their concern that the United States was overwhelmed by its rivals internationally after the Elimination of thousands of assistance programs.
“The basic functions provided by the soft power are extremely important,” McConnell told Rubio at a second hearing later in the Senate credit committee. “You get a lot of friends for not much money.”
Rubio says the United States encourages but do not threaten Israel on Gaza Aid
Rubio told the credit committee that the Trump administration encouraged but not threatening Israel to resume Humanitarian aid to Gaza.
He said that the United States did not follow the example of several European countries that have imposed sanctions Or informed of actions against Israel in the middle of the shortage of aid reaching vulnerable Palestinians. However, he said that US officials have stressed in discussions with the Israelis that aid is urgently necessary civilians in Gaza who suffer During the military operation of Israel against Hamas.
“We are not ready to react like these countries”, but the United States has engaged with Israel in recent days on “the need to resume humanitarian aid,” said Rubio. “We plan that these flows will increase in the coming days and weeks – it is important that it is carried out.”
And Rubio admitted that the administration approached foreign governments to take a mass number of Gaza civilians, but insisted that any departure of the Palestinians would be “voluntary”.
“There is no expulsion,” said Rubio. “We have asked countries preliminary if they would be open to accept people not as a permanent solution, but as a bridge to rebuild” in Gaza.
Senator Jeff Merkley, D-ear., Condemned him as a “forced migration strategy”.
Still in the Middle East, Rubio said that the administration had advanced with cease-fire negotiation attempts in Gaza and promote stability in Syria.
He stressed the importance of American engagement with Syria, saying that if not, he fears that the interim government there may have weeks or months of “potential collapse and a large-scale civil war with epic proportions”.
Rubio’s comments addressed Trump’s commitment to raise sanctions in charge of Syria A new transitional government, which is led by a former militant leader who led the overturning of the country’s long -standing leader, Bashar Assad, at the end of last year. US sanctions have been imposed under Assad.
Rubio and the senators compete on white South Africans entering the country
In two particularly controversial exchanges, Kaine and Van Hollen asked for answers to the decision to suspend global admissions to refugees but to exempt the Afrikaners Based on what they called “specious” claims that they were subject to massive discrimination by the South African government. Rubio gave no land.
In a tense exchange, Kaine pressed Rubio to say if there should be a different refugee policy based on skin color.
“I am not me who argues it,” said Rubio. “Apparently, you are, because you don’t like the fact that they are white.”
“The United States has the right to choose that we allow the United States,” he said. “If there is a subset of people who are easier to examine, who we understand better who they are and what they are going to do when they come here, they will receive preference.”
He added: “There are many sad stories worldwide, millions and millions of people around the world. It is heartbreaking, but we cannot assume millions and millions of people around the world. No country can.”
