Secretary Antony J. Blinken Opening Remarks Before the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations On the FY25 Department of State Budget Request – United States Department of State

SECRETARY BLINKEN: Well, Mr. Chairman, thank you very much. To you, Ranking Member Rish, to all members of the Committee: It is always good to be back before this Committee. And as you said, I was sitting on the other side of the stage, behind you, for six years. So I always appreciate the opportunity to be back among colleagues. And thank you for the opportunity to testify today.

More importantly, thanks to that partnership, I think we’re able to show up together to advance American leadership in the world, which is so essential to meeting the priorities that those people Matters to those we represent.

The need for America’s global leadership and collaboration with allies and partners has never been greater.

The People’s Republic of China is taking military action –

Audience member: Hind Rajab was six years old when the Israelis killed her. Hind Rajab was six years old. Blinken, you will be remembered as the butcher of Gaza. You will be remembered for killing innocent Palestinians.

Audience members: (Inaudible) You are cruel to everyone. There are cruel people here. Jesus, look at that. I’ve already (inaudible).

Chairman Cardin: Individual – Will the authorities please remove the person who is making these comments?

Audience member: (Inaudible) Palestine. For Palestine (inaudible).

Chairman Cardin: If anyone is speaking please remove it.

Audience member: Killer (inaudible).

(Disruption continues)

Audience member: Stop [expletive] Massacre. Stop the genocide. There are people (inaudible).

Chairman Cardin: Secretary Sir, you may proceed further.

SECRETARY BLINKEN: Thank you, Mr. Chairman. As I was saying, the People’s Republic of China –

Audience member: Blinken is a war criminal. He is a war criminal. He has the blood of 40,000 people on his hands. The blood of 40,000 Palestinians is on his hands. He is a war criminal. He is a war criminal. Blinken is a war criminal. He has the blood of 40,000 people on his hands. He has the blood of 40,000 people on his hands. Blinken is a war criminal.

Chairman Cardin: Mr. Secretary, you may continue.

Foreign Minister Blinken: The People’s Republic of China is pursuing military, economic and geopolitical primacy, challenging our vision of a free, open, secure and prosperous international order.

Russia is committing aggression not only against Ukraine, but also against the core principles of the UN Charter – sovereignty, territorial integrity, independence – which are the basis for global peace and security.

In the Middle East, we stand with Israel in efforts to ensure that what happened on October 7 does not happen again, as we do everything possible to end the terrible human suffering in Gaza and prevent the conflict from spreading .

U.S. leadership is needed to address humanitarian crises around the world, including Sudan and Haiti, where millions have been displaced and many killed, and to address global issues that no one country can solve alone. Including food security, changing climate, international corruption. , the fentanyl crisis.

But, with the support of Congress, we can and are facing these challenges strongly. Because of the actions we have taken, the United States is stronger economically, diplomatically, and militarily than it was three years ago.

We have made historic investments domestically in our competitiveness, innovation, infrastructure. We have renewed our alliances. We have forged new ones. We have achieved unprecedented synergies with key partners in Europe, Asia and beyond.

We have delivered needed American aid to Ukraine, and we have rallied the international community to share the burden with us. For every dollar we have sent in economic and development aid, others have collectively invested three more dollars.

Now, many doubt whether bipartisan support for Ukraine and other urgent national security priorities will persist. Last month, Congress showed the world that we will not back down when you passed President Biden’s supplemental funding bill by a landslide.

Our investments abroad do not come at the expense of our strength at home – far from it. Most of the supplement is being spent here in the United States, building up our defense industrial base, creating and supporting thousands of American jobs.

We have to maintain this momentum. This requires a State Department budget that we fully resource to meet the challenges of our time.

President’s FY2025 Budget –

Audience member: Blinken, you are financing genocide in Gaza. Seven mass graves remain outside hospitals. this is sick. This is insane. You are a war criminal. You should be ashamed.

Chairman Cardin: you can continue.

Secretary Blinken: Thank you. The President’s FY25 budget – requesting $58.8 billion for the State Department and USAID – does this in two key ways.

First, it funds the essential missions of our Department and USAID. The budget will ensure that the United States remains the preferred partner to which countries turn when they need to solve big problems. In an era of renewed great power competition, we must offer the strongest possible proposal: one that is relevant and responsive to countries’ needs and that advances our security and economic interests.

That’s why we’re requesting $2 billion for a new fund to build high-quality, sustainable infrastructure around the world. Importantly, such investments create jobs for Americans. They expand markets for our businesses.

We are requesting resources from the World Bank. With US$1 billion in funding we could unlock an additional $36 billion in development funding capacity to direct to the top priorities of emerging economies. That is a huge return on our investment – ​​and one that is essential to compete with China around the world.

The budget also includes $1.7 billion for international organizations, including the United Nations, APEC, the Inter-American Development Bank, to help shape them in ways that reflect our interests and our values.

We are seeking $500 million to provide more people around the world access to secure internet and digital technologies. Doing so will support our economy through exports of our technology products, and help ensure that we and our partners remain leaders and standard setters in key technologies such as democracy, artificial intelligence, and the like.

Our budget also includes funding to address global issues that impact the lives, livelihoods of the American people as well as those around the world – particularly the synthetic drug crisis. It also finances our response to irregular migration, global food insecurity, public health, climate and energy security.

We are also asking Congress to fully fund the State Department’s educational and cultural exchanges. These are one of our best, most cost-effective tools for advancing our values ​​and our interests around the world. They support students, researchers, young professionals from our communities who study and work abroad.

To outmatch our strategic rivals, we also need to invest in the foundation of our strength abroad: our diplomatic corps. And this is the second pillar of our budget.

Our budget makes a strong investment in expanding our overseas presence, opening posts in the Pacific Islands, the Eastern Caribbean.

It will also continue the modernization of our diplomacy. We are organizing the Department in new ways to meet these new challenges, working to attract and retain the best talent needed to lead them forward, for our people in Washington and in our positions abroad. Investing in technology along with training, promoting greater agility. More innovation, more efficiency in our processes.

Last year’s enacted budget level represents a 5 percent reduction from the previous year. It challenges our efforts to deliver the results that Congress and Americans want to see.

So I urge you to support this budget, which helps us address our most important foreign policy priorities and lay the foundation for strong leadership in the years to come.

Finally, I want to thank this Committee for your recent confirmation of ambassadors and other senior officials. Any undue delay in such confirmations undermines our national security and our ability to deliver for the American people.

I am grateful for this committee’s partnership and your time. Be ready to answer any questions. Thank you, Mr. Chairman, Ranking Member.