Hearings to examine certain pending nominations.

Uh before us, uh five nominees, uh all career nominees, excellent panel that we have, and uh the way we're gonna work this this morning is I'm gonna make some opening remarks, and as soon as Shahin will uh we'll then hear from the nominees, and then we'll open it to uh questions. Uh on your presentations we'd uh respectfully request that you keep it to about five minutes. However, uh whatever you wanna put uh in the record we'll be happy to expand uh anything you wanna say uh into the record. Um our uh we're glad to have your families and the um uh public here today, not as crowded as it usually is. I don't see any of our usuals here, but I always say uh we have a zero tolerance for interruptions here for uh uh from anyone uh that attempts to connect to contact or communicate with anyone at the dais or any of the uh people who were nominees and uh they will be promptly removed if they do so. Thank you so much for coming and thank you to the nominees and the families, we certainly know the sacrifice that the families uh make in uh your public service and uh we appreciate the families' uh participation. Um there are five uh five of you going to five very interesting countries, and we'll start with you, Mister Harris, uh as you know our relationship with Malaysia uh is uh an important one. Our long-standing cooperation on maritime security and counterterrorism has safeguarded uh US interests in regional security. And under the leadership of both President Trump and Prime Minister Anwar, uh we have historic opportunities to deepen our cooperation on critical minerals, export controls, sanctions enforcement, and nuclear energy. It confirmed, I hope you will make more progress on these issues and clearly communicate these interests to our Malaysian partners. We need to continue to find areas where we can work together to benefit uh both nations, and when needed, have tough conversations about the growing regional influence of our adversaries, like China and Russia. Uh Ambassador Wuster, uh Kenya is a sub-Saharan Africa ally, but a challenge. Uh it certainly has been a partner in countering terrorism, gang violence in Haiti, and uh responding to the ongoing uh E Ebola outbreak. But, while we appreciate this cooperation from Kenya, I have also called for a sober assessment of our relationship due to Kenya's elevated diplomatic ties with China and its support of the rapid support forces as they continue to terrorize the people of Sudan. I know you understand the importance of our relationship with Kenya, particularly given your most recent uh role in Haiti. I look forward to hearing uh from you today on these matters. Mister Lord, as you know, it's a con it is a critical time for the United States to have a strong presence at our embassies in Africa. Uh a uh confirmed ambassador a in Benin, uh which inaugurated a new president in May and faces serious threats uh from violent extremists will help provide much needed stability. You have served in a variety of roles in Africa, And if confirmed, I'm glad that your expertise will remain with the Bureau. Mister Goodman, uh as the nominee for Ambassador to Togo, I look forward to hearing about your plans to build on our relationship with the country, particularly in the areas of trade and investment, uh countering malign actors and addressing the acute terror threat coming from the Sahel. As you uh as you're well aware, the insecurity created by multiple conflicts on the continent is a threat to America's interests. Togo's leadership has uh shown initiative as a regional mediator, including in eastern Congo where the United States is leading efforts to bring peace through the Washington Accords. I hope to hear your perspective on what more the government of Togo can do to better partner uh in this space. And finally, uh, Mister Heffern, In recent years, the US has taken a nuanced approach to our relationship with Gabon, uh balancing concerns over the twenty twenty three uh coup that overthrew an authoritarian regime with our uh with uh our imperative to secure critical mineral supply chains counter China and improve maritime security in the Gulf uh of Guinea. Uh these are real challenges, no doubt. I look forward to hearing your perspective on the US interests uh there today.

Yeah.

Uh thank you again to all of the nominees and to your families, and thank you for being here today, and I will recognize the ranking members, and the she.

Thank you, Mister Chairman, and congratulations to each of our nominees this morning. Welcome to all of your family and friends and supporters who are here with you today. It's been eighteen months since Secretary Rubio committed to working with this committee to move career nominees quickly. Yet, the first career-only panel this committee has considered during this Congress. Now, don't get me wrong, I'm really excited that you're all career nominees. Uh, I'm just concerned that we need t to put more diplomats in place. Your experience is especially important at a time when our diplomatic presence overseas has been significantly disrupted. Last year, President Trump recalled dozens of career ambassadors from posts around the world. And right now there are more than thirty-five American embassies across Africa without a Senate confirmed ambassador. And that poster shows very starkly what the challenge we're facing is. Now, if confirmed, many of you will arrive at missions where personnel have endured significant disruption and low morale. This comes at a time when Russia and China continue to compete aggressively for influence and access to markets in Africa. But instead of expanding our presence on the world's fastest growing continent, the United States has pulled back with staffing reductions, with USAID programs eliminated without any replacement, with cuts to global health programs, with visa restrictions that make it harder for African students and business leaders to come to the United States. So, each of you has your work cut out for you. Mister Wooster, you've been nominated to serve as ambassador to Kenya. Our next ambassador will arrive at a challenging time, as the chairman indicated, in a region in Kenya that's entering an election period. You'll also inherit a mission that's disrupted by foreign assistance reorganization and uncertainty about the future of U S health funding. I hope you will speak to how, if confirmed, you would navigate these challenges and maintain our strong partnership. Mister Lord. You've been nominated to serve as ambassador to Benin. Benin is an important security partner on the front lines of instability spreading from the Sahel. If confirmed, you will face a growing terrorist threat and concerns about democratic backsliding. I'd like to hear how you'll work with Congress to address security challenges in the northern part of the country. Mister Goodman, you've been nominated to be ambassador to Togo. Togo also faces a terrorist And recent constitutional changes have raised concerns about democratic governance. I'd like to hear how you would support Togo's security while continuing to press for democratic government. And, Mister Heffron, you've been nominated to be ambassador to Gabon. Gabon is rich in oil, minerals and other natural resources, but China has long dominated many of these sectors. Its president has made clear that he wants more American investment. I hope you'll speak to how, if confirmed, you would help American companies compete in Gabon. And finally, Mister Harris, you've been nominated to be ambassador to Malaysia. Malaysia is a critical economic and security partner at the heart of key shipping routes and semiconductor supply chains. China is also its largest trading partner and continues to press its claims in the South China Sea. If confirmed, I'd like to hear how you would deepen our economic relationship and strengthen critical supply chains. So, again, congratulations to each of you and I look forward to hearing your testimony this morning.

Thank you, Senator Sheehan. Um, we'll now hear from the nominees, and as I said, if you'd be so kind as to keep it to about uh five minutes, we'll certainly add whatever you have beyond that uh to uh the record for today. But with that, uh, we'll start, uh, Mr. Harris with you, and you have the floor.

Chairman Rish, Ranking Member Shahin, distinguished committee members, thank you for the opportunity to appear before you today as President Trump's nominee to serve as US Ambassador to Malaysia. I am deeply grateful for the confidence President Trump and Secretary Rubio have entrusted in me. If confirmed, I would consult closely with this committee and Congress more broadly to advance US interests in Malaysia and ensure the US-Malaysia partnership delivers tangible value. for the American people. I'm joined today by my wife, Cheryl, a fellow Foreign Service Officer, and our sons, Toby and Gabe. Together we have shared the profound gift of representing our great country, alongside American families serving across the nation and around the globe. I'm here because of their love and support, including during my unaccompanied tour this past year while leading the US mission in Baghdad, Iraq. Representing the goodness and generosity of the United States, Over twenty-three years in the US Foreign Service has been an incredible privilege. Together with colleagues leveraging all instruments of US power to advance our priorities, I've promoted new commercial deals, putting US technology at the center of Iraq's energy future, advanced justice for American victims, including of the Pan Am one O three terrorist attack, and empowered US partners to defend their sovereignty, free from foreign interference. If confirmed, I would be guided by these experiences to advance US priorities in Malaysia. President Trump joined Prime Minister Anwar last year in Kuala Lumpur to elevate the US-Malaysia relationship to a comprehensive strategic partnership, a historic advancement in our strong and mutually beneficial ties as we approach the seventieth anniversary of this diplomatic partnership. Leveraging Malaysia's leadership as the then-chair uh of ASEAN and decisive US diplomacy, the two leaders announced the Kuala Lumpur peace accords, which ended border tensions and fostered mutual trust between Thailand and Cambodia. US goals in Malaysia are clear, strengthening a forward-looking economic collaboration vital for continued US technological dominance, reinforcing a free and open Indo-Pacific aligned with our national security interests and combating transnational crime that threatens both Americans and Malaysians. Our economic partnership is driving innovation on artificial intelligence and next generation technologies, building more resilient global supply chains and underwriting thousands of American jobs. Malaysia hosts US companies assembling, testing, and packaging chips as a major hub in global semiconductor supply chains. Malaysia is committed to purchase US semiconductors, aerospace components and data center equipment worth an estimated hundred and fifty billion dollars reflecting commercial cooperation delivering tangible value for Americans and for Malaysians alike. If confirmed, I would prioritize ensuring the United States remains Malaysia's most trusted economic partner to drive US innovation and growth amid transformational, technological developments. The United States and Malaysia share a vision for a free and open Indo-Pacific, reflected in the defense partnership forged over four decades. The fourteen bilateral and multilateral military exercises Malaysia conducts with the United States, uh, training programs for hundreds of Malaysian officials, frequent ship visits, all testify to strong security cooperation aligned with US interests. If confirmed, I would strive to reinforce this defense partnership with particular focus on bolstering Malaysia's maritime domain awareness in the South China Sea. I would also, if confirmed, prioritize countering transnational scam syndicates operating in Malaysia, which have stolen billions from vulnerable Americans. A counterstams contact group, of which both the United States and Malaysia are members, is building the diplomatic architecture for closer alignment on law enforcement action, asset seizures, financial sanctions, diplomatic pressure, and information sharing about the shared threat of criminal scam networks. My highest priority would be the safety and well-being of Americans in Malaysia, including the colleagues at US Embassy Kuala Lumpur, that I would be deeply honored to lead, if confirmed. Chairman, Ranking Member, Committee members, I appreciate the privilege to appear today. I welcome the opportunity to earn your confidence, and I look forward to your questions. Thank you.

Thank you much, uh, Mr. Harris. Uh, Mr. Wooster, we'll hear from you.

Chairman Rish, Ranking Member Shaheen. and distinguished members of the committee, it's a privilege to appear before you today as the President's nominee to serve as the United States Ambassador to the Republic of Kenya. I'm grateful to President Trump and Secretary of State Rubio for the confidence and trust placed in me for this assignment, if confirmed. I wanted to extend my heartfelt gratitude to my family, the unwavering love, resilience and support of my wife Laura and our children, has supported me through a public service journey that has spanned decades, and taken all of us across the globe. My service to the United States began over forty years ago in the US Army and Army Reserve. As a civil servant and foreign service officer, I have had the honor of leading teams at nine US missions worldwide, serving in senior leadership roles in Washington and previously as US Ambassador to Jordan and most recently as our charge. at the embassy in Port-au-Prince, Haiti. If confirmed, I look forward to bringing the depth of my diplomatic and military experience to the US partnership with Kenya. Our relationship with Kenya is one of our most enduring and consequential partnerships on the African continent. And this nomination presents a convergence of prior chapters in my diplomatic career. As US Ambassador to Jordan, I experienced firsthand the value of a steadfast regional partner with whom we share values, that counters terrorism, and that stands tall on their own two feet in a tough neighborhood. Much like Jordan and the Levant, Kenya plays a similarly indispensable role to US interests in East Africa. Our partnership with Kenya is grounded in shared democratic values, mutual respect, and a common vision for regional and international stability. Kenya is the only major non-NATO ally in sub-Saharan Africa, a testament to our strong military cooperation and to Kenyan leadership in East Africa. Indeed, Kenya is a front-line partner in the global fight against terrorism and transnational crime. Beyond security, Kenya represents a cornerstone of American engagement in Africa. As the economic and logistical gateway to East Africa, Kenya boasts a dynamic, fast-growing economy driven by a thriving and innovative technology sector, a young population, and a competitive marketplace for US investment. My recent tenure as charge at our embassy in Port-au-Prince provided me a direct view into Kenyan leadership on the world stage through the deployment of their police personnel to Haiti in support of the multinational, security support mission. Our collaboration there underscored for me Kenya's commitment to international peace and global stability. Kenya walks its talk about global security. If confirmed, as you've heard from one of my colleagues, my most sacred duty will be of course to prioritize the safety and security of the hundreds of thousands of U S citizens who either reside in or visit Kenya each year, as well as of course my colleagues and their family under my authority as Chief of Mission. On the policy front, if confirmed, my priorities will be to deepen our economic ties and promote mutual prosperity while maintaining security collaboration. Kenya's dynamic tech sector, entrepreneurial spirit, and democratic institutions make it a natural partner for expanded American trade and investment. Mister Chairman, Ranking Member, and members of the committee, If confirmed, I pledge to working close bipartisan coordination with Congress to advance our strategic interests and honorably represent the American people in Kenya. Thank you for the opportunity to address you today, and I do welcome your questions.

Thank you, uh, Mr. Wuster. Uh, Mr. Lorden.

Chairman Rish, Ranking Member Shaheen, and distinguished members of the committee, thank you for the opportunity to appear before you today. I'm honored by the trust the President and the Secretary have placed in me th with this nomination. Please allow me to begin by thanking my family and in particular my wife, Leah, who is here today, and our two daughters. I would also like to thank uh to offer my appreciation to our parents, Richard and Debbie Lord, and Ken and Cathy Zimmerman. I'm grateful for their support and I would be remiss if I didn't mention that today is my mother's birthday. So happy birthday. Mm-hmm. As a career member of the foreign service, I've been honored to represent the United States in Africa, Europe and the Middle East, as well as at the United Nations. In each assignment I've sought to serve with integrity, lead with vision and by example, and advance the interests and values of the United States. If confirmed, I believe this background will be valuable in leading our mission and furthering our objectives in Benin and West Africa. If confirmed, I will dedicate my attention to leading the team at the US embassy to foster a workplace with high morale and a team-oriented ethos. I also commit to working closely with this committee and hope to be in a position to welcome you and your staff to Benin. The United States engages Benin as a capable partner with shared interests. On the commercial front, there are opportunities to deepen our work on trade and investment and particularly in technology and security sectors. When US diplomacy aligns with private sector opportunity and a clear sense of American interests we can deliver results that no mar no partners can match. If confirmed, I will work to close deals, open doors for American companies and ensure that Benin's key sectors are shaped by American investment not by our competitors. As partners, our mutual interests with Benin extend to the wider West Africa region, including uh related to the Sahel and the terrorist threat that has already been mentioned and we appreciate the work that Benin is doing to promote stability, facilitate trade, and enhance infrastructure. These investments create important opportunities for collaboration and partnership on US interests. If confirmed, I look forward to engaging on these issues to advance the America First agenda. As the oldest and first charge of US missions overseas, the welfare and safety of American sis citizens in Benin will be a top priority, if I am confirmed. I look forward to your questions. Thank you very much.

Thank you, uh, Mr. Lord, Mr. Heffern.

Mister Chairman, Ranking Member, and distinguished members of the committee, thank you for the opportunity to appear before you today. I'm honored by the trust President Trump and Secretary Rubio have placed in me with this nomination. And I'm deeply grateful to my family for their support and willingness to take on this most recent challenge alongside me in our service to the American people. In that regard, I would like to recognize a few people with me today, inc- including my wife, Carrie, my daughter Madeline, and my son Colin. Plus the many family members and friends joining us online, including my parents, Joe and Linda, who recently celebrated their sixtieth wedding anniversary. Gabon holds tremendous opportunity for the United States, as a stable country with vast energy and mineral wealth. This administration has focused on deepening commercial and economic ties, advancing infrastructure cooperation, and expanding opportunities. for American businesses. If confirmed, I will work with the country team, our inter-agency partners, and the government of Gabon to protect American citizens and interests. This is my first priority and it gives us a solid foundation for American prosperity. From that foundation, I will focus on expanding our commercial and economic ties. I will use every tool available through bilateral engagement to level the playing field for American businesses. And I will partner with the private sector to pursue smart investments. These opportunities carry real risks and we will manage them together. I will also work to deepen our security cooperation, keeping the United States and our partners safe. If confirmed, I will draw on our nation's strengths to deliver results for the American people, protecting American citizens, prioritizing commercial opportunities that create jobs and investment, and strengthening the security partnerships that keep America safe. Chairman Risch, Ranking Member Shaheen. Thank you again for this opportunity. I look forward to your questions.

Thank you. Mister Goodman.

Chairman Risch, Ranking Member Shaheen, and distinguished members of the committee, thank you for the opportunity to appear before you today. I am honored and humbled by the trust President Trump and Secretary Rubio have placed in me with this nomination, and I hope to earn your trust as well. If confirmed, I pledge to work closely with this committee and the Congress to advance the United States' interest in and priorities with Togo. Thank you also for the opportunity today to recognize my family, Leslie, Jonathan, and Jackson. I am deeply grateful for their support, patience, and the sacrifices they have made throughout my foreign service career. If confirmed, I would be honored to serve as US Ambassador to the Togolese Republic during this pivotal time in our diplomatic relations with Africa. As the United States refocuses on trade and investment, and moves away from aid and dependency, we must remind countries like Togo that Africa remains strategically and economically consequential to America. If confirmed, I will work to maintain our strong re- relationship with Togo during this shift, emphasizing areas of mutual interest and reminding the Togolese people that we approach our partners as equals. Togo matters to American interest in concrete ways. It is a transportation and logistics hub for West Africa, providing a commercial entry point into the Sahel, a key node in preventing the spread of terrorism to the West African coastline. Togo also has significant American commercial investments in energy and mining, and there are opportunities for increased engagement by US firms in infrastructure digitalization and other sectors. The Trump administration engages Togo as a commercial and security partner with many shared interests, and we expect Togo to take American strategic priorities seriously in return. If confirmed, the welfare of American citizens in Togo, commercial diplomacy, and deterring illegal immigration will be my top priorities. I will work to close transformational deals, open doors for American companies, and ensure that Togo's security, infrastructure, and mineral sectors are shaped by American investment, not by our competitors who play by their own rules. Togo's vast potential as an economic and security partner makes it uniquely well qualified and well-suited to pragmatic diplomacy focused on American interests. If confirmed, it would be the honor of my career to lead the men and women of the U. S. Embassy Lomé in delivering exceptional results for the American people. Thank you. I look forward to your questions.

Well, uh, thank you so much, uh, Mister Goodman, and uh, we'll now have a uh, the panel, our our panel up here will have a chance to ask your panel uh questions, so I'm gonna start with that. And uh um uh Mister Harris, I wanna start with you uh regarding Malaysia. Uh Malaysia's of particular importance to my state in that uh micron technology has a facility there were were you aware of that?

Yes, Chairman.

Um the uh interesting uh uh thing about uh Malaysia that I have read recently in the media is they have an interest in AI now. Right now, America seems to have an interest in AI since uh everything you pick up and read about it uh talks about it. Uh d do you have any understanding of of their interest in that uh subject?

Chairman, thank you very much for raising the uh this important issue, including the particular nexus with uh with Micron. Uh the administration has put forward a bold strategy uh with respect to artificial intelligence focused on ensuring that American technology can be uh adopted by our partners and kept out of the hands of our adversaries. My understanding is that Malaysia, which i for a half century has hosted some of the largest uh and most successful US technology companies in the world has its own strategy as it works to move up the value chain the country represents a significant node in the uh global trade of advanced semiconductors uh some one in four chips used in our domestic manufacturing passed through Malaysia if confirmed my priority would be to advance uh the president's priorities with respect to artificial intelligence, and make sure this US companies are at the absolute center of this uh transformational development.

Well, appreciate that, I think uh a as you've probably seen uh there's a a spirited debate going on here in Washington regarding AI, and what should or should not be done in that regard. Uh the question that has struck me uh is that um we're in a race with China on this, and anything we do China's gotta agree to do alongside of us or we got a real problem. When then when you bring in other actors, uh uh for instance uh a country like Malaysian certainly there's of the two hundred countries on the planet there's others that are there. Uh trying to get them to uh get on board to make an agreement that uh other countries uh sign on to certainly seems like a challenge. You have any thoughts on that as far as uh directly as far as Malaysia's concerned?

Mm. Thank you, Mister Chairman, for the for the important question. Over the course of my twenty-three years as a Foreign Service Officer, I have prioritized advancing US commercial interests. If confirmed for this position, my priority would be to ensure that the United States is the most trusted, uh, and impactful economic partner for Mal- Malaysia in a way that delivers tangible value at home and for Malaysia as well. There's no question that Malaysia has a significant trade and commercial relationship uh with China. The ninety billion dollars in bilateral trade volume between the United States and Malaysia reflects that this is a central trade and investment partner for the United States we have confirmed I will do everything in my power to advance our priorities in this regard and continue to make sure that US companies are doing well in Malaysia in a way that is mutually beneficial and supports our economy at home.

Appreciate that. Ninety billion is certainly uh a significant factor. What what is the what is that same number as relates to China in Malaysia, if you know?

Uh, Or or Walmart, if you don't know what exactly. Chairman, my understanding is uh, uh, my understanding uh s uh, Chairman, is that uh China is Malaysia's top trading partner. Um, with respect to the United States, from my perspective, the fact that for fifty years US companies have been uh deeply embedded in the Malaysian economy particularly with respect to uh next generation technologies the assembling, packaging, testing uh of advanced chips speaks to the incredible commercial potential of this relationship. My job, if confirmed with our incredible team,

I appreciate that. Have uh have you uh interacted at all with the people from Micron?

Mm.

Uh, uh, Senator, uh, Chairman, as I'm a nominee for this position, I haven't been in a position to do so, but if confirmed, I would be very eager to have those conversations along with other partners.

I think you'll find them uh uh really good partners uh to work with uh as you go forward uh there so my time's about up I will yield to Senator Shaheen.

Thank you Mister Chairman, I'll give Mister Harris a break and go on to Mister Wester on Kenya um I was glad to see that Kenya, one of our biggest bilateral partners on the continent, wasn't left out as many other African countries were when the administration unilaterally pulled funding for every long-standing US government supported health program across Africa. Kenya has signed a bilateral health memorandum of understanding with the State Department to facilitate cooperation on global health priorities. But the ne- agreements were negotiated quickly and it's not clear what the oversight is that's available. So can you talk about what your understanding is of any oversight mechanisms that have been put in place regarding these MOUs and and how we can ensure that the new model produces results and um addresses those who are suffering from HIV and other diseases that um we have historically been there to support.

Thank you, Senator. Um indeed I am aware of this uh the health MOU uh that you mentioned. It is a landmark uh MOU for the United States in Africa and arguably worldwide. Kenya was the first country, if my recollection is accurate, uh to sign with the US global health strategy. You asked specifically, Senator, about the matter of monitoring. Uh our eyes are wide open in terms of what is involved with a two point five billion dollar project stretching for five years. We have accountability measures that are built and being built in to every step of the process.

Can can you speak, are you aware

I can, Senator, uh I know there has historically been concern on the part of the United States, other donors as well, with KEMSA. I don't know if you're familiar with KEMSA, but KEMSA is the commodities, medical commodities uh provider, the government medical provider uh provider in Kenya. There has historically been diversion, so the OIG from the Agency for International Development which still, as I'm sure you're aware, Senator, still continues, uh notwithstanding AID's dissolution. They uh have looked into this. They are still present on the ground looking into this and some related issues. Um we have seen improvements with it. This goes to very particular issues which I d- I wanna be careful not to exceed my depth of knowledge on, but including for instance uh uh barcoding, to look at diversion issues, a ma- a question of how much diversion actually took place. Uh, point of fact, in truth, not as much as some people had thought or initial reports had suggested. Um, but we are building we are building the look into tenders at every single step of the process. Any tender that's involved over the five year span of this MOU and two point five billion dollars any tender must come under the scrutiny of our oversight. And finally, I would add that in addition to that, every single conversation my colleagues at the embassy in Nairobi have with officials about this every single conversation they note and underscore for partners the US Congress requires requires that we take the following steps, and there is close scrutiny on this project.

Um. I'm just being handed a note here that says US, I AID um OLA made eleven arrests last month for diversion from KEMSA. Um will this be a major part of your job to keep sure to keep um sure that that oversight continues?

Uh, Senator, absolutely. Uh corruption of any form, pilfering if we prefer that more polytest term, But corruption of any form is

Corruption works.

Okay. So that is cancerous. That's cancerous to government services delivery. It's cance it's cancerous to the public trust in government. And also, of course, you know this. Uh, I state it merely for the record, we have a statutory requirement, not merely as good stewards, but a statutory legal requirement to provide that oversight.

Well, thank you. I appreciate that. I think um all of us are very interested in ensuring that the health programs that are so important to the Kenyan people are delivered appropriately, but without corruption, as you point out. So I look forward to hearing um an update once you get on post, if confirmed, on how how you see that going on the ground. Um I'm almost out of time, so I will save my remaining questions for the next round. Thank you, Mister Chairman.

Is here next round?

There. Yes.

Yes, there is. Uh, Senator Coons.

Thank you so much, Mister Chairman, uh, Ranking Member Shaheen, thank you to all of you for your service to our nation, uh, and to your families, uh, for their support for you. Uh, I am thrilled, Mister Chairman, Ranking Member, that we have career, uh, foreign service nominees in front of us. Uh, as I've said many times, uh, we need to fill more ambassadorial posts, in particularly in Africa, and so I wanted to make it a priority to join for this, uh, confirmation hearing today. Uh ambassadors are critical. Um you lead posts in times of crisis and challenge. Um we cannot rely on charges to have the same level of access and credibility, uh particularly representing our nation overseas. Uh and your institutional knowledge and experience is critical, so thank you, uh and I look forward to working with each of you. Uh Ambassador Wuster, uh thank you in particular for your willingness to serve. We've known each other across many years. Your service in Haiti and Jordan makes you particularly qualified, I believe, to lead. Um the US-Kenya relationship, which is of significant importance to me personally, um as uh Senator Shahin was just asking, um the Kenyan embassy has been asked to be sort of the hub for regional humanitarian and uh public health engagement but without any additional resources to carry it on. Um the chaotic and abrupt um closure of AID, cancelling of major decades-long development projects and realignment of healthcare, um has caused some real uh challenges in our trust and relationships in the region um I'm interested in hearing how you see um that MOU working out in particular concerns I've heard from Kenyans about the requirement for individualized health data and then second President Ruto who I know well is taking steps to uh move away from um over-reliance on the United States and is increasing his contacts and connections with other countries uh potential adversaries of of ours Um and given the history of Kenya, I'm concerned about the real potential for political violence in next year's elections. So I'd be interested in hearing from you, Ambassador, how do we make sure that the longer term public health relationship with Kenya is one of mutual respect and makes the difference that we hope it will? Um how does the embassy deliver on being a regional hub without the resources to do so? How do we deal with political violence next year, and how do you pull Kenya um solidly into our orbit uh as a respected partner in the region. Just a few minutes.

Thank you for all the easy questions, Senator.

Of course, or I expect nothing less, Ambassador.

Um you mentioned our our and maybe there was an allusion more than a a specific mention um adversaries, partners out outside the spectrum of uh US interests, so let me let me speak to that first and then walk backwards into some of the other elements that you you noted. So on the matter of China, When we look at the record of the relationship between Kenya and China, we do not see an ideological affinity.

Right.

That has been the case, as you will know firsthand from your own experiences there through the years, that has been the case throughout the Cold War when the surrounding countries in East Africa overwhelmingly went Marxist, Proto-Marxist, Communist. That's outdated term it seems today, but but went in that direction. Kenya did not. And that lingering effect is still is still there. They don't have that uh that that interest. But what we do see is a pragmatic foreign policy where, you mentioned President Ruto and uh your own experience with him, President Ruto's record is to look for opportunities that will enable Kenya to move forward. So we see an interest in a product, we see an interest in a service, uh I just wanted to underscore we don't see an interest Uh, we don't find an ideological affinity to be there. Now on to your uh more detailed matters on health, uh the hub matter and elections. Uh, I'll come to the health and the hub issue which Senator Shaheen had also expressed interest in. But let me first turn to the elections. Um, our watchword, the US watchword for uh August twenty twenty seven when the elections are are scheduled to take place, is stability. Not an unusual watchword for US foreign policy, But it happens to be grounded in in truth. That is exactly what we want. We are not picking sides in the election. We are not choosing A over B or any other party. What we are looking for is stability, IE, no violence. On the matter of health and foreign assistance writ large, and not repeating what I already mentioned to Senator Shaheen about the specifics on the health MOU, uh the foreign assistance hub matters. I acknowledge and understand, as I think do most all of us o on both sides here, that when you take a colossus like the Agency for International Development, and more particularly a way of doing business for the United States government, this is how, as you noted, we did foreign assistance for generations, decades. We stopped doing it that way and we made a one eighty degree change. We, this, moving from rough sandpaper, if you will, to getting this to be a smoother project, will simply to some degree be a function of time.

Mm.

So I know that some folks and some of your staff, in particular from the foreign relations committee, noted uh encounters they'd had at the embassy in say January through March. Here we are in September. That time we have moved forward still more. Again, we're not where we want to be. where we need to be, but things are improving. They're improving through diligence, through hard work, through a push for transparency, moving accountability closer to projects, which is a centerpiece issue of the entire movement out of AID towards this new model.

Thank you, um, Ambassador, and I'll just mention President Rousseau's top ask of me last year was reauthorization of AGOA um the Senate did just succeed in passing a two-year reauthorization. But we have more work to do to strengthen and broaden our trade relations with the continent. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

Thank you. Senator Keen.

Thank you to the chair and ranking member, and congratulations to all of you. Um, you know, sometimes I ask questions about what you might do, but but, Mister Wurster, I'm really interested in having you educate us about Haiti. Uh, so often I'll ask about your current or your last post because I think it's a really important thing for this committee to kind of understand state of play. Your service there as charge, very, very important, and and you worked with the uh Kenyan component of the uh security force, so that also is a really good thing to have uh in your background as you are nominated for the current position in Kenya. But give us kind of a lay of the land in Haiti right now, and if you have any advice for the committee about what we should be doing, we'd really appreciate it.

Yes, Senator, uh in terms of uh Kenya's presence, I'll address that one first. Haiti, Haiti is a tough, is nearly if not textbook, a Sisyphean undertaking on most days, on good days. When we, the United States, were looking a couple of years ago to find anyone who would step up, or partner with us, or God forbid, take a lead and assume accountability and responsibility, no hands shot up in the air, worldwide, save one. Kenya, so I know there has been mixed press or reviews about Kenya's presence there, but I have to say when no one stood up, they stood up. And they took that, they undertook that mission, and it's a daunting mission. We shifted the mission from the one we gave them. We, we had a mission then which was law enforcement in its nature, support to law enforcement. In this case, the Haitian National Police. We have shifted that now to something not even divergent. It is framed in opposites. We've gone from law enforcement to combat offensive operations. And that's precisely what we're engaged in there now. Haiti sits, you know this, uh uh uh no need for for for lectures from me, I know you've got deep experience uh uh here on the committee and and in your time in government. Haiti is on the precipice, and for the United States, it's primarily an issue of once it leaves the shores of Haiti, that issue which is, it becomes immediately then a migration issue, which then becomes law enforcement, humanitarian, political. That's what the Haiti problem set becomes. The antidote, there isn't one in terms of a cure or a fix-it ferry. Gee, if we could just get this antidote. You'd be cured. No such thing. Haiti requires long-term investment of time, first by its own people. It requires a national level understanding on the part of Haitians of all stripes. They don't have to love one another, but they need to have a common operating picture about fundamentally what do they want going forward. It's bifurcated and atomized. They lack that. So right now we're in a defensive crouch. And we're keeping our our objective remains stability for Haiti. Again, it's not my watch any longer,

Right.

as you recognize, Senator, but that's the the crouch we're in, which is keep the problems off of US shores, stabilize to the degree that we can enable it through multilateral mechanisms, something we were skeptical about undertaking, multilateral, um but decided at the end of the day that sort of approach, particularly to remove the financial burden, from the United States of being the sole funder. So we moved, as you know, Senator, to assessed contributions. So it's still rough sledding. And the notion that, well, you've come up with a plan, so how come it's not fixed? It's just not the right approach to Haiti.

Yep. How would you how would you grade us? Um, obviously the the success depends on the Haitian people. So but how would you grade our effort? Or if there are things that we're not doing that you think the US could do better, what what would those things be?

Senator, throughout the bulk of my time in Haiti, I had twenty colleagues, we had twenty one diplomats on the ground. That's not counting far more security personnel.

Yep.

We're, we have begun to to move those numbers up through twenty twenty six.

Mm-hmm.

That's helpful. We don't need a large presence on the ground, but we just need to make sure that the functions that we want to attend to, diplomatically, the functions we want to attend to, we're doing them. We have the lead on this, whether we would select it and choose to be the lead, the United States is the lead on it. They look to the Unite- everyone looks to the United States, some of them with not the best of intentions, but nonetheless they will look to the United States to set the pace, set the direction, and set the tone.

I I I appreciate you using your five minutes to talk about your current and past job rather than your former but this is really important. Last thing I'll just say, Mr. Chair, just to Mister Harris, Malaysia has been a good security partner, uh Malaysia has been a good economic partner, they play a critical role in the in um production of of chips, uh one of the largest producers in the world. They've had a particular um uh agitation over the current tariff policies as applied to them. And um I just I just hope y- you'll build strong relationships and I hope what we'll do on this side of the dais is not allow tariffs to get in the way of relationships with nations who are really important, both to our economy and to our security posture, but it's a very important post, it's a very qualified panel, I yield back.

Well there's nothing to yield back, so Mm. Uh I will No I don't, no I don't yield back. Just to make sure. I will start the second round that was announced by the ranking member. Um Y you know uh m- mister Wuster I uh we we talked about these diversions. I hate that term diversions. You know you you guys diplomats, that's the soft way of saying it. This is theft. I mean uh even pilfering I don't like. It's just flat theft. K uh a- and it and it's insidious because not only i i is the damage done by by what's taken, but because that's done and because it's been found out by us and others, it really hurts going forward, cuz people are reluctant put money there if they think it's gonna get stolen. And uh so it's a it's a double whammy really. Can you give us the uh uh any sense of the of the size of these uh thefts that uh have been uncovered uh by the inspectors that are there?