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Source: US House Committee on Foreign Affairs
Media Contact 202-321-9747
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Brian Mast issued the following statement in response to President Emmanuel Macron’s announcement that France will recognize the “State of Palestine:”
“Choosing to reward terrorism, hostage taking, and genocide against Jews is the wrong choice.”
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Source: US House Committee on Foreign Affairs
Media Contact 202-321-9747
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, House Foreign Affairs Middle East and North Africa Subcommittee Chairman Michael Lawler delivered opening remarks at a subcommittee hearing on the State Department’s Bureau of Counterterrorism FY26 Budget Posture.
-Remarks-
The subcommittee on the Middle East and North Africa will come to order. The purpose of this hearing is to assess the budgetary posture and strategic direction of the State Department’s Bureau of Counterterrorism for fiscal year 2026. I now recognize myself for an opening statement.
Today we convene to duck conduct oversight of the State Department’s Bureau of Counterterrorism and review its budgetary posture and strategic priorities for fiscal year 2026. I want to thank our witness acting coordinator for Counterterrorism, Gregory LoGerfo, for appearing before us today. The Bureau of Counterterrorism is a vital arm of America’s national security strategy. It plays a leading role in coordinating US counter-terrorism policy, engaging foreign partners to disrupt threats before they reach our shores, and supporting global efforts to confront terrorism in all its forms. From its role in special operations to diplomatic engagement to training programs, the bureau is on the front lines of protecting the American people. As terrorism threats are becoming more diffused, adaptive, and globally networked, we must ensure the Bureau is equipped to respond with agility, efficiency, and strategic foresight.
In the Middle East, this means confronting the malign influence of Iran backed proxy groups such as Hamas, Hezbollah, and the Houthis, while sustaining pressure on Isis whose presence in the region remains a serious concern. And it is with this background that we examine the Bureau of Counter Terrorism’s budget. During this hearing today, we will assess how the Bureau is delivering measurable security dividends for US taxpayers through its foreign assistance programming, particularly through its anti-terrorism assistance and the worldwide security program. We will also explore the extent to which the bureau’s budget requests will enable personnel to adapt to new geopolitical threats while maintaining coordination across the inter-agency and international partners. We must also consider whether the state department’s reorganization has impacted outcomes and how the bureau is responding to its expanded scope. We must determine if the State Department has the tools, authorities, and structure to preserve its capacity to respond to regional complexities. Finally, I want to emphasize that the effective counter-terrorism policy demands a strong partnership between Congress and the department that is granted in transparency, oversight, and shared strategic vision.
As we move toward reauthorization and review of the department’s fiscal year 2026 plan, this subcommittee is committed to ensuring that the Bureau of Counterterrorism has the resources and guidance it needs to remain a global leader in combating our world’s most dangerous threats. Mr. LoGerfo, we look forward to your testimony and to a robust discussion of how we can work together to safeguard the United States and our allies in an increasingly complex threat environment.
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Source: US House Committee on Foreign Affairs
Media Contact 202-321-9747
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Brian Mast delivered opening remarks at a full committee hearing titled, “FY26 State Department Posture: Bureau of Political Affairs.”
-Remarks-
Under the Biden administration, the State Department, in my opinion, operated without clear lines of command. I believe that it blurred responsibilities in many cases and had a culture that prioritized process over the outcomes that the State Department would produce.
I would use the DEI office as an example, where they were worried about what the bucket of applicants looked like, rather than the outcomes of those applicants and what they were delivering for the American taxpayer. That was a direct quote from the former DEI Secretary Abercrombie-Winstanley.
That has changed under President Trump and Secretary Rubio.
This Committee is working to restore real command and control at the State Department—something that the Pentagon has had for decades, and something that the State Department desperately needs.
We’re crafting the first comprehensive, standalone State Department Authorization bill in over twenty years—this is not meant as a gesture, it is meant as a serious institutional overhaul.
We’re not doing this for symbolism; we’re doing it because there needs to be common sense and logic within our diplomacy.
Our goal is simple: bring order, bring clarity, and bring effectiveness to a department that too often prioritized institutional interests above the American interest.
A perfect example is how members of Congress in too many cases are more concerned about somebody being fired from the State Department after 10-15 years of employment. When they should be asking how productive those employees were and what were the measurable outcomes that were provided by them approving transgender operas, or drag show tutorials, or DEI musicals, or LGBTQ comic books abroad.
Under President Biden, the Department suffered from a structural identity crisis. Maybe policy was developed by one group, altered by another, and implemented by a third, often with no clear authority or accountability. Turf wars between regional and functional bureaus slowed everything down.
The Under Secretary for Political Affairs is treated as “first among equals,” but that phrase itself reveals to me a problem: too many equals, not enough leadership. No mission succeeds without a chain of command, and I believe that diplomacy is no exception.
The State Department must operate like a strategic institution with a clear hierarchy, mission clarity, decisive leadership, and measurable outcomes. It should not be a think tank that looks at the world as an academic exercise with no measurable outcomes.
And our reforms aim to do just that.
Some will resist this. They’ll defend the status quo as if it’s sacred. But we’ve seen what that status quo produces: mission drift, strategic confusion, and a sprawling bureaucracy that’s often more focused on virtue signaling than actually projecting American strength abroad.
Let us be clear: this is not about copying the Pentagon—it’s about applying common sense. At DOD, policy is made at the top through a chain of command that is recognizable to everybody.
At the State Department, that discipline has been missing. We don’t expect the State Department to be soldiers in uniform, but we should expect it to have a command structure that is recognizable and followed.
We can’t afford what has happened to happen again — not when adversaries like China and Iran are using every tool at their disposal to undermine American power, we can’t have foreign service officers that free lance social experimentation.
Our vision is straightforward. Functional bureaus and undersecretaries should focus on developing policy, clear, coherent, and grounded in national interest. Regional bureaus, with their area expertise, should adapt and execute that policy on the ground. This creates a clear flow of authority, streamlines operations, and ensures accountability at every level.
What we have had are regional bureaus providing loose oversight of embassies that frequently operate like personal fiefdoms rather than the implementing arm of the State Department. Under President Biden, we had embassies funding gender inclusive leadership through ultimate frisbee in India for $100K or spending $425K to help Indonesian coffee companies be more gender and climate friendly.
This hearing is part of a broader effort to realign the State Department with the mission it was meant to serve: putting America First as the State Department of the United States of America. That requires more than tweaks—it requires structural change, cultural change, and a willingness to change the old order.
I want to thank our witness for appearing today, and we look forward to your insight as we take the first steps toward restoring command and control, discipline, and mission focus at the United States Department of State.
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Source: US House Committee on Foreign Affairs
Media Contact 202-321-9747
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, the House Foreign Affairs Committee advanced six bills aimed at improving the foreign arms sales process and strengthening the U.S. defense industrial as part of the panel’s second markup of the 119th Congress.
The suite of measures, which were spearheaded by the committee’s bipartisan Foreign Arms Sales Task Force, codify much-needed reforms to the foreign arms sales process outlined in President Trump’s executive order in April with tailored legislation to improve transparency, efficiency, and ease cooperation with foreign partners.
House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Brian Mast formally established the task force, which is being led by Chairman Ryan Zinke (R-MT) and Ranking Member Madeleine Dean (D-PA), in March to ensure the foreign arms sales process meets the demands of the future.
“As Chairman of the Foreign Military Sales Task Force, I’ve made it my mission to eliminate the bureaucratic delays that prevent America’s top-tier military equipment from reaching our allies and partners,” Chairman Zinke said. “The Foreign Military Sales Task Force was given a job, and we intend to deliver. I appreciate Chairman Mast’s support in these efforts and look forward to voting for this legislation on the House floor.”
Since being stood up, the task force has heard from foreign partners, defense industry stakeholders, and U.S. government officials from across the interagency about key reforms needed to ensure the foreign arms sales process meets the demands of the future.
These task force’s efforts, which build upon the House Foreign Affairs Foreign Military Sales TIGER Task Force co-led by Rep. Mike Waltz (R-FL) and Rep. Seth Moulton (D-MA) last Congress, will result in more efficient partnerships between the government and private sector stakeholders, a stronger defense industrial base, and foreign partners being better armed more quickly with American systems and hardware which improves interoperability.
“These actions, at their core, are about deterring aggression and, when needed, defeating our adversaries,” Chairman Mast said. “When we streamline and strengthen the foreign arms sales process, we incentivize innovation, improve our domestic manufacturing capabilities, and create American jobs. This is a no-fail mission, and I appreciate the hard work by the Task Force in getting this legislation before the full committee today.”
The six task force-led measures advanced in today’s markup include:
H.R. 3613 – Streamlining Foreign Military Sales Act of 2025
H.R. 4233 – AUKUS Reform for Military Optimization & Review (ARMOR) Act
H.R. 4215 – ITAR Licensing Reform Act
H.R. 4216 – Made-In-America Defense Act
H.R. 3068 – Missile Technology Control Review Act
H.R. 4335 – Abraham Accords Defense Against Terror Act
Additionally, the committee advanced legislation aimed at strengthening U.S. partnerships and promoting peace and stability around the globe.
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Source: US House Committee on Foreign Affairs
Media Contact 202-321-9747
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Brian Mast issued the following statement upon Rep. Randy Fine (R-FL) being named as a member of the panel.
“Randy is a battle-tested conservative and a fierce defender of America’s interests. The Foreign Affairs Committee is stronger with him on board. Proud to welcome my fellow Floridian to the fight.”
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Source: US House Committee on Foreign Affairs
Media Contact 202-321-9747
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Brian Mast issued the following statement upon House Committee on Homeland Security Chairman Mark Green’s retirement from Congress.
“Chairman Green dedicated his life to serving our great nation on the battlefields and in the halls of Congress.
As a member of the Foreign Affairs Committee, he played instrumental roles in shaping our foreign policy to protect our interests at home and abroad.
We thank him for his many years of service and wish him continued success for many years to come.”
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Source: US House Committee on Foreign Affairs
Media Contact 202-321-9747
Today, House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Brian Mast applauded the Justice Department’s indictment of a VOA employee for allegedly threatening Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene:
“Voice of America was built to fight propaganda — now it’s spewing hate at our own leaders. This is just another example in a long string of liberal taxpayer-funded hit jobs.”
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Source: US House Committee on Foreign Affairs
Media Contact 202-321-9747
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Brian Mast issued the following statement upon the House’s final passage of the rescissions package.
“This is a win for the American taxpayer. Under the Biden administration, the U.S. wasted billions in taxpayer dollars spreading far-left ideology disguised as foreign aid. Republicans on this committee exposed those programs for years only to have Democrats turn a blind eye.
Foreign aid is not benevolence. It’s not charity. It’s a soft power that gives America a chance to get what it is that we need because of some mutual benefit that exists out there between two nations. It’s not an opportunity to push radical liberal ideas on countries that would otherwise want to be our allies.
Today, House Republicans joined President Trump in giving the American people a say in how their tax dollars are spent abroad.”
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Source: US House Committee on Foreign Affairs
Media Contact 202-321-9747
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, House Foreign Affairs East Asia and Pacific Subcommittee Chairwoman Young Kim delivered opening remarks at a hearing titled, “Breaking China’s Chokehold on Critical Mineral Supply Chains.”
-Remarks-
Good morning and welcome to East Asia and the Pacific Subcommittee hearing titled Breaking China’s Chokehold on Critical Mineral Supply Chains. I want to thank our witnesses for joining us this morning.
Critical minerals — lithium, cobalt, real earth elements, and others — are the building blocks of modern technology, powering electric vehicles, microchips, and advanced defense systems. Global demand for these minerals is surging. With lithium demand alone, growing nearly 30% annually from 2021 to 2024, driven by rising electric vehicle battery production. Yet, the People’s Republic of China, or PRC, controls 92% of global rare earth element processing and dominates the manufacturing of battery and magnet components. This chokehold reinforced by China’s tens of billions in global mining investments and tactics like price manipulation and export restrictions poses a direct threat to the United States and our allies.
While the U.S. possesses significant mineral resources, domestic production alone cannot meet the speed or scale of this demand. The U.S. manufacturing, they operate their operation costs, increased significantly in the region, increasing the regional bureau.
It will take decades to permit natural mining in America. Moreover, the federal government lacks the financial capacity to fully subsidize the level of investment needed to drive large scale private sector investment expansion of domestic production, relying solely on domestic solutions is insufficient. Therefore, we need a bold global strategy to secure resilient, diversified supply chains free from Chinese control.
The current geopolitical landscape offers an opportune window to act. The recent developments such as President Trump’s critical minerals agreement with Ukraine and the U.S. facilitated peace deal in the Democratic Republic of Congo, open new opportunities to access vital resources.
We’ve also seen coordination like the recently announced quad critical minerals initiative underscore the importance of critical minerals to broader regional engagement. As the administration renegotiates trade relationships, we can strengthen partnerships with our allies to build non-Chinese supply chains, enhancing both economic and national security.
So in today’s hearing, we will explore these challenges and opportunities. We will examine how to build a proactive global strategy to establish supply chains free from Chinese dominance. So our goal today is very clear: to ensure the United States and its allies have secure, reliable access to the critical minerals that will define the future of technology and security. I look forward to a productive discussion.
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Source: US House Committee on Foreign Affairs
Media Contact 202-226-8467
WASHINGTON, D.C. – This Week, House Foreign Affairs Chairman Brian Mast wrote a letter to Boston University President Melissa Gilliam raising concerns over the “Impact Counter,” a dashboard promoted by the university that makes false and misleading claims about the impacts of restructuring at the U.S. Agency for International Development.
In his letter, Chairman Mast exposes a series of falsehoods conveyed by the dashboard and used to spread dangerous hysteria about deaths caused by the USAID restructuring.
“I am deeply concerned that Boston University is serving as a platform for the weaponization of academia, where federally funded professors are spreading disinformation about the ongoing reorganization of USAID and its consequences,” Chairman Mast wrote. “Brooke Nichols, an Associate Professor at BU, is at the heart of this dangerous hysteria through her creation of the ‘Impact Counter,’ a dashboard of numbers that claim the restructuring of USAID has killed hundreds of thousands of people.”
As Chairman Mast notes, the dashboard has been used as ammunition to attack President Trump as his administration carries out a foreign policy agenda that puts America first and promotes U.S. interests abroad.
“Unfortunately, hidden behind Dr. Nichols’ claim is an erroneous set of assumptions based on inaccurate information,” Chairman Mast wrote. “This platform has become no better than a Russian bot farm or CCP propaganda. Boston University is creating a breeding ground for far-left activists to exploit academia for political gain which undermines the legitimacy of these institutions.”
Read the full letter here.