During a Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing on Thursday, Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) questioned President Trump's nominee for Ambassador to Japan, George Glass, on the decision to remove language that described Russia as the aggressor in its invasion of Ukraine.
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NewsTranscript
00:00Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
00:03Thank all of you for your testimony.
00:06Mr. Glass, let me start with you.
00:08One of the things the previous administration focused on was trying to strengthen the relationship
00:14between South Korea and Japan, two very important partners.
00:18Simple question.
00:19Do you agree that that was a worthwhile endeavor, and will you work to build on it?
00:27Not only worthwhile, but essential.
00:29And absolutely, we were talking earlier a little bit about the priorities of the multilateral
00:35relationships that Japan has with other countries in the region, and it's critical that we continue
00:41to build on that.
00:42I think you recognize that when our colleagues from partner countries like Japan and South
00:51Korea have come to the United States over the last couple of years, they weigh in on
00:56the importance of the U.S. supporting the Ukrainian people in their fight against Putin's
01:02aggression, because they recognize that our commitment to Ukraine can have implications
01:10for all of them.
01:12As many of us say, President Xi keeps one eye on Ukraine while he keeps one eye on Taiwan.
01:18Do you agree that if there's a perception among our allies that we're throwing Ukrainian
01:24people under the bus, that that damages our relationship with Japan?
01:30The Japanese have supported the Ukrainians not only with economic support, material support,
01:41and conscious support.
01:46But at this point in time, the question that apparently is very simple is very delicate.
01:54We have a president that's got both sides of the Ukrainian-Russian conflict sitting
02:01at a table across from each other.
02:03And at this point in time, I think the delicacy of what he is working as our negotiator-in-chief
02:12is something that I don't want to make any comment that might possibly disrupt that process.
02:18My time's limited.
02:19I will just say, at the most recent G7 meeting, and as you're well aware, Japan's a part of
02:26the G7, right?
02:27Correct.
02:28At the most recent G7 meeting, our allies all supported continuing to keep the language
02:34from previous G7 resolutions, which named Russia and Putin as the aggressor.
02:40Did they not?
02:41They did.
02:42They did.
02:43And it was the United States that said we should remove that, wasn't it?
02:46It was.
02:47Yeah.
02:48In my view, that sends a terrible signal, a terrible signal not just to the people of
02:52Ukraine but to people in Japan and South Korea and our partners around the world.
02:57And cutting off intelligence even temporarily and throttling weapons to Ukraine when you
03:04have a massive arsenal on the Russian side, in my view, is so contrary to American national
03:13security interests.
03:15And I hear the same thing from our colleagues in Japan and elsewhere.
03:23Mr. Hoekstra, it's good to see you.
03:24We chaired the Dutch caucus back in the House.
03:28Let me just say, I was at a hearing yesterday in the Banking and Housing Committee where
03:33the testimony from the economist there, who, by the way, was invited by our Republican
03:38colleagues, was unambiguous, that when you increase tariffs across the board on products
03:46from Canada, including Canadian lumber, you will drive up the cost of housing in the United
03:51States.
03:52And the fact of the matter is the National Association of Home Builders chief economist
03:57predicts that it will be as much as $7,500 to $10,000 additional on a home for the average
04:06American if the proposed tariffs go through.
04:09I mean, you can do some simple math.
04:11You don't have to be an economist, neither do I, to recognize that will increase the
04:16costs and make homes less affordable in the United States, right?
04:22If the tariffs put that in place, yes, it's not brain surgery.
04:29I appreciate the reality touch.
04:30And I also appreciate your response to Ms. Rosen's question, Senator Rosen's question
04:34on the Five Eyes.
04:35I mean, you have a lot of experience there.
04:38You agree that Canada's contribution to the Five Eyes is valuable, right?
04:42We have a great alliance with Canada on national security issues.
04:47It would help if Canada met its NATO commitment.
04:52You know, they're one of eight or nine countries that falls short, significantly short, with
04:58no real plan to get there anytime soon.
05:01Their statement is that we'll get there in 2032.
05:03I agree.
05:04But within five, relating to Five Eyes, were they an important partner as part of that?
05:09Five Eyes is an important relationship, and all the countries have strengths that they
05:13contribute to.
05:14I appreciate that.
05:15And Mr. Johnson, finally, in closing, Senator Rosen raised the point about the funding for
05:20our efforts to interdict narcotics.
05:23Are you aware of the fact that one of the programs that was terminated by the Trump
05:28administration's freeze was an anti-narcotics program aimed at stopping imported fentanyl?
05:35Are you aware of that?
05:36Have you seen that reporting?
05:38Thank you, Senator.
05:39I've been out of the government for a little over four years now.
05:42I have not seen it.
05:43I look forward to seeing it.
05:45I am confident that throughout this process that anything that helps stem the flow of
05:49fentanyl will survive.
05:51Well, I hope you're right about that, because we had a meeting with Pete Morocco, and I
05:58did not get any sense of confidence in that.
06:01That was my takeaway, anyway.
06:02Thank you, Mr. Chairman.