HE WAS ARTICULATE IN ASKING QUESTIONS, AND HE WAS CREDIBLE IN OFFERING ADVICE IN EACH OF OUR MEETINGS. SO IT'S A GREAT PLEASURE TO WELCOME FROM THE GREAT STATE OF PENNSYLVANIA CONGRESSMAN TODD PLATTS. THANK YOU, MR. CHAIRMAN. I APPRECIATE YOUR YIELDING TIME TO ME, ALLOWING ME TO SHARE SOME THOUGHTS, AND I ESPECIALLY WANT TO THANK YOU FOR ORGANIZING THIS DELEGATION TRIP TO RUSSIA, TO ROME, AND TO TURKEY AND FOR INCLUDING ME AS A FRESHMAN MEMBER BECAUSE FROM A PERSONAL SENSE, IT PROVIDED AN EXCEPTIONAL OPPORTUNITY FOR ME TO BECOME JUST MUCH MORE INFORMED ON A NUMBER OF FOREIGN AFFAIR MATTERS DEALING WITH RUSSIA, DEALING WITH OUR CHALLENGES IN AFGHANISTAN, DEALING WITH TURKEY IN A BROAD SENSE BUT ALSO IN A VERY SPECIFIC SENSE AND I KIND OF FELT IN OUR NONSTOP VISITS THROUGHOUT THE THREE NATIONS, CRASH COURSE IN THE ISSUES OF NATIONAL SECURITY AND FOREIGN AFFAIRS, AND I ALSO ECHO MY THANKS TO RANKING DEMOCRATIC MEMBER MR. ORTIZ FOR HIS WELCOMING ME INTO THE DELEGATION AS A FRESHM
