[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 18 (Friday, February 25, 1994)]
[House]
[Page H]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[Congressional Record: February 25, 1994]
From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

 
             STATEMENT ON THE NOMINATION OF STROBE TALBOTT

 Mr. GRAHAM. Mr. President, I rise today to express my concerns 
with the nomination of Strobe Talbott to be Deputy Secretary of State.
  As a general principle, I give a presumption of correctness to 
nominations of the president for top level management positions. For 
this reason, I voted earlier this week to confirm the nomination of 
Strobe Talbott. He is well qualified and has the experience to 
effectively advance U.S. foreign policy. I must express my 
apprehensions of this vote, however, in light of Mr. Talbott's past 
views on the nation of Israel.
  I remain firm in my opposition to unjustifiable condemnations of 
Israel and my commitment to the special relationship between the United 
States and Israel. I am, therefore, concerned with the article in Time 
in which Mr. Talbott wrote:

       Menachem Begin recognized that American Jews wield 
     influence far beyond their numbers but he also knows there is 
     considerable pent-up irritation in the U.S. with the power 
     and the pro-Israel lobby which includes, of course, many non-
     Jews and that a significant body of American Jewish opinion 
     opposes him.

  I am further concerned with Mr. Talbott's characterizations of Israel 
as a ``dubious asset'' and ``an outright liability to American security 
interests.''
  Mr. Talbott stressed in his confirmation hearings that many of these 
fragmentary references concerning Israel did not accurately 
characterize his current or past views. Although I believe Mr. Talbott, 
I will monitor his actions closely to ensure United States support for 
a strong and independent Israel.

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