[Congressional Record Volume 158, Number 122 (Wednesday, September 12, 2012)]
[Senate]
[Pages S6285-S6286]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




  COMMENDING THE FOUR AMERICAN PUBLIC SERVANTS WHO DIED IN BENGHAZI, 
LIBYA, INCLUDING AMBASSADOR J. CHRISTOPHER STEVENS, AND CONDEMNING THE 
       VIOLENT ATTACK OF THE UNITED STATES CONSULATE IN BENGHAZI

  Mr. REID. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate 
proceed to the consideration of S. Res. 551.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report the resolution by title.
  The legislative clerk read as follows:

       A resolution (S. Res. 551) commending the 4 American public 
     servants who died in Benghazi, Libya, including Ambassador J. 
     Christopher Stevens, for their tireless efforts on behalf of 
     the American people, and condemning the violent attack on the 
     United States consulate in Benghazi.

  There being no objection, the Senate proceeded to consider the 
resolution.
  Mr. KERRY. Mr. President, the deaths of Ambassador Stevens and his 
team are heartbreaking. It is easy for a lot of people to forget that 
our diplomats are on the frontlines of the world's most dangerous 
places and they are there trying to make the world a safer and better 
place at great risk to themselves and their families.
  Chris Stevens was all that and more. He was a foreign service 
professional down to his toes, a guy who had served on the Foreign 
Relations Committee and embraced tough odds and tough assignments 
overseas. He had the guts and grit to serve as our envoy during the 
rebellion, and his presence there reminded Libyans that America stood 
with them for freedom in the face of violence. He was continuing that 
noble work as Ambassador with enormous skill.
  He was an important part of the work we are doing in Libya, and we 
will not let this deplorable violence turn back the progress he helped 
make possible. Let's remember that Libyans fought to protect the 
consulate and rescue the Americans inside, and that Libyans took Chris 
to a hospital in a desperate and potentially dangerous attempt to save 
his life. Indeed, the best way to honor his memory and that of the four 
American public servants who perished in Benghazi is to continue their 
work. The United States must continue to support the aspirations of the 
people of Libya for political reform based on democratic and human 
rights and the development of an inclusive government that ensures 
freedom, opportunity, and justice for the people of Libya. This is what 
Chris Stevens would have wanted.
  The violence in Cairo and Benghazi is unacceptable and unjustifiable. 
The stupidity of one filmmaker, no matter how offensive, is not now, 
and never, a rationale for violence. A despicable act like this hurts 
us all--Americans and peaceful people who aspire to build their own 
democracy. I commend President Obama for committing to bring the 
perpetrators of this attack to justice, and I am confident that this is 
precisely what the United States Government will do.
  This is one of those moments when Americans must unite as Americans. 
It is exactly the wrong time to throw political punches. It is a time 
to restore calm and proceed wisely.
  Mrs. FEINSTEIN. Mr. President, I rise today to pay tribute to a man 
who was killed in service to his country, a man who hails from my State 
of California, Ambassador John Christopher Stevens.
  I was shocked and saddened to learn of the deaths of Ambassador 
Stevens and the other three Americans who were killed during the 
horrible attack on our consulate in Benghazi, Libya. My deepest 
condolences go out to their families. They remain in my thoughts and 
prayers.
  He was struck down in the consulate by an act of mob violence which 
should never have taken place. There is simply no justification for 
this type of action and I condemn it in the strongest terms.

[[Page S6286]]

  I would like to begin by telling you a little bit about this 
dedicated public servant, someone with a unique and distinguished 
biography.
  Born and raised in Piedmont CA, Ambassador Stevens graduated from 
Piedmont High School before receiving his undergraduate degree from the 
University of California at Berkley in 1982 and a J.D. from the 
University of California's Hastings College of Law in 1989.
  Before he joined the Foreign Service in 1991, he was an international 
trade lawyer in Washington, DC, and from 1983 to 1985 he was a Peace 
Corps volunteer in Morocco.
  His overseas postings were consequential and showed he was an 
effective Foreign Service officer. He served as the deputy principal 
officer and political section chief in Jerusalem, a political officer 
in Damascus, a consular/political officer in Cairo, and a consular/
economic officer in Riyadh.
  In addition to his service abroad, Ambassador Stevens was the 
director of the Office of Multilateral Nuclear and Security Affairs, a 
Pearson Fellow with the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, special 
assistant to the Under Secretary for Political Affairs, Iran desk 
officer, and staff assistant in the Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs.
  He also served twice in Libya before becoming Ambassador: as deputy 
chief of mission at our Embassy in Tripoli from 2007 to 2009 and 
special representative to the Libyan Transitional Council from March 
2011 to November 2011.
  In May 2012, he became the first U.S. Ambassador to Libya following 
the fall of Qadhafi.
  As you can see, he had a long and distinguished career as one of our 
top diplomats, someone who learned the language and culture of a region 
of the world critical to U.S. national security interests.
  Clearly, this was someone who was committed to helping the Libyan 
people achieve their goal of a free and democratic country after 
decades of brutal dictatorship.
  As Ambassador, he immediately went to work to help Libya build a new 
future, engaging government officials, academics, businessmen, and 
civil society leaders on a daily basis.
  Sadly, his term as Ambassador and his service to his country ended 
far too soon.
  This attack and the assault on our Embassy in Cairo serve as sobering 
reminders that we must continue to pay attention to the events in the 
countries involved in the Arab Spring.
  While in some countries like Egypt and Libya autocrats have fallen 
and the people have elected new leadership, tensions remain high and 
uncertainty about the future abounds.
  There is still a lot of work to be done to ensure that these 
countries fully embrace democracy, human rights, and the rule of law.
  It is critical that those responsible for these acts are brought to 
justice. And I call on the Governments of Libya and Egypt to work 
closely with the administration to ensure that this does not happen 
again.
  Ambassador Stevens was one of our best. He will be sorely missed.
  Mr. REID. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the resolution 
be agreed to, the preamble be agreed to, the motions to reconsider be 
laid upon the table, with no intervening action or debate, that all 
Senators be added as cosponsors to the resolution, and all statements 
related to the resolution be printed in the Record.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The resolution (S. Res. 551) was agreed to.
  The preamble was agreed to.
  The resolution, with its preamble, reads as follows:

                              S. Res. 551

       Whereas on September 11, 2012, 4 American public servants, 
     including United States Ambassador to Libya, John Christopher 
     Stevens, and Sean Smith, were killed in a reprehensible and 
     vicious attack on the United States consulate in Benghazi, 
     Libya;
       Whereas Ambassador Stevens--
       (1) was a courageous and exemplary representative of the 
     United States;
       (2) had spent 21 years in the Foreign Service;
       (3) was deeply passionate about representing the United 
     States through his diplomatic service; and
       (4) was an ardent friend of the Libyan people;

       Whereas Ambassador Stevens served as Special Envoy to the 
     Libyan Transitional National Council in Benghazi during the 
     2011 Libyan revolution;
       Whereas Ambassador Stevens was a dear friend of the Senate, 
     having served on the staff of the Committee on Foreign 
     Relations of the Senate in 2006 and 2007 as a distinguished 
     Pearson Fellow;
       Whereas Foreign Service Information Management Officer Sean 
     Smith--
       (1) was a husband and a father of 2 children;
       (2) joined the Department of State 10 years ago; and
       (3) had served in the Foreign Service, before arriving in 
     Benghazi, in Baghdad, Pretoria, Montreal, and The Hague;

       Whereas the 2 other individuals from Ambassador Stevens' 
     team who perished in the attack made great sacrifices and 
     showed bravery in taking on a difficult post in Libya;
       Whereas the violence in Benghazi coincided with an attack 
     on the United States Embassy in Cairo, Egypt, which was also 
     swarmed by an angry mob of protesters on September 11, 2012;
       Whereas on a daily basis, United States diplomats, military 
     personnel, and other public servants risk their lives to 
     serve the American people; and
       Whereas throughout this Nation's history, thousands of 
     Americans have sacrificed their lives for the ideals of 
     freedom, democracy, and partnership with nations and people 
     around the globe.
       Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the Senate--
       (1) recognizes the dedicated service and deep commitment of 
     the 4 American public servants, including Ambassador John 
     Christopher Stevens and Sean Smith, in assisting the Libyan 
     people as they navigate the complex currents of democratic 
     transition marked in this case by profound instability;
       (2) praises Ambassador Stevens, who represented the highest 
     tradition of American public service, for his extraordinary 
     record of dedication to the United States' interests in some 
     of the most difficult and dangerous posts around the globe;
       (3) sends its deepest condolences to the families of those 
     American public servants killed in Benghazi;
       (4) commends the bravery of Foreign Service Officers, 
     United States Armed Forces, and public servants serving in 
     harm's way around the globe and recognizes the deep 
     sacrifices made by their families; and
       (5) condemns, in the strongest possible terms, the 
     despicable attacks on American diplomats and public servants 
     in Benghazi and calls for the perpetrators of such attacks to 
     be brought to justice.

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