[Congressional Record Volume 159, Number 12 (Tuesday, January 29, 2013)]
[Senate]
[Pages S344-S347]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


        NOMINATION OF JOHN FORBES KERRY TO BE SECRETARY OF STATE

  The PRESIDING OFFICER (Ms. Baldwin). Under the previous order, the 
Senate will proceed to executive session to consider the following 
nomination, which the clerk will report.
  The legislative clerk read the nomination of John Forbes Kerry, of 
Massachusetts, to be Secretary, Department of State.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Under the previous order, there will be 2 
hours of debate on the nomination equally divided in the usual form.
  The Senator from New Jersey.
  Mr. MENENDEZ. Madam President, I rise to speak to the nomination of 
Senator Kerry to be the next Secretary of State.
  It has been more than 100 years since a member of the Senate Foreign 
Relations Committee was directly nominated to be the Secretary of 
State. The last was Senator John Sherman of Ohio, who was selected to 
serve as Secretary of State to President McKinley. It is important to 
note that this historical fact exists because Senator Kerry's path 
isn't one commonly taken but one that is earned by a select few, and he 
has earned this opportunity.
  From the first time John testified before Chairman Fulbright as a 
young returning Vietnam war hero in 1971 to the day the President 
announced his nomination as Secretary of State, he has invested himself 
in all of his endeavors, always looking for the truth, for answers, 
uncovering the facts, hearing all the evidence, and then publicly 
speaking truth to power based solely on what was best for this Nation. 
I know he will carry those leadership traits with him into his new 
position, and I can think of no one better prepared to take on the 
challenges of this position.
  As a Senator, as a member of this committee, and as a chairman, John 
has already built strong relationships with leaders across the world, 
which will allow him to step seamlessly into the role of Secretary of 
State. Senator Kerry will need no introduction to the world's political 
and military leaders and will begin day one fully conversant not only 
with the intricacies of U.S. foreign policy but with the understanding 
of the nuanced approach necessary to effectively interact on a 
multinational stage.
  When Vice President Biden was chairman of the Foreign Relations 
Committee, he said on more than one occasion that ``good international 
relationships are always predicated on strong interpersonal 
relationships.'' John Kerry understands there is no substitute for 
strong interpersonal relationships, whether in Senate politics or 
international diplomacy. Secretary of State is not a desk job. It 
requires constant personal interactions in the furtherance of American 
foreign policy.
  During his 30 years in public life and more than 25 years in the 
Senate, Senator Kerry has championed many issues. Earlier today the 
Senate Foreign Relations Committee favorably reported his nomination to 
the Senate unanimously and presented Senator Kerry with an honorary 
resolution highlighting a few of his many accomplishments.
  Amongst his accomplishments are the partnership he formed with 
Senator John McCain that led to an effort to investigate the fate of 
American soldiers unaccounted for in Vietnam and normalize relations 
with a former enemy--which is, in essence, Vietnam; his leadership of 
difficult, sensitive, and comprehensive investigations in the Senate on 
everything from the Bank of Credit and Commerce International and 
illegal money laundering, to the Noriega regime in Panama which is well 
known; advocating for democratic elections in the Philippines and 
serving with Senator Lugar as part of a Senate delegation that 
uncovered the fraud that led to the ouster of President Ferdinand 
Marcos; working with the Cambodian Government and the United Nations to 
facilitate the creation of the genocide tribunal in Cambodia to 
prosecute key members of the Khmer Rouge; advocating for programs that 
help secure nuclear, biological, and chemical weapons stockpiles and 
materials so they don't fall into the hands of hostile states or 
terrorists; and leading the Senate to provide its advice and consent to 
ratification of the New START treaty with Russia.
  During the Arab spring, Senator Kerry supported a no-fly zone over 
Libya, which helped to save thousands of civilians from being 
massacred, and he was a voice of courage and conscience in calling for 
President Hosni Mubarak to step aside and begin an orderly and peaceful 
transition to a democratic political system in Egypt.
  John has been a tireless advocate for the cause of peace in the Sudan 
and South Sudan and played an instrumental role in the successful 
referendum in 2011.
  John is well known for his bipartisan work with former majority 
leader Bill Frist on comprehensive HIV/AIDS legislation that laid the 
foundation for

[[Page S345]]

the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, a program that provides 
lifesaving treatment for people with HIV/AIDS and supports broad 
prevention efforts that save lives every day.
  Many of you know that John is a tireless and most convincing advocate 
for addressing global climate change and supporting the transition to a 
clean energy future. As chairman of the Committee on Foreign Relations, 
he convened eight major hearings and roundtables on climate change and 
energy security, underscoring their connection to global stability, 
economic competitiveness, and America's national security.
  In his new role, his portfolio will be greatly expanded as he 
represents the interests of the Nation, from securing our Embassies and 
protecting our overseas personnel to promoting commerce, enhancing 
cross-cultural ties, and keeping America secure through cooperation 
where possible and isolation where necessary, as in the cases of Iran 
and North Korea.
  Whatever the challenges we will face as a nation, in my view, the 
State Department could not be in better hands. When it comes to 
America's role in world affairs, I know we all agree that it is 
critical that the United States remain fully engaged, that we project 
not only the power of our military strength when necessary but the 
wisdom of our democratic ideas. I have no doubt that Senator Kerry will 
rise to meet these challenges as he has so consistently in his many 
years of service to his State and this country.
  I see the distinguished ranking member on the committee, Senator 
Corker, whom I look forward to working with as we move forward in the 
days ahead.
  I think all Members will say that even when they did not agree with 
Chairman Kerry on a given issue, they always felt he had an open ear, 
an open door, an opportunity for full debate, an effort to seek the 
common ground, particularly in U.S. foreign policy. I believe those 
traits are going to serve him extraordinarily well in his role as 
Secretary of State as he deals with the Senate and the House of 
Representatives as part of promoting U.S. foreign policy in a way that 
brings us as cohesively together as we can to promote the national 
interests and securities of the United States.
  I look forward at the end of this time period to a strong 
confirmation vote to send a message to the world that this is our 
Secretary of State, and he speaks for America on behalf of the Obama 
administration and the people of the United States.
  Madam President, I yield the floor.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Tennessee.
  Mr. CORKER. Madam President, I wish to thank the chairman for holding 
the business meeting the way he held it today and the hearings last 
week for this confirmation.
  I know a lot of people think that because of the way partisan 
politics are here in Washington, sometimes we can't be happy for 
someone on the other side of the aisle when they do well. Nothing could 
be further from the truth.
  I just want to say that I thought Senator Kerry acquitted himself 
exceptionally well in the hearings we had last week. I thought they 
were wide-ranging, and I think he had the opportunity to display the 
depth of knowledge he has on many issues. I don't know of anybody who 
has lived a life that has been more oriented toward ultimately being 
Secretary of State than John Kerry, and for that I also am happy for 
him and his family and the fact that very soon he is going to be able 
to express himself on behalf of our Nation in this way.
  I think most of you know that his dad was a Foreign Service officer. 
I know that you know he certainly made a splash. Some people thought it 
was negative, some people, positive, but he certainly made a splash 
here during the Vietnam era and from that point on has been very, very 
active. So, again, I thought he acquitted himself exceptionally well.
  There are four points I want to bring out. I know that he knows--and 
many of us have seen recently just because of some of the things that 
have happened in Libya--we have a State Department that needs some 
oversight, and we haven't provided it. Neither side of the aisle has 
provided it now for over a decade.
  I know he sees the need for the Senate, through its authorization 
process--and the House doing the same--to be involved and to be 
partners with him as we try to cause this organization, which over the 
years has just built into a sporadic stovepipe entity, to be assisted. 
A lot of times when a political person comes into an organization, the 
bureaucracy tries to wait it out until the next person comes along. I 
don't think it can happen any more in any agency than it does in the 
State Department.
  So I look forward to working with the chairman in whatever way he 
ends up deciding we are going to work together on this particular issue 
to really look at the State Department. I know Senator Kerry certainly 
welcomes that.
  We most recently had a hearing with Senator Clinton on Benghazi, and 
there have been Accountability Review Board recommendations that have 
been put forth, and I know Senator Kerry has said he is certainly going 
to see those through and make sure they are fully implemented.
  I know we talked a great deal in the hearing--and certainly we have 
done so personally--about our nuclear posture and nuclear 
modernization, which is a big part of what we discussed during the 
Start Treaty--something I supported and worked with him on--and I found 
his comments about where we need to be in that regard certainly 
reassuring.
  I also think he is very clear-eyed as it relates to the threat we 
face as a nation, especially in north Africa now but in many places as 
it relates to terrorist groups such as al-Qaida. As a matter of fact, I 
look at Senator Kerry as a realist. While we have not always agreed on 
every issue, as the chairman just mentioned, I have always found him to 
be someone who is open to discussion. I think he wants only the best 
for our Nation. There is no question that as he moves ahead over the 
next several years, I am sure he will take positions that in some cases 
I and others--maybe Senator Menendez--may view as not exactly the 
course of action that ought to be taken on behalf of our country. But 
my sense is that he will be open to listening, and I think he will be 
willing to sit down and talk about that as we move ahead.
  He came out of the committee today by voice vote unanimously. As the 
chairman mentioned, I think he is going to receive a very strong vote 
of support today here on the Senate floor. As the chairman mentioned, I 
think that it is good for our Nation, as he goes out across the world 
representing us, for people to understand that this is someone who 
received overwhelming support from the Senate.
  All of us know we live in a dangerous world. We live in a world that 
is changing dramatically. We live in a world in which things come over 
the transom on a daily and weekly basis that are unexpected. I mean, we 
look at what is happening right now throughout the country of Egypt, 
which we might not have expected to occur a week ago. To have someone 
like Senator Kerry, who has spent a lifetime on these issues and 
understands the history and institutional issues that have bound us or 
separated us from these countries--having someone like him representing 
us will be a very good thing.
  I join the chairman in supporting him. I know numbers of people will 
have comments regarding his service here in the Senate but also his 
future service, and I look forward to listening to that.
  Madam President, I yield the floor.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Maryland.
  Mr. CARDIN. Madam President, I would like to join with Senator 
Menendez and Senator Corker in urging our colleagues to promptly 
confirm Senator Kerry as our next Secretary of State.
  It is a great honor to serve in the Senate. It is a great privilege 
and honor to represent the people of Maryland here in the Senate. Part 
of that special privilege is the people we serve with, the incredible 
public servants we have had the privilege of serving with in the 
Senate, and I put Senator Kerry at the top of that list.
  He has devoted his life to public service in the finest manner. He is 
so qualified to assume the responsibilities of Secretary of State. He 
understands this complex world in which we live and the

[[Page S346]]

differences among countries. Many are strategically important to the 
United States. Yet they don't share our values. Senator Kerry 
understands that and understands the importance to advance U.S. 
interests--we need to understand the concerns of other countries and we 
need to establish relations with other countries.
  He has made a personal commitment to understand the world in which we 
live. I do not think there has been a Member of this body who has spent 
more time, gone to more places, met with more people in order to 
represent our Nation on the international stage. Senator Kerry has 
always done that with the greatest degree of competency and 
representing our country in the finest traditions. He has broad 
experience: experience as a soldier serving in Vietnam, experience as a 
Senator, 28 years representing the people of Massachusetts in the 
Senate. We know about his service on the Senate Foreign Relations 
Committee. I want to talk about two other committees on which he 
served.
  One is the Senate Finance Committee on which I had the pleasure of 
serving with him. There is no Senator who has taken the fiscal 
challenges of our country more seriously or understands the impact our 
fiscal condition has on our national security interests. In fact, 
during his confirmation hearings he mentioned the need to get our 
fiscal house in order. I think he understands that and understands the 
commitment he has, once confirmed and once heading the State 
Department, to help us bring about fiscal sanity in the United States 
to do what is necessary worldwide, but also to do it in a most cost 
effective way.
  I also served with Senator Kerry on the Small Business Committee. The 
small business community did not have a better advocate when Senator 
Kerry was chairman of that committee. I was pleased how many times we 
brought out initiatives to help America and small businesses grow 
because we know the growth engine for jobs has come from small 
companies. But, clearly, it has been in the last few years that I had 
the privilege of serving with Senator Kerry as he chaired the Senate 
Foreign Relations Committee that I got to see so up close and personal 
his extraordinary commitment to our country and his ability to carry 
out so many important responsibilities.
  Senator Kerry understands our national security, yes, depends upon a 
strong military, but that also the other key ingredients to national 
security are diplomacy and development assistance.
  We had Secretary Clinton before our committee. Someone mentioned that 
was about 1.5 percent of the budget, and she corrected it and said it 
is really less than 1 percent of the budget. Diplomacy and 
international assistance is less than 1 percent of the budget. We know 
what we spend on our military is a lot larger than that. All three are 
important to national security.
  Senator Kerry understands that. He understands through diplomacy we 
can avoid unnecessary military action. He understands through diplomacy 
we can make America safer. He understands through international 
development assistance we can strengthen countries, make them more 
stable, and be less likely to need to use our military. That is the 
type of leader we need as Secretary of State. We have a great leader 
today, Secretary Clinton. I think Senator Kerry will follow in that 
tradition.
  Take a look at Senator Kerry's record of advancing America's 
interests. We have a safer world today through Senator Kerry's efforts. 
As you know, we approved the New START treaty with Russia, reducing the 
amount of nuclear weapons between Russia and the United States. That 
makes this world safer. His record on human rights is well known. From 
Cambodia to Burma to Kosovo and many other places around the world, 
Senator Kerry has been a leader in advancing the cause of human rights.
  We already heard Senator Menendez point out his efforts in Vietnam. 
He represented America to get an accounting of our POW/MIAs. It was 
unprecedented in modern times to be able to go to a country with which 
we are at war and have that kind of accounting. Senator Kerry used his 
talent in order to bring closure for many American families, and that 
was an incredible accomplishment. Then he was able to improve the 
relationship between the United States and Vietnam, recognizing it is 
in America's interests that we are able to communicate with other 
countries.
  I particularly appreciate his work on elevating the importance 
internationally of human trafficking. The United States has taken the 
leadership in saying, whether you are a receiving country or an origin 
country or a country of transport, we all have a responsibility to stop 
what we call modern slavery: the trafficking, usually of young girls, 
but also sometimes boys. The United States has taken the leadership 
there.
  I like to think Senator Kerry's taking leadership on this started 
with his position on the Helsinki Commission. He is a former member of 
the Helsinki Commission. I now have an opportunity of being the Senate 
chair of the Helsinki Commission. We raised the issue of human 
trafficking and Senator Kerry was one of the great advocates to advance 
America's leadership internationally to stop human trafficking. He has 
protected people with disabilities.
  As Senator Menendez mentioned, he has been our leader on energy and 
climate issues, recognizing the importance of the United States to 
demonstrate international leadership in order to deal with a global 
problem, a problem that is important for us to deal with as a citizen 
of the world but also important for us to deal with in regard to 
America's economy and America's energy needs and America's security 
responsibilities. Senator Kerry has been a great leader on that.

  He has provided U.S. leadership for humanitarian assistance. I 
remember the hearings we had in the committee on Haiti and the personal 
commitment he made to make sure America was in the leadership for a 
country in our own hemisphere that suffered such a horrible disaster, 
and his work there was extremely important.
  He led our efforts in dealing with HIV/AIDS, in doing the responsible 
things as far as America's position on that problem. He understands the 
importance of international development assistance to advance gender 
equality. It is interesting, if you want to take a look at the health 
of a country, look at the way they treat their women. We have a pretty 
strong commitment as far as international development assistance around 
the world. We need to make sure countries advance the rights of women. 
It is not only the right thing to do from what we believe as Americans, 
but it also provides a more stable country for us to have relations 
with. Senator Kerry understands that.
  He has been one of the leaders in fighting corruption in other 
countries. I will always remember the hearing we had in our committee 
when former President Clinton and Bill Gates testified before us. These 
are two individuals who have headed a lot of international development 
assistance. They have a zero policy in dealing with countries that 
cannot control corruption because they want to make sure their 
assistance doesn't go to fuel corruption. Senator Kerry understands we 
don't want America's international development assistance to be used to 
fuel corruption. That is the type of leadership we have in the 
Secretary of State.
  The list goes on of what he has been able to do to advance the rights 
and interests of the United States. I am confident that Senator Kerry's 
legacy of fighting for democracy, human rights, and global peace will 
continue as he assumes his new responsibilities as the Secretary of 
State for the United States of America.
  I urge my colleagues to support his nomination.
  I thank Chairman Menendez for bringing this nomination to the floor 
so quickly and thank Senator Corker for accommodating it. It is 
important that President Obama has his security team in place as 
quickly as possible. I am proud the Senate will be doing its share, its 
work by voting on this nomination later today.
  I suggest the absence of a quorum.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.
  The legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  Mr. MENENDEZ. Madam President, I ask unanimous consent the order for 
the quorum call be rescinded.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.

[[Page S347]]

  Mr. MENENDEZ. Madam President, I ask unanimous consent--it has been 
agreed to by the Republican side as well--that any time spent during 
debate time in a quorum call be equally charged against both sides.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  Mr. MENENDEZ. With that, I suggest the absence of a quorum.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.
  The legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. Manchin). The Senator from Texas.
  Mr. CORNYN. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for 
the quorum call be rescinded.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.