[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 15 (Tuesday, January 26, 2021)]
[Senate]
[Page S148]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]





                  CONFIRMATION OF ANTONY JOHN BLINKEN

  Mr. VAN HOLLEN. Mr. President, I rise today in strong support of the 
nomination of Antony J. Blinken to be U.S. Secretary of State.
  Mr. Blinken has decades of experience in foreign policy, beginning in 
the early 1990s as the Special Assistant to the Assistant Secretary for 
European and Canadian Affairs. He has since risen to senior foreign 
policy positions on Capitol Hill and in the executive branch, including 
as Democratic Staff Director on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, 
and as Principal Deputy National Security Adviser and Deputy Secretary 
of State in the Obama administration. I have had occasion to work with 
him over the years and can testify to his professionalism, diligence, 
and good judgment.
  Mr. Blinken faces an enormous task. The last 4 years have been rife 
with chaos, division, and ineffective unilateralism. Under the so-
called slogan of ``America First,'' President Trump turned his back on 
allies and emboldened our adversaries, leaving the United States 
weakened, vulnerable, and alone. Mr. Blinken must not only reverse the 
damage done by President Trump; he must reinvigorate U.S. leadership in 
a manner that meets the challenges we face today--from the existential 
threat of climate change, to a more aggressive and confrontational 
China.
  To begin, Mr. Blinken must restore our alliances, rebuild our global 
partnerships, expand our commercial ties, and rejoin the critical 
international agreements and organizations recklessly abandoned by 
President Trump. Already President Biden has reversed Trump's Muslim 
ban, rejoined the Paris climate accords, and recommitted to the World 
Health Organization. In the coming months, Mr. Blinken must work with 
our allies to develop a united front to counter the threats posed by 
adversaries such as China, Russia, and Iran. He must reaffirm our 
commitment to NATO. He must reestablish U.S. leadership in providing 
development and humanitarian assistance around the world, reasserting 
U.S. values of democracy, human rights, and the rule of law.
  As importantly, Mr. Blinken must restore the State Department itself. 
The Trump administration routinely undermined and smeared our dedicated 
career foreign and civil service officers. Rebuilding the morale of our 
talented public servants will be imperative for the successful 
execution of our foreign policy.
  Given the breadth of his knowledge and experience, I am confident Mr. 
Blinken is the right person to meet America's foreign policy 
challenges, and I support his confirmation as U.S. Secretary of State.

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