[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 150 (2004), Part 10]
[Senate]
[Pages 13763-13768]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                       RESERVATION OF LEADER TIME

  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Under the previous order, the leadership time 
is reserved.
                                 ______
                                 

                           EXECUTIVE SESSION

                                 ______
                                 

   NOMINATION OF JOHN C. DANFORTH TO BE REPRESENTATIVE OF THE UNITED 
  STATES OF AMERICA TO SESSIONS OF THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE UNITED 
                                NATIONS

                                 ______
                                 

   NOMINATION OF JOHN C. DANFORTH TO BE REPRESENTATIVE OF THE UNITED 
  STATES OF AMERICA TO THE UNITED NATIONS WITH THE RANK AND STATUS OF 
AMBASSADOR EXTRAORDINARY AND PLENIPOTENTIARY, AND REPRESENTATIVE OF THE 
 UNITED STATES OF AMERICA IN THE SECURITY COUNCIL OF THE UNITED NATIONS

  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Under the previous order, the Senate will go 
into executive session for consideration en bloc of the following 
nominations which the clerk will report.
  The assistant legislative clerk read the nomination of John C. 
Danforth, of Missouri, to be Representative of the United States of 
America to the Sessions of the General Assembly of the United Nations 
during his tenure of service as Representative of the United States of 
America to the United Nations; John C. Danforth of Missouri, to be 
Representative of the United States of America to the United Nations, 
with the rank and status of Ambassador Extraordinary and 
Plenipotentiary, and Representative of the United States of America in 
the Security Council of the United Nations.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. There will now be 1 hour of debate equally 
divided on the nomination.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Missouri is recognized.
  Mr. BOND. Madam President, on behalf of the manager of the 
nomination, the Senator from Indiana, I yield myself 5 minutes.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Mr. BOND. Madam President, it is a privilege to rise today to commend 
to this body the confirmation of an individual whom I have had the 
honor of calling a colleague for over 30 years, and someone Members of 
this body have known for a long time. That is our good friend, former 
Senator John C. Danforth. There was something very delicious about the 
fact that the clerk noted he will become Ambassador Extraordinary and 
Plenipotentiary. That kind of sums it up.
  Jack Danforth is an outstanding individual who will be having great 
responsibilities serving the United States as Ambassador at the United 
Nations.
  Most of us who are familiar with Jack know of his many 
accomplishments and attributes. But there is one quality that always 
comes to mind when you ask people what do you know about or what do you 
think about when you think of Jack Danforth? The people who have worked 
with him and have had an opportunity to watch him would say one word: 
integrity. This is a man of great integrity, as well as dedication and 
compassion, and even a dry sense of humor, when appropriate.
  Senator Danforth was born in St. Louis County and graduated from St. 
Louis Country Day High School. He graduated from Princeton University 
in 1958, and then Yale University Law School and Divinity School in 
1963. He was admitted to practice in New York in 1963, and that same 
year he was ordained as part of the clergy of the Episcopal Church. As 
we all recently saw, he participated in the services honoring our late, 
great President Ronald Reagan.
  I have been to many services conducted by Rev. John C. Danforth. One 
that particularly affected this body was the memorial service for our 
late colleague, John Heinz, the Senator from Pennsylvania. I can tell 
you, when we went to Pittsburgh for those services, there were many 
very deeply hurt and troubled Senators. There is not much one would 
think could be said, but Jack Danforth was able to bring us together 
and give us hope and help lighten the burden of that loss.
  In addition, obviously, to being a clergyman, Jack began his 
political career in 1969, serving as Attorney General of Missouri, 
using his legal background. I had the privilege to serve as an 
assistant attorney general under him and was grateful for the 
opportunity to be there, to learn the high standards he set and 
demanded not only for himself but for everybody who worked for him.
  In the Senate, to which he was elected in 1976, he served as chairman 
of the Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation. He served on 
the Finance Committee and undertook many important responsibilities. He 
was a leader in the passage of the civil rights legislation that was 
enacted by the Congress. He went back to Missouri to resume the 
practice of law in St. Louis. Really, I think he went back to spend 
more time with his wonderful wife Sally, who is a tremendous friend to 
many of us who have a chance to know her, and his grandchildren, and 
also to watch Cardinal baseball.
  Jack was called upon by President Bush to broker peace in the civil 
war in Sudan that had claimed some 2 million lives. He worked 
tirelessly and committed himself to improving the lives of others. He 
demonstrated once again to the U.S.--and this time to the world--his 
ability to understand and simplify complex political problems.
  About 2 weeks ago, he called me at my home in Missouri and said: The 
President asked me to take on another assignment. I said: Jack, I hope 
it is not as dangerous an assignment as Sudan. He said: No, he asked me 
to be representative to the United Nations. I said: I think that may be 
less dangerous, I am not sure. We certainly hope it will be.
  But I told him I could not think of someone who is better able to 
serve the United States. When our reputation and status in the world is 
being questioned--I happen to think unfairly and incorrectly--it is a 
matter of fact that we need a man of Jack Danforth's fairness and 
integrity to represent us in the U.N., to reach out to other nations. 
He will know when to assert our Nation's sovereignty and how to do so 
with a spirit of humbleness and cooperation, as he has shown me. I ask 
this body to confirm him unanimously.
  I suggest the absence of a quorum and ask that the time be charged 
equally to both sides.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The clerk will call the roll.
  The assistant legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  Mr. LUGAR. Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the order 
for the quorum call be rescinded.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  Mr. LUGAR. Madam President, I yield myself as much time as I may 
require for this statement from the time allocated to our side.
  Madam President, today the Senate will have the opportunity to 
consider many nominations for diplomatic posts of some very talented 
Americans who have made themselves available for public service--some 
as a career, and others for temporary periods--and who have come before 
the Senate Foreign Relations Committee in formal hearings, and whom the 
committee has sent to the floor for action by the Senate. It is my hope 
these nominations will be acted upon favorably today.
  It is important to our country that these ambassadors and 
representatives to various other international organizations be in 
place as rapidly as possible. In an often-changing and sometimes 
dangerous world, we need that leadership. Our committee has tried to 
act in an expeditious manner to provide a fair degree of certainty to 
Senators, and a confidence level that these are good nominees who will 
represent our country well.
  Prominent among those whom we recommend today is our former 
colleague, Senator John Danforth of Missouri. It is a great pleasure 
for me to address the nomination of Senator Danforth before the Senate 
now in this specific debate on his nomination. As a

[[Page 13764]]

result of his three distinguished terms as a Senator from Missouri, he 
is well known to many Members of the Senate and to the Committee on 
Foreign Relations. It turns out that eight of us served with Senator 
Danforth in this body. We were able to identify ourselves during the 
hearing.
  I had the privilege of coming into the Senate with Senator Danforth 
after the election of 1976, sworn in early in January, and had the 
pleasure of serving with him throughout the 18 years of his tenure.
  After entering with Senator Danforth, as did Senator Paul Sarbanes of 
Maryland and Senator Orrin Hatch of Utah, in what was a large class of 
Senators--eight Democrats and eight Republicans coming in as new 
Senators from the election of 1976--those of us who had the privilege 
of serving with him can certainly attest to his integrity, his 
intellect, his sound judgment, and his good humor.
  President Bush has made a very wise choice, in my judgment, for an 
extremely important position. The Committee on Foreign Relations 
signaled its agreement by voting him out of committee unanimously last 
Tuesday.
  I will mention parenthetically that in a meeting at the White House 
this morning, President Bush asked specifically for consideration for 
the leadership on the part of those of us on both sides of the aisle to 
make certain we are represented at the United Nations as our now-
Ambassador to the United Nations, Ambassador Negroponte, goes on to 
these very important responsibilities in setting up the new embassy in 
Iraq.
  The job before Senator Danforth is a daunting one that will require 
all of his talents and his experience. As the Security Council vote 2 
weeks ago on Iraq demonstrated, critical decisions are being made at 
the United Nations that have a huge impact on the outcome in Iraq, on 
the welfare of our troops there, and on peace in the world.
  Success in Iraq is unlikely to be achieved without the active 
cooperation of many other nations, reinforced by the international 
legitimacy that can be secured and underlined at the United Nations.
  Beyond Iraq, that same week, the United Nations Security Council met 
to discuss sanctions on Liberia, the peacekeeping mission in Cypress, 
and weapons of mass destruction generally. Other United Nations bodies 
addressed in that same week issues as divergent as women's rights, the 
need for greater access to potable water in this world, efforts to 
expand freedom of expression, and the role that primary education plays 
in childhood development. The United Nations remains the focal point of 
our multilateral diplomacy on so many fronts.
  Being U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations requires one not only to 
deal with policies and politics in New York, it requires one to manage 
these same issues back here in Washington where many in Congress are 
sometimes skeptical of the United Nations procedures.
  Our U.N. Ambassador must be able to explain to Congress why it is 
important to pay our dues and to pay them on time, and why peacekeeping 
operations can benefit the United States. Every U.N. peacekeeper in the 
Congo, Haiti, and East Timor allows U.S. troops to focus on our 
missions in Iraq, Afghanistan, and elsewhere.
  At the same time, our Ambassador must be a forceful spokesperson for 
greater efficiency and transparency at the United Nations and an 
intolerance of corruption at the United Nations. The recent revelations 
regarding the Oil-for-Food Program remind us that close oversight must 
be part of our role at the U.N.
  Senator Danforth's years of experience in Washington ensure that he 
will keep Congress informed about U.S. policies at the U.N. His talents 
as a bridgebuilder and a communicator will serve him well as he seeks 
to articulate both to the world and to the Congress the nuances of his 
work in New York.
  Since leaving the Senate, Senator John Danforth has continued his 
commitment to public service. From 1999 to 2001, he headed the 
independent inquiry into the Branch Davidian standoff at Waco, TX. 
Since September of 2001, he has served as President Bush's special 
envoy for peace in troubled Sudan where he has devoted his time and his 
talents to reducing the suffering in that troubled nation.
  In this capacity, he has made seven trips to Sudan and other nations 
in the region. This experience will be particularly useful when the 
United Nations Security Council begins debate on whether to send 
peacekeepers to try to maintain the fragile peace framework signed in 
Nairobi on June 5. We wish him success in this endeavor and pray this 
framework evolves into a formal peace agreement that finally ends the 
civil war that has resulted in more than 2 million deaths and over 4 
million displaced persons.
  The United States and the United Nations must work together in Sudan, 
Iraq, Haiti, Afghanistan, and many other trouble spots throughout the 
world. American credibility in the world, progress in the war on 
terrorism, and our relationships with our allies will be greatly 
affected by what can be accomplished at the United Nations in the 
coming months and years.
  Senator Danforth is eminently qualified to meet these and other 
challenges. We recognize the deep personal commitment necessary to 
undertake this difficult assignment. We are grateful that a leader of 
his stature is willing to step forward. I recommend Senator John 
Danforth to the full Senate and ask my colleagues to send him on his 
way to New York with a unanimous vote.
  I thank the Chair, and I yield the floor.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Delaware.
  Mr. BIDEN. Madam President, I wish to join my colleague, the chairman 
of the full committee, today in support of the nomination of an old 
friend, Jack Danforth, to be Ambassador to the United Nations. As many 
of us, I have known Jack for a lot of years, and I have an inordinately 
high regard for him. The one point I continue to marvel at, but I am 
not at all surprised at, is that he keeps answering the call. Every 
tough job he is asked to do--in or out of government--he steps up to 
the plate and he does it. I think having Jack Danforth at the United 
Nations is going to be a very positive thing.
  People say we should have professional diplomats. Jack Danforth is a 
professional diplomat. Jack Danforth is the ultimate professional 
diplomat. Jack Danforth knows how people think. From his years as an 
ordained minister, as a Senator, and an attorney general of his State, 
he knows how people think and feel and move. But, Madam President, do 
you know what I like best about Jack Danforth going to the United 
Nations? He will be absolutely straight--absolutely straight.
  I have an incredibly high regard for Ambassador Negroponte, for whom 
I voted to become Ambassador to Iraq, probably the toughest job in the 
bag these days. This is not meant as a reflection on Ambassador 
Negroponte. But Jack Danforth has the stature to go to the President 
and say: Mr. President, I disagree; I think you should not. Or ``I 
would recommend the following.'' He has the stature, just because of 
who Jack Danforth is--just because he knows. There are some men and 
women who just possess it. He possesses it. He has the stature. We know 
the expression, ``command presence.'' Jack Danforth has command 
presence. What makes me feel good is the President is going to get 
unvarnished advice from Jack. Jack is a team player. Jack is a 
supporter of the President. Jack feels strongly that the President's 
mission is correct. But Jack will also, if he disagrees, not hesitate 
one minute to, in my view, privately tell the President. I think every 
President is best served when he has women and men around him with the 
conviction to tell the President honestly what they think.
  When you walk into that White House, when you walk into that Oval 
Office, it is an intimidating place if you do not walk in with your 
shoulders back, your head up, and understand what your responsibility 
is. That is the quality in Jack that I am excited about in his going to 
the United Nations.

[[Page 13765]]

  He also has stature, in my view, to turn to the French or Chinese or 
British Ambassadors, for example, and privately say: Look, cut this 
stuff this is what we have to get done. This is how we should try to 
work this.
  I think stature matters in this job--at this moment, at this time, 
and in this administration. I think Jack Danforth has always stepped up 
to the critical moments in recent history. As the June 30 deadline for 
transfer of sovereignty in Iraq occurs very shortly, Iraq is one of 
many urgent issues on the United Nations agenda. There are many others: 
Sudan, Afghanistan, Haiti, just to name three.
  The administration seems to have finally discovered the virtue of the 
United Nations. That sounds like a bit of a snide remark for me to 
stand here and say that the administration ``finally discovered.'' But 
literally, I say ``finally,'' because this administration ran for 
office and came to office expressing verbally, in writing and in their 
actions--it would be extreme to say ``disdain'' but not a particularly 
high regard for the United Nations. However, since then, the President 
has honored the United Nations by going to it and making clear 
America's position on the most urgent issues of the day.
  Now the administration is back in the United Nations with both feet 
and is trying to rally international support in a way that, quite 
frankly, I hoped and wished we had done a year ago, or longer.
  The reason I mention this is not to highlight when the administration 
should or should not have done it. I mention returning to the United 
Nations because it coincides with Jack Danforth being at the helm 
there. I think that his being there is good for this country. The 
administration, in its successful and unanimous vote on Security 
Council Resolution 1546 on June 11, moved in a direction in which it 
had been hesitant to move, in my view, before. That is good news 
because we have squandered a number of meaningful opportunities to 
share the burden in Iraq. I hope we do not miss any more. I know 
Senator Danforth's leadership can make a real difference on that front.
  Last weekend, Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, Senator 
Daschle, the Democratic leader from South Dakota, and I traveled to 
Iraq, Kuwait, and Jordan. The trip confirmed to me that turning over 
sovereignty on June 30 in Iraq is a starting point. It is not a turning 
point in the transition to self-government. I remain absolutely 
convinced that we can still get this right in Iraq and that we have to 
try because of the profound stakes we have in a successful transition. 
There is so much to lose if it fails.
  We have to start leveling with the American people about what is and 
what is not happening on June 30. We are handing over sovereignty, but 
we are not handing over capacity. That is not a criticism. It is not as 
if we should be in a position to be able to hand over capacity. I think 
we could have been in a position to hand over much more, but it is not 
a criticism.
  By ``capacity,'' I mean the ability of the Iraqis to provide security 
for themselves, to defend their borders, to defeat insurgency, to 
deliver services, to run a government, and to begin to set a foundation 
for economic success. What is so frustrating is that because of a 
series of very wrong judgments, we lost at least a year in effectively 
building that capacity. As a result, we have made an inherently 
difficult mission even harder.
  If there is anyplace where humility is in order, it is in suggesting 
how we should proceed in Iraq. I remember when the distinguished 
chairman, Senator Hagel, and I visited Iraq last August and we sat with 
Ambassador Bremer. My friend may remember my looking at Ambassador 
Bremer in the only room in that whole facility that had air-
conditioning and saying: Mr. Ambassador, I want to make it clear to you 
I think if the Lord Almighty came down and sat in the middle of this 
conference table and gave you the precise answer to the next 20 
critical decisions you have to make, we still only have a 65-percent 
chance of getting this right.
  Nobody has ever done this before. The Ottomans could not get it done. 
The Persians could not get it done. The Brits could not get it done. 
And they are not even dealing with what the country is today. Iraq is a 
polyglot made up of essentially what was left over in the region of 
three groups of noble people.
  The fact is, this is a hard job by any standard. The central question 
is what we can do between June 30 when the sovereignty is handed over, 
and December of 2005 when a constitutionally elected Iraqi government 
is supposed to be seated. What can we do in that interim to help build 
that government that will be seated in December 2005? What can we do to 
help build the capacity for it to stand on its own? I think this should 
not be the sole responsibility of the United States.
  The international community, through a unanimous vote on Security 
Council Resolution 1546, made clear that Iraq is the world's problem. 
All of the Security Council voted in favor of that. They voted for 
elements of the whole. One of the elements, for example, just to note 
parenthetically, says that there will be provided a brigade, 4,000 
troops, to protect the U.N. when they go back in. What was not stated 
is who will provide the troops.
  There are many other elements that the unanimous resolution laid out 
in the Security Council. The Permanent Five, and other members of the 
Security Council signed on. They did not just sign on saying the United 
States can stay. They signed on saying that Iraq is the world's 
responsibility.
  The reason I go into this is to describe that it is going to take a 
man of Jack Danforth's stature--while we are working it from State, 
while Negroponte is working it from Baghdad, while the President is 
working from the White House--to work out the problem of how we get the 
world's major powers, Iraq's neighbors, and leading international 
institutions such as NATO, to pick up empowering the Iraqis to govern.
  In a nutshell, I believe we are going to have to, and Senator 
Danforth is going to have to play a part in getting other nations to 
help us train and equip Iraqi security services--including the police 
and the army--commit to defeat the insurgency, and provide security for 
Iraqi elections, which is going to require a surge of forces, not a 
reduction of forces. They should not all be U.S. military forces. The 
rest of the world has to get in on the deal, preferably with NATO and 
other foreign troops.
  We need civil affairs experts from our allies, and more special 
forces and intelligence assets from America. We have to provide, as 
called for in UN Security Council Resolution 1546, a special brigade, 
ideally from NATO, to protect the U.N. mission in Iraq, whose presence 
is critical for successful elections.
  I know the Presiding Officer knows this but maybe not all of our 
colleagues have not focused on this: Thousands of polling places are 
going to have to open up. There are going to be U.N. people going into 
villages and going into towns throughout Iraq, over the next 6 months, 
to set up for the first election. That is going to be dangerous 
business. You have Zarqawi and others announcing that they are going to 
try to kill not only the interim government, but anybody who 
participates in making this work. So we need to assist the U.N. in 
doing its job--which is essential for our ultimate exit strategy--which 
is to support a secure Iraqi government--secure within its borders, not 
a threat to its neighbors, and not harboring weapons of mass 
destruction or terrorists.
  How do we get from here to there? Jack, Senator Danforth, is going to 
have his hands full. We have to deploy an army of technical experts, 
primarily from other countries, to help Iraq run its government, and 
deliver essential services like electricity, water, and sanitation. By 
the way, I am not just talking about the major projects. The Russians 
pulled back from what seemed to them a pretty good contract, a contract 
to go out there and build electrical power capacity. Their folks were 
getting shot and killed, so they pulled back.
  But there are thousands of little projects that are going to 
determine

[[Page 13766]]

whether we succeed or fail in Iraq. One of the most impressive 
commanders I have met, and I spent a couple of hours with him in a 
briefing--is the Commander of the First Cavalry, an incredibly proud 
unit.
  He said to all of us: Senators, look, I leave my tanks back in 
America. My tank drivers are now infantrymen. My infantrymen I had 
associated with this are now engineers.
  On his big screen during this briefing he showed us Humvees. He has 
Sadr City as his responsibility. He showed Humvees going through sewage 
literally up to their hubcaps.
  There is a company out in California that has done a remarkable job. 
It has created overlays for a number of things, such as utilities, that 
you would think were disparate and had nothing to do with one another. 
The overlays show where the greatest physical needs are, in terms of 
pollution and water problems, for example. Then the company overlaid, 
on top of that grid, a diagram of where the most fighters are coming 
from, and where the most terror is coming from.
  This commander of the First Cavalry said: Take a look. In the places 
where we have gone in and done relatively small projects, such as 
getting potable water to homes, I don't have people coming out of and 
killing my guys and women. He said, Do you know what I need? I need a 
better mix of troops--not better troops but a better mix of troops and 
capability. He said there is about $450 million worth of projects that 
he has agreed and laid on, in Sadr City.
  This is a commander who can shoot straight and kill. This is a 
serious guy. He said: You help me clean up the sewer, I will clean up 
Sadr City and I will get us peace in that area.
  We have a lot of needs. The U.N. resolution, in my view, signs on the 
international community. Now it is time for them to sign up to take on 
some of these responsibilities.
  The other thing we have to do, in which Senator Danforth is going to 
have to play a major part, is insist that other countries follow 
through on their financial pledges for more assistance, and demand that 
they provide significant debt relief. As a matter of fact, as my 
colleague brought up in a very important meeting this morning, we have 
to get money in there quickly. We can't wait to begin these major 
projects. We voted for about $18 billion for Iraq to rebuild it. We 
have spent a pittance of that. It has not been spent. None of it has 
happened. Less than a half billion dollars, less than $500 million of 
the $18 billion we appropriated, has been spent on projects. That is 
tragic. That is not particularly good management, in my view.
  Furthermore, Senator Danforth will have to bring other Security 
Council members together to develop a viable U.N. strategy for dealing 
with this great tragedy that is occurring in western Sudan. If our U.N. 
Ambassador doesn't take the lead in the Security Council then, in my 
view, little is going to happen.
  Senator Danforth was called to get involved, and he did a brilliant 
job in negotiating the north/south crisis in the Sudan. Over the past 
several years he has worked very hard as a special envoy to support the 
peace process between the Government of Khartoum and the Sudanese 
People's Liberation Movement.
  With the signing of the last three protocols on May 26, that peace 
process is on the verge of a success and it is truly a significant 
achievement for the President and for Senator Danforth. But the impact 
of that agreement has almost completely been undermined by the horrific 
attacks on the civilians in Darfur by the Government of Sudan and its 
allied militias. These attacks have precipitated what the U.N. and U.S. 
officials call the worst humanitarian crisis in the world today.
  We have already witnessed ethnic cleansing on a massive scale. 
Already as many as 30,000 people have been killed. Mr. Natsios, the 
administrator of the Agency for International Development, stated 3 
weeks ago: ``Under optimal conditions, we could see as many as 320,000 
people die'' in Darfur by the end of the year as a result of this 
violence, disease, and famine.
  The U.N. factfinding team:

       . . . identified . . . massive human rights violations in 
     Darfur, perpetrated by the Government of Sudan and its proxy 
     militia, which may constitute war crimes and/or crimes 
     against humanity.

  I believe it is genocide.
  The violations reported by the U.N. include the targeting of 
civilians during military strikes, the widespread rape of women and 
girls, destruction of homes, food stores, livestock, crops . . . the 
razing of villages, forced displacements, and disappearances.
  The administration has responded with humanitarian aid and raised the 
issue of Darfur repeatedly in Khartoum, and the President told us this 
morning at breakfast that he raised it at the G-8 meeting as well. The 
U.N. sent teams out to investigate. These are all important steps, but 
they are not enough. The international community must condemn 
Khartoum's actions unequivocally. It must insist that Khartoum stop 
attacks on civilians by government troops and militia, and provide 
unfettered access to Darfur for humanitarian workers.
  I will soon introduce legislation that our U.N. Representative, I 
hope, will push for in a U.N. Security Council resolution which 
reimposes sanctions on Khartoum if the attacks in Darfur do not stop. 
This action may not resolve the situation, but it will help. Senator 
Danforth knows more about this crisis than I do, and do most of us in 
this place. I hope he will pursue such a resolution as one of his first 
actions as Ambassador to the United Nations.
  Congress has to do its part. The United States should bring real 
money to the table to respond to the crisis, rather than empty promises 
that the money is on the way. I am working on an amendment to the 
Defense Department appropriations bill that would provide money for 
Darfur which Mr. Natsios pledged earlier this month the United States 
will provide. But bilateral action by the United States is not enough. 
We need our international partners to assist in pursuing Khartoum to 
stop the terror campaign in Darfur.
  There are many other pressing issues facing the United Nations in New 
York. We have a lot of diplomatic work to do to repair relations. We 
have a new team at the top in Jack Danforth and, assuming she is also 
confirmed, his deputy, Anne Patterson. But I think the President has 
chosen very well.
  By himself, Jack Danforth cannot repair relations between the United 
States and other nations at the U.N. But he said in the confirmation 
hearing that the reason he finally took the job that he initially 
didn't want to take is that he saw that as his mission, the single most 
important thing he could do. A recognition as to how important that 
belief is, is in and of itself an important message to be sent around 
the world.
  Jack Danforth is the right person at the right moment to help repair 
the breach, if the administration is committed to do so. And I am 
confident with Jack's leadership they will be able to do so.
  In closing, I would like to extend my gratitude to Jack Danforth for 
agreeing to take on this difficult assignment. I thank his wife Sally 
for supporting him. I know I speak for all of my colleagues on this 
side of the aisle and, I suspect, although I wouldn't presume, the 
entire Senate. I speak for all us when I say, Thank you, Godspeed, 
count on us. I know you can count on the chairman of this committee, 
Senator Lugar, and me to do all we can to help you make your mission at 
the United Nations workable and doable.
  I yield the floor.
  Mr. LUGAR. Madam President, I would like to yield time to the 
distinguished Senator from Missouri, Senator Talent. I yield as much 
time as he might require.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Missouri.
  Mr. TALENT. Madam President, I thank my friend from Indiana. I 
certainly want to associate myself with the remarks made on this floor 
on behalf of Senator Danforth. I know they have been uniformly, without 
exception, complimentary to him--not in a typical way we as matter of 
gesture

[[Page 13767]]

may compliment public figures, but these were remarks by people who 
knew and who have known and who have worked with Jack Danforth for 
years and years and know him to be a tremendous public servant of deep 
integrity, thoughtfulness, and courage.
  I am proud to say that he hails from the great State of Missouri. 
President Bush has simply selected a great man for this post. When he 
called me and told me about it, I told him I was thrilled. I could not 
think of a more qualified person to represent the United States at the 
United Nations.
  Like most of us who have been around politics and government, I have 
known Senator Danforth and his wife Sally for many years. He served his 
country and the people of Missouri with dignity and distinction. It is 
appropriate to take a moment to place on the Record again his 
background and his credentials.
  He served two terms as the attorney general of Missouri; three terms 
in the U.S. Senate; handled, as Senator Biden said, the difficult task 
of trying to bring peace to the Sudan, the difficult and delicate task 
of investigating the tragedy that occurred at Waco and emerged from 
that job, which could very easily have led to censure and disapproval 
from this town because it was a very controversial type investigation, 
with plaudits from everyone who recognized the thoroughness, the 
effectiveness, and the fairness of that investigation.
  He knows the importance of bipartisanship. We have seen that from the 
comments on this floor today. Most recently the Nation appreciated his 
eloquence and his thoughtfulness as he said goodbye to President Reagan 
during his memorial service.
  He is, in short, a considerate man with character, diligence, and 
whose abilities qualify him to represent our Nation. The Senate will 
support him unanimously and without opposition.
  As Senator Biden said, he is going to have a very difficult job. The 
United Nations is not an easy place. We are engaged in a war on 
terrorism. I want to say that, in my judgment, the United Nations has 
never really come to grips with the danger we are fighting. That will 
certainly be one of Senator Danforth's tasks.
  One of the reasons this transnational movement of thugs we are now 
confronting grew to be as powerful as it became is because of the 
neglect of the international community and the United Nations. Policies 
of appeasement do not work with this group of people. I am not certain 
the United Nations realizes that.
  I harken back to the end 2002 and the speech Prime Minister Blair 
gave to the Parliament, which I had an opportunity to watch, about 
negotiations within the United Nations about trying to deal with the 
threat against representative freedom by Saddam Hussein. Prime Minister 
Blair made the point then that after years and years and years of 
negotiations of containment, of watching him violate the obligations he 
had made after we defeated him in 1991, after a long record of 
aggression toward his neighbors, the use of weapons of mass 
destruction, deception, and the United States and Great Britain asked 
for one more resolution demanding that he show he had disarmed, with a 
threat of force if he failed to comply. That was blocked in the United 
Nations to which Jack Danforth is going to be an Ambassador.
  The United Nations is, in my judgment, important in reconstructing 
Iraq. But it is important that the United Nations understand the threat 
we are confronting.
  After Saddam was removed and the United Nations came to assist with 
humanitarian reconstruction, their headquarters was attacked by the 
terrorists. It was a terrible tragedy. While on one level you can 
understand it, on another level it was unfortunate that they lowered 
the flag and left. But that is what the United Nations did. The 
terrorists took that as a sign of weakness.
  Senator Danforth is going to represent us in an organization which is 
highly bureaucratic, which is troubled by its own Food-for-Oil scandal, 
and whose resolve in the face of terrorism has been questionable in the 
past. I know he will do a great job of representing American interests. 
I believe he can help us draw close again to our traditional allies. He 
is the kind of person who knows how to be gracious and courageous at 
the same time.
  I wish him well. He certainly has my support. I know the Senate will 
support him unanimously as well.
  I yield the floor.
  Mr. JEFFORDS. Mr. President, it is with a deep sense of honor and 
privilege that I speak today in support of the nomination of one of our 
former colleagues, John C. Danforth, to serve as the U.S. Ambassador to 
the United Nations.
  While I served in the Congress for many years with Jack Danforth, our 
friendship was forged long before we arrived in Washington. Dating back 
to the late 1960s, he and I served our respective States as attorneys 
general: no small task given the turbulent times in which we were 
living. Jack and I, along with a few of our other attorneys general 
whose names are familiar--Slade Gorton and Warren Rudman--banded 
together to find common solutions to problems that our States were 
facing. Whether it was the threat of rampant development or the upsurge 
in illegal drug use, these problems had the potential to overwhelm our 
individual States. However, by working together through the National 
Association of Attorneys General, we made it through those tough times 
and I believe our States were better served for those relationships we 
forged.
  Little did we know back then that years later, we would all be 
representing our States in this great Chamber, which Senator Danforth 
did with distinction from 1976 to 1995. I remember working with Jack 
Danforth on the Civil Rights Act of 1991, where his leadership was 
vital to passing that very important legislation. Through the course of 
a summer of seemingly endless meetings, discussions and negotiations 
with leaders of the contending factions, Jack Danforth was able to 
bring together support for a bill that guaranteed equal opportunity in 
the work place for all Americans. I stood with Senator Danforth through 
the entire process in 1991, and to this day remain awed by his ability 
to seek compromise, work in a bipartisan fashion and find common 
ground.
  I was sad when Jack left the Senate, but his departure did not bring 
an end to his hard work. In a move that I believe speaks volumes about 
his character, he was selected by Attorney General Janet Reno to head 
the investigation of the FBI's role in the Waco, TX, tragedy. And in 
what was undoubtedly one of his toughest assignments, Jack was named 
Envoy for Peace in Sudan by President George Bush in September 2001.
  All of his life experience leaves Senator Danforth amply qualified to 
represent our country in the United Nations, whose role in the world is 
so critical right now.
  But perhaps there is one more item on his resume that should be 
mentioned. As we all witnessed at the recent funeral of President 
Ronald Reagan, Jack is also an Episcopal minister.
  As I sat in the National Cathedral and listened to the Reverend 
Danforth deliver the homily on that day, I remembered what great 
admiration I had for his work in the Senate, and realized how I missed 
his company.
  He gave us all comfort that day, and the words he spoke about the 
late President could be said for Jack Danforth as well. I quote: ``He 
was not consumed by himself.''
  I believe Jack Danforth has demonstrated that he is a man of great 
diplomatic skill who has always put the needs of his nation first. he 
is well suited to be our ambassador to the United Nations.
  Thank you.
  Mr. WARNER. I rise today in support of the nomination of former 
Senator James Danforth to be U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations. I 
can think of no person better qualified to fill this critical position 
during the war on terrorism.
  Senator Danforth is a true statesman, and is one of my closest 
friends over my 26 years of service in this

[[Page 13768]]

Chamber. During this time in the Senate, our friend was a valued 
colleague and an even more valuable servant of the people of Missouri. 
He was first elected in 1976, 2 years before I came to the Senate, and 
served 18 years in this body. The fact that he was elected to three 
consecutive 6-year terms from the ``Show Me'' State of Missouri 
illustrates his remarkable wisdom and his ability to listen to his 
constituents in deciding important issues of the day.
  After leaving the Senate, our colleague remained in service to his 
country, chairing a committee that reviewed the Federal response to the 
Branch Davidian activity in Waco, TX. More recently, Senator Danforth 
served as special envoy to the Sudan--an area of the world experiencing 
a particularly difficult and tragic humanitarian situation. In this 
capacity, he continued to demonstrate the compassion and goodwill that 
we became so familiar with in this body.
  Senator Danforth left the Senate to answer a calling to the Episcopal 
priesthood. Even while he served among us in the Senate, our colleague 
volunteered on occasion as a pastor at the National Cathedral, where my 
own uncle served as rector in St. Albans Parish nearly three-quarters 
of a century ago. I was baptized and confirmed there on the Cathedral 
close, and was married at a chapel of that Cathedral just this past 
year. Senator Danforth and I not only were close friends; we shared a 
special bond of affection for that great Cathedral, which played such 
an important role in both of our lives.
  And most recently, our good friend did such a magnificent job 
officiating in that same Cathedral at the funeral of President Ronald 
Reagan. Hearing our colleague's voice at that historic and difficult 
occasion gave comfort to each of us who were humbled to attend that 
ceremony. He did us proud: and we expected no less.
  Now our dear colleague opens the next chapter of his exemplary career 
in public service. In these most difficult of times, when our relations 
with our allies are so critical to our fight against a new enemy, I am 
confident that our good friend will carry himself with the same 
distinction--the same wisdom and thoughtfulness--that he demonstrated, 
over the years, next to us, in this very Chamber. Mr. President, each 
of us, as Americans, is fortunate that our colleague will once again be 
by our side in this critical public role.
  I wish our dear friend all the best in his important new post.
  Mr. LUGAR. Madam President, I am advised there are no other Senators 
here wishing to speak on the nominations. I am authorized to yield back 
time on both sides of the aisle.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. All time is yielded.
  The question is, Will the Senate advise and consent to the 
nominations of John C. Danforth to be Representative of the United 
States of America to the General Assembly, to be Representative with 
the rank and status of Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary, 
and Representative to the Security Council of the United Nations, en 
bloc?
  The nominations were confirmed, en bloc.
  Mr. LUGAR. Madam President, I move to reconsider the vote, and I move 
to lay that motion on the table.
  The motion to lay on the table was agreed to.
  Mr. LUGAR. I thank the Chair.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The President will be immediately notified of 
the Senate's action.

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