    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: William J. Clinton (1996, Book II)]
    [December 5, 1996]
    [Pages 2166-2169]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    Remarks Announcing the Second Term National Security Team and an
    Exchange With Reporters
    December 5, 1996

        The President. Good afternoon. During our first term in office, the
    Vice President and I were blessed to work with a remarkable national
    security team: Secretary of State Warren Christopher, Secretary of
    Defense Bill Perry, National Security Adviser Anthony Lake, U.N.
    Ambassador Madeleine Albright, Director of Central Intelligence John
    Deutch, all very bright, forceful, strong-minded individuals who came
    together as a team to advance America's interests and values around the
    world.
        Today the fact that our Nation is at peace, our economy is strong,
    and we are making real progress in seizing the opportunities, meeting
    the challenges of the 21st century, these things are due in no small
    measure to the teamwork, vision, and leadership they gave to the
    American people. The Vice President and I and every other American owe
    all of them a great debt of gratitude.
        Now as we embark upon a new term, our responsibility is to build on
    the strong foundation laid in the last 4 years, to make sure that as we
    enter the 21st century, America remains the indispensable nation, the
    world's greatest force for peace and prosperity, for freedom and
    security.
        Today I am pleased to announce the new national security team I have
    selected to help us meet that responsibility: Secretary of State-
    designate Madeleine Albright; Secretary of Defense-designate William
    Cohen; Director of Central Intelligence-designate Anthony Lake; National
    Security Adviser Samuel Berger. Each of these individuals has remarkable
    qualities of intellect, energy, and leadership. All are committed to
    work together as a team that will rise above partisanship and rise to
    the challenges of meeting the opportunities, of dealing with the
    challenges that we all face.
        The challenges are many: terrorism; the spread of weapons of mass
    destruction; drug trafficking; environmental degradation; ethnic,
    religious, and racial conflicts; dealing with the sea changes occurring
    in Asia and elsewhere throughout the globe. But the opportunities are
    even greater: working toward a Europe that for the first time is
    undivided, democratic, and at peace; building a new partnership with a
    democratic Russia; meeting the challenge of change in Asia with strength
    and steadiness, in a way that advances freedom and prosperity; extending
    the reach of peace and freedom in the Middle East and Africa; opening
    more markets in Latin America and strengthening the democracies that
    have taken root there.
        These new people who will form the new national security team, they
    have the experience,

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    the judgment, the vision to meet the heavy responsibility and the high
    privilege of leadership.
        By virtue of her life and accomplishments, Madeleine Albright
    embodies the best of America. It says something about our country and
    about our new Secretary of State-designate, that a young girl raised in
    the shadow of Nazi aggression in Czechoslovakia can rise to the highest
    diplomatic office in America. She watched her world fall apart, and ever
    since, she has dedicated her life to spreading to the rest of the world
    the freedom and tolerance her family found here in America.
        During her 4 years as our Ambassador to the United Nations,
    Madeleine Albright's steely determination has helped to advance our
    interests and our ideals around the world. She knows firsthand what it
    means for America to be the indispensable nation. And I know firsthand
    that Madeleine Albright has the instincts, the intelligence, the skill,
    and the strength to lead American foreign policy in this time.
        Time and again I have benefited from her judgment and counsel on
    issues from Bosnia to NATO, and many, many other difficult areas. The
    American people have also benefited because of her special ability,
    forged during her tenure as a teacher at Georgetown, to explain why
    American leadership is more important than ever and to get the job done.
        Bill Perry has done a remarkable job in preparing America's military
    for the challenges of the 21st century and in carrying out all other
    aspects of the Secretary of Defense's job, which include running the
    largest and most complex organization in the Nation's Government. The
    bottom-up review he completed has decreased the size of our forces,
    while increasing their readiness capabilities and technological edge.
    From Haiti to Bosnia, from the Persian Gulf to the Taiwan Strait,
    through Bill Perry's leadership, we have demonstrated that our men and
    women in uniform remain the best equipped and best trained fighting
    force in the world.
        Earlier I had the opportunity to pay tribute to the contributions of
    Secretary Christopher. I want to say again how much I appreciate what he
    has done. But today I also want to thank Bill Perry for being one of the
    finest Defense Secretaries in the history of the United States. I thank
    you, Bill, and I will miss both of you very much.
        Bill Cohen is the right man to build on these achievements, to
    secure the bipartisan support America's Armed Forces must have and
    clearly deserve. He served in the United States Congress for 24 years,
    including 18 in the Senate. There his name became synonymous with
    discipline, intellect, creative independence, and deeply held
    principles.
        While serving the people of Maine, he has also served every American
    through his determination to find common ground on difficult issues. He
    brought fresh ideas and thoughtful analysis to his work on the Senate
    Armed Services Committee; he helped craft the START I arms control
    treaty with Russia that we have entered into force and played a key role
    in legislation that reorganized and strengthened our military command.
        Now the Senate's loss will be our administration's gain. I thank
    Senator Cohen for his willingness to cross party lines to make sure that
    America's security is there in the 21st century.
        Just about every morning these last 4 years, the point man of our
    foreign policy team, Tony Lake, came into this office to brief me on the
    state of the world and to tell me what he thought I should do about it.
    It's been a great comfort to me and a great benefit to the American
    people to have Tony Lake just down the hall and to bring the power of
    his mind, the toughness of his character, the strength of his integrity
    to bear on the most difficult challenges we face. In moments of crisis,
    in times of triumph, he has always been at my side.
        Let me thank John Deutch for the remarkable job he has done on
    behalf of our country at home and abroad, first as the Deputy Secretary
    of Defense and then in a difficult time as Director of Central
    Intelligence. He has done an excellent job, and I thank him. Thank you,
    John, for your service.
        I can think of no more powerful proof of my commitment to carry on
    John Deutch's work of maintaining a strong, successful intelligence
    community than asking Tony Lake to take the helm as Director of Central
    Intelligence and a member of my Cabinet. Our intelligence informs just
    about every foreign policy decision we make. We cannot do without it.
    And while it will be hard for me to do without Tony Lake just down the
    hall, I am grateful he will be working the halls at Langley and leading
    our intelligence community into the 21st century.
        Sandy Berger has also served just down the hall these past 4 years.
    He's been a good friend and adviser to me for a lot longer than that.

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    In fact, we have known each other since we were about half our present
    age. I hate that. [Laughter] I have looked to him for advice and counsel
    on foreign policy and on many other issues, as well, over the years. As
    Deputy National Security Adviser, Sandy Berger has helped to pull
    together our foreign policy team and given it direction, guidance, and
    shared purpose. I believe we have to have these things to move forward
    on the interests and values of the American people. As National Security
    Adviser, he will bring to the job not just the ability to work hard and
    to work well but the vision and sense of our larger purpose that is
    necessary to meet the challenges our Nation faces. I am pleased and the
    American people are fortunate that Sandy Berger will be serving as my
    National Security Adviser.
        And before I ask each member of the new national security team to
    say a few words, starting with the Secretary-designate, I'd like to
    thank the one member of the team that will not be changing for a while,
    as long as his tenure lasts, and that's General Shalikashvili. Thank
    you, sir, for your remarkable service to America.
        And now Ms. Albright.

    [At this point, Secretary of State-designate Madeleine Albright,
    Secretary of Defense-designate William Cohen, Director of Central
    Intelligence-designate Anthony Lake, and National Security Adviser
    Samuel Berger made brief remarks.]

        Q. Mr. President, what do you say to those individuals who were on
    your list to become one of these Cabinet Secretaries? What do you say to
    them now that they haven't gotten the position? And part two of that
    question is, we thought your doctors told you not to talk. [Laughter]
        The President. They did, but they made a little change in my
    medication and I was--my voice was working enough today for me to do
    this announcement. And you know, you and I, we're partners, too, and I
    had to give you something, or you were going to go crazy. So I was able
    to speak enough.
        To the other--I say to them that I thank them for being willing to
    be considered. I thank them for their service to our country, and I ask
    them to support the decision I've made. I made the best decision I
    could, and I believe it will serve America well.
        Q. Mr. President, many Republicans on Capitol Hill especially are
    outright hostile to the United Nations. Here you are now naming our U.N.
    Ambassador to be the Secretary of State. Do you, and should you,
    perhaps, expect a smooth confirmation process?
        The President. I do. There is no question that Ambassador Albright
    is supremely qualified for this job. And the people on the Hill know
    that I believe the United Nations is an important organization. The
    United States has taken the lead in reforming it. And we, in general,
    and Ambassador Albright and Secretary of State Christopher, in
    particular, have taken a good deal of heat for trying to reform it. And
    we have pressed ahead.
        But that doesn't mean we don't need the United Nations or that it
    doesn't do a world of good; it does. It is important, and it's going to
    get more important, and the United States had better be there playing
    its part if we expect it to do what we think should be done in the
    world.
        Q. Mr. President, was Ambassador Albright picked because she's a
    woman or in spite of? And also, who will be her role model, Kissinger or
    Christopher? [Laughter]
        The President. The second question should be hers to answer. Let me
    say I'm very proud to have had the opportunity to appoint the first
    woman Secretary of State in the history of America; I'm proud of that.
    But it had nothing to do with her getting the job, one way or the other.
    She got the job because I believe, amid a list of truly outstanding
    people, she had the best combination of qualities to succeed and to
    serve our country at this moment in history. And she proved it to me not
    only by her service in the United Nations and by her ability to speak to
    America and the world about what we are and what we stand for but also
    in the quiet councils that we've had over the last 4 years over some of
    the most difficult problems imaginable. And that's why I decided to name
    her.
        Q. Mr. President, Mr. Cohen has a reputation as a bit of an
    independent and somebody who goes against the grain in his own party.
    Are you concerned that he might do so in your administration?
        The President. No. [Laughter] But let me say, I think anybody who
    has been in this administration would tell you that we go out of our way
    to follow a process which encourages people

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    to be independent, to speak their mind, to argue for new ideas, to break
    new ground. In fact, everybody knows that we are in the process every
    day we're here of breaking new ground--of creating, if you will, a new
    conventional wisdom for the 21st century. And we're not there yet. So I
    think a man with a creative, independent, inquiring mind is just what is
    needed for this team.
        Senator Cohen and I have talked about that a lot. There's a
    difference between being a Senator and Secretary of Defense. But I
    don't--when I appoint people, I expect them to speak their mind and tell
    me what they think. Then we'll get together, we'll make a decision as a
    team, and then we'll all carry it out and do our jobs.
        Q. Mr. President, can I follow up on Helen's [Helen Thomas, United
    Press International] question? You're flanked by a woman and a
    Republican--want to have a Cabinet that looks like America----
        The President. We're getting close. [Laughter]
        Q. Given that--that's a good point. Given that, how can you say that
    the fact that she's--the Ambassador is a woman had nothing to do with
    it?
        The President. Well, because--she got the appointment to the United
    Nations because I thought she'd be a good Secretary-General--as much as
    I enjoy appointing women.
        Secretary-designate Albright. Ambassador. [Laughter]
        The President. As much as I--you don't want that job, do you?
    [Laughter]
        The Vice President. She does speak French, though.
        Secretary-designate Albright. I do speak French. [Laughter]
        The President. As much as I enjoy appointing people who had not
    previously--who represent groups of people who've not previously been
    able to serve, I owe it to the United States, to all the American people
    never to make any appointment of someone I think would not succeed. And
    in this case, I'm appointing Madeleine Albright because of the work she
    has done for the last 4 years and the opportunity it has given me to see
    her perform.
        Yes, I told you I wanted a Republican in the Cabinet. But the most
    important thing is that the national defense of the United States be
    secured and that we continue to adjust to the changes of the new era.
        I would never have asked Senator Cohen to join the Cabinet solely
    because he's a Republican. It would have been folly. I think he is
    uniquely well-qualified at this moment in history for the reasons that I
    said.
        So, am I glad that I have a Republican in the Cabinet? Yes. Am I
    proud that I got a chance to appoint the first woman Secretary of State?
    You bet I am. My mama is smiling down on me right now. [Laughter] But
    that is not why I appointed her. And that is why she will succeed. And I
    hope she will be an inspiration to the young women all across our
    country and all across the world, so that everybody will be able to have
    a chance to live up to the fullest of their abilities.
        Thank you.
        Q. Mr. President, what effect do you think having Senator Cohen will
    have on your relations with the Senate?
        The President. I hope it will be good.

    Note: The President spoke at 2 p.m. in the Oval Office at the White
    House.