[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,

[[Page 2167]]

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.

[[Page 2168]]

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

[[Page 2169]]

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.