Executive Session

Floor Speech

EXECUTIVE SESSION -- (Senate - January 21, 2009)

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Ms. COLLINS. Mr. President, I rise today in strong support of the confirmation of Senator Hillary Clinton to be our next Secretary of State. Last Thursday, the Senate Foreign Relations Committee overwhelmingly approved Senator Clinton to become our Nation's top diplomat. I rise today to echo the committee's approval and to urge my colleagues to vote in favor of her confirmation.

Senator Clinton's many years of public service make her an outstanding nominee for Secretary of State. In her confirmation hearing, the ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Senator Lugar, spoke of Senator Clinton as ``the epitome of a big leaguer,'' who has remarkable qualifications for the post of Secretary of State. The committee chairman, Senator Kerry, shared his faith in her qualifications and abilities, having seen her ``diplomatic acumen up close.'' He also said that Senator Clinton did an outstanding job in her testimony before the committee, as those of us who observed the hearings can affirm.

Senator Clinton is the ``first'' First Lady of the United States elected to public office. As First Lady, she traveled the world for 8 years, visiting more than 80 countries. In doing so, she took an active role in helping to carry out our Nation's foreign policy and was an advocate for our Nation. She not only met with foreign leaders at the highest levels of government, but she made it a hallmark of her trips to visit villages, clinics, and other remote areas, learning firsthand the importance of a foreign policy founded at the most basic levels of humanity.

During my service in the Senate, I have had the opportunity to work very closely with Senator Clinton on a number of issues, particularly since we both serve as fellow members of the Armed Services Committee. We have worked together tirelessly to improve the detection, assessment, and treatment of traumatic brain injury among wounded servicemembers.

We also cochaired the Alzheimer's Task Force and have worked together to increase funding for research into this devastating disease.

Senator Clinton and I have had the opportunity to travel with Senator
McCain to Iraq and Afghanistan. I witnessed her world knowledge and authoritative approach to foreign policy. I have seen her tireless work ethic and intelligence up close, as well as her ability to engage with colleagues across the aisle to get the job done and to meet the needs of the American people.

I will always remember one meeting in particular that we had together in Afghanistan. Senator Clinton and I broke off from the group to go meet with a group of Afghan women from all walks of life. I was so impressed with Senator Clinton's engagement with these women, with her genuine interest and the details of their lives, whether it was their access to health care or the education for their children. She was very engaged in the conversations despite the fact that we had traveled all night and were extremely tired.

Her caring, her compassion came across in her conversations with these women. I know these qualities--her caring, her compassion, her commitment, her extraordinary preparation and intelligence--will serve her well and will serve our country well as Secretary of State.

Today our Nation faces many pressing challenges abroad. The challenges are many, not only in Afghanistan and Iraq but security in the Middle East and the safety of the people of Israel, and the dangerous situation in Pakistan. I am encouraged by Senator Clinton's commitment to a foreign policy and a national security strategy that is built on bipartisan consensus and executed with nonpartisan commitment and confidence. She has promised a foreign policy based on principles and pragmatism, not rigid ideology; facts and evidence, not emotion or prejudice.

I urge my colleagues to join me in voting in favor of her confirmation, and I echo the suggestion of Senator McCain that we get on with this as she is an extraordinary nominee and deserves our support.

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