Hearing Of The Senate Foreign Relations Committee - State Department Nominations

Statement

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SEN. BOXER: The committee will come to order. Today, the full Senate Foreign Relations Committee meets to consider two nominees for important posts at the Department of State: Andrew Shapiro to be the assistant secretary of State for Political-Military Affairs and Eric Schwartz to be the assistant secretary of State for Population, Refugees and Migration.

I'm also very pleased to welcome -- when she gets here, any minute, I will be pleased to see Nita Lowey, who has come to say a few words about Andrew Shapiro, and Senator Jeff Merkley and Former Congressman Stephen Solarz, who have come to introduce Eric Schwartz. Thank you for joining us today.

The first nominee we will consider is Andrew Shapiro, who currently serves as a senior advisor to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. Prior to this position, he served for eight years as the senior defense and foreign policy advisor for then-Senator Clinton.

Mr. Shapiro also served as counsel to the Justice Department's International Competition Policy Advisory Committee, and --

CHILD: Daddy! My daddy!

SEN. BOXER: -- was a daddy, is a daddy. (Laughter.) Oh, sorry -- and was an -- thank you -- and was an associate at the Washington law firm of Covington and Burling.

Our second nominee, Eric Schwartz, currently serves as the executive director of Connect U.S. Fund, an alliance of foundations that support the efforts of nongovernmental organizations to promote responsible U.S. global engagement.

Between '05 and '07, he served as U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan's deputy special envoy for tsunami recovery, where he worked with Special Envoy former President Clinton to promote coordination, accountability to donors and beneficiaries, and best practices in the recovery area.

In '03 and '04, he served as the second-ranking official at the Office of the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights. From '93 to '01, Mr. Schwartz served as -- at the National Security Council, ultimately as special assistant to the president and senior director for multilateral and humanitarian affairs, where he managed administration responses on a range of peacekeeping, humanitarian and refugee issues.

I want to thank both of you for your service. I don't need to tell you that both of these positions carry with them significant responsibilities.

With respect to the Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration., there are ever-growing numbers of displaced persons in the world today. According to the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees, there were roughly 11.4 million refugees in the world at the end of '07, and an additional 26 million internally displaced persons, or IDPs. While the U.S. cannot single-handedly help every one of them, we need to ensure that the resources we expend helping refugees and IDPs are used wisely.

In a hearing I recently held with Senator Feingold on violence against women in Darfur and Sudan, we heard horrifying stories of women being attacked in camps, raped and brutalized. We heard stories about the lack of resources like firewood and water. And the U.S. must make this a priority and take concrete action so that we can better protect these women.

We also continue to face challenges related to maternal health and family planning. And -- 500,00 women die each year during childbirth. In some countries, the figure is shockingly high. In Sierra Leone, one in eight women die in childbirth. And in Afghanistan, a woman dies giving birth roughly every 28 minutes of each and every single day.

The Bureau of Political-Military Affairs must deal with significant threats from arms trafficking, the proliferation of sensitive technologies. I've been particularly concerned about shoulder-fired missiles and the threat they pose to military and civilian interests around the globe. The bureau is also responsible for training and equipping foreign military forces in dozens of countries. I cannot stress the importance of ensuring that this funding is always accounted for and always in line with American values and our security interests.

So with that said, I'm going to turn to Senator Wicker for any comments he may have. And when he is done, we will turn to Senator Merkley who is going to briefly introduce Eric Schwartz. We'll then turn to Congresswoman Lowey, should she arrive, for an introduction of Andrew Shapiro, and then we'll turn to Representative Solarz for some final comments about Mr. Schwartz. So we're very happy to see you here.

And Senator Wicker, the floor is yours.

SEN. ROGER WICKER (R-MS): Thank you, Madame Chair. And to our two nominees, I think you've gotten the picture. There's going to be a little bit of talking in this room before you finally get a chance to speak.

But I am glad to be here and be part of this hearing. I'm glad to see Senator Merkley here and former Representative Solarz. And we do look forward to Nita Lowey being here momentarily. She will certainly be welcome if she arrives.

We're here today to consider the nominations of Eric Schwartz for assistant secretary of State for Population, Refugees and Migration and Andrew Shapiro for assistant secretary of State for Political- Military Affairs. I look forward to the testimony of the nominees. Should they be confirmed, they would face extraordinary challenges in undertaking their respective responsibilities, as Senator Boxer has just stated.

Taking, again, a look at the responsibilities for the next assistant secretary of state for Population, Refugees and Migration, the challenge is daunting. Senator Boxer has already mentioned the statistics, but they bear repeating. At the end of 2007, the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees estimated that there are 31.7 million people concerned worldwide. These include 11.4 million refugees, 740,000 asylum seekers and 13.7 million internally displaced persons protected or assisted by UNHCR and some 2.9 million stateless persons. Further, the situation appears to have deteriorated in recent years, as the number of refugees grows.

In addition, a good number of the world's refugees originate from regions that constitute stated administration priorities. The most important of these is Afghanistan, the country that represents the single largest source of the world's refugee population. At the end of 2007, there were about 3.1 million Afghan refugees or about 27 percent of the world's refugee population. Other countries that have been major sources of refugees and IDPs in recent years include Iraq, Sudan, Congo and Colombia. In his testimony, I look forward to hearing Mr. Schwartz' views on how the administration plans on addressing these crises.

This is also a challenging time for the next assistant secretary of State for Political-Military Affairs. We continue to face uphill challenges to ensure the victory of democracy in Afghanistan. The government of Afghanistan continues to be threatened by the forces of terrorism and extremism.

While I'm hopeful that the political and diplomatic initiatives will serve to address some of the legitimate grievances of the Afghan people, there remains a hardcore faction of insurgents who frankly represent nothing less than a mortal enemy of the people of Afghanistan, of the NATO forces there to assist those people and of the United States of America. So I look forward to Mr. Shapiro advising us how the administration strategy for addressing and reducing the Taliban threat will be implemented.

I will also note that some of the key responsibilities for the assistant secretary of State for Political-Military affairs, these include managing the U.S. military assistance for our friends and allies and responsibility for the oversight and issuance of export licenses for the domestic arms industry. In past years, both of these efforts have been the subject of some criticism, as observers have characterized these programs as being overly slow, to the detriment of our diplomacy and export industry. In his testimony, perhaps Mr. Shapiro will address management forms he will propose to bring to the Political-Military Affairs Bureau.

So in conclusion, both nominees face great responsibilities should they be confirmed. With challenges of this level, it is imperative that we place only the most qualified and experienced persons in these positions. And I look forward to a comprehensive nomination hearing.

Thank you, Madame Chair.

SEN. BOXER: Thank you very much, Senator Wicker.

So what we're going to do now is we're going to move to introductions and then we'll take it back and go to our questions. So at this point we're going to turn to Senator Merkley, who's going to introduce Eric Schwartz. And then we will move to Congresswoman Lowey, who will introduce Andrew Shapiro. And finally we will get to our former colleague Steve Solarz.

So Jeff Merkley, Senator, thank you for coming.

SEN. MERKLEY: Thank you very much, Madame Chair and members of the committee. It's a delight to appear here in support of the nomination of Eric Schwartz for assistant secretary of state for Population, Refugees and Migration.

I wanted to come today because Eric and I go back a very long ways. When we just graduated from college, we both were interns in New York City for the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. And we would spend our days and our evenings working on and talking about issues in international affairs.

And the end of those internships, we decided that we would gain a lot of understanding of international affairs if we were to travel through Central America. This was 1980, now, and this was a very difficult time in Central America. We decided to go by bus from Southern California to Costa Rica, passing through most -- not all, but most of the states of Central America, including Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Mexico and Costa Rico. Our rules were we'd only speak Spanish, even though neither of us spoke it very well, we would travel by the cheapest bus available and we would sit separately so we could talk to folks and gain as great understanding as possible.

I think it says a lot about an individual that their interest in international affairs is lifelong and they were willing to travel to one of the more dangerous sections of the world with no support structure to do a kind of on-the-ground exploration of the challenges that existed.

Eric has had a stellar career. He brings to his nomination both an academic background with a law degree -- and he put an emphasis on international human rights and his work in economic development, a master's degree at the public policy school, Woodrow Wilson School. His experience includes four years in the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee for Asian and Pacific Affairs, where he was the lead staffer on Asian refugee issues, eight years working on refugee issues at the National Security Council. I won't go on in detail. Certainly, others may speak to that.

He was involved in high-level commissions and studies, staffing the Council of Foreign Relations study on Iraq co-chaired by Jim Schlesinger and Tom Pickering. He staffed the congressionally mandated task force on U.N. reform that was co-chaired by Speaker Gingrich and Senator Mitchell. And in terms of being on the ground, he was the U.N. deputy special envoy for tsunami recovery after the devastating 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami and spent a great deal of time in that region and many, many -- working with many, many nations. He has established a reputation for working with colleagues on both sides of the aisle.

I think if you were looking for the ideal individual for this position, you would want somebody with a strong background in international law, extensive expertise in refugee issues, a broad background in international affairs, including a lot of experience on the ground. I can't think of anyone who brings those very significant experiences together in a way like Eric Schwartz does, and I certainly add my strong recommendation in support of his nomination.

Thank you.

SEN BOXER: Thank you, Senator, so much. And we'll turn to Congresswoman Lowey. We welcome you. And we're looking forward to your introduction of Andrew Shapiro, so please proceed.

REP. LOWEY: Thank you, Madame Chair, Senator Wicker, members of the committee. It is my pleasure to join you today to introduce Andrew Shapiro, my constituent, who's been nominated for assistant secretary for Political-Military Affairs at the Department of State.

A native of Rockland County, New York, he has worked in the foreign affairs arena for nearly two decades. From 2001 until this year, he served in the U.S. Senate as an adviser on military and international issues to another great constituent of mine, Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton. A graduate of the University of Pennsylvania and Columbia University School of Law, Andrew has earned numerous honors for his intellect in school and his commitment to government service.

While I am thrilled to tout his accomplishments, Secretary Clinton, who relied on his expertise throughout her Senate career and could not be here because she is accompanying the president to Egypt, asked me to share with you the following accolades on her behalf.

Secretary Clinton writes, "It is a pleasure to write to the members of this distinguished committee to express my support for the nomination of Andrew J. Shapiro to serve as assistant secretary of State for Political-Military Affairs. The president could not have chosen a more capable and knowledgeable person for this position. For eight years in the U.S. Senate, I relied on Andrew to provide clear- headed, well-reasoned advice on the most significant foreign policy challenges we face as a nation. Andrew traveled with me," Hillary, "to nearly two dozen countries and was with me during my visits with our troops in Iraq and Afghanistan and my recent trip as secretary of State to Baghdad in April.

"In the Senate, he served as my primary adviser on all matters related to our national security and national defense, my principal liaison to the Pentagon and the Senate Armed Services Committee and the lead member of my team in helping to meet the needs of New Yorkers serving or who had served in the armed forces, as well as their families. This included everything from formulating and helping to pass legislation to improve health care or reduce bureaucracy on behalf of all service members to making a phone call on behalf of a single wounded soldier who was not getting the help he or she deserved to working with New York communities to save military bases targeted for closure, preserving thousands of jobs. Time and again, Andrew accompanied me to meetings with veterans or to spend time with injured service members at Walter Reed, and then he immediately began the work of figuring out how to solve the problems that these men and women faced.

"His was a difficult, often thankless job, one that required him to spend time apart from his family, to dive into the details of complex and often contentious issues that literally covered the map and to navigate the political and practical realities of achieving important changes to our policies, step by step, meeting by meeting, vote by vote. Andrew will now have the opportunity to do in front of this committee what he has done in my presence for years, answer difficult questions in manner that demonstrates his depth of knowledge and experience, his commitment to public service and his love of our nation.

"I have been fortunate to have Andrew on my team. The State Department will be fortunate to have Andrew heading up the important work of the Bureau of Political-Military Affairs. And this country is lucky to have dedicated public servants like Andrew Shapiro who have answered the call to make our nation and our world stronger, safer and better places.

"Thank you very much."

And, like Secretary Clinton, I believe Andrew Shapiro will be an asset to the State Department. And as the chair of the State and Foreign Operations Appropriations Subcommittee, I look forward to working with him to address the pressing international challenges facing our country.

Thank you, Madame Chair.

SEN. BOXER: Thank you so much, Congresswoman. You're free to go. I know you have a very hectic schedule.

So we'll turn, finally, to Representative Solarz for some final comments about Mr. Schwartz.

And then we'll hear from our nominees and then we'll open it up.

MR. SOLARZ: Thank you very much, Madame Chairwoman. It's a particular pleasure to have the opportunity to appear before one of the most illustrious daughters of Brooklyn. And I can tell you that the people of the neighborhoods in which you grew up, which I was privileged to represent -- (in Yiddish) -- from your success. (Laughter.) And for those --

SEN. BOXER: For those who don't understand Yiddish, that's a good thing that he just said. (Laughter.)

MR. SOLARZ: It means take pride in what you've accomplished.

But it's a particular honor for me to have the opportunity to present Eric Schwartz to the committee for his nomination as assistant secretary of the Bureau of Population, Refugees and Migration, particularly since this may well be the last time I have an opportunity to testify before a Senate committee.

I've known Eric for over three decades. He first came into my orbit in 1978 as an intern in my congressional office, on which he worked on a number of issues particularly relating to foreign aid. A decade later, I managed to persuade him to leave his job as head of the Washington office for Asia, Human Rights Watch, to join the professional staff of the subcommittee on Asian and Pacific Affairs, which I chaired.

During the years he worked with me on the subcommittee, he worked on a number of refugee and human rights issues, ranging from crafting a meaningful response to the tragedy of the Vietnamese boat people to advancing the struggle for democracy and human rights in Burma and in securing substantial additional amounts of foreign aid to Poland to facilitate the transition to democracy after the collapse of communism in that country.

In 1993, after the New York State Legislature in 1992 did to my district what Mr. Sykes and Mr. Picot did to the remnants of the Ottoman Empire in World War I and I had to involuntarily leave Congress, Eric went to work for eight years at the White House on the staff of the NSC, where he also worked on a variety of human rights, refugee and peacekeeping issues.

Madame Chairwoman, members of the committee, as I thought about his nomination and your responsibility to confirm him, it struck me that there were three primary criteria which you ought to take into account.

The first is, is he someone who has the experience and knowledge of how to work the bureaucracy in the executive branch and manage the politics of the Hill? And here I can only say that after a few years working in the House and several years in the executive branch, Eric has a demonstrable track record of succeeding in securing support for the policy initiatives which he has generated.

Secondly, it seems to me you want someone with the experience and the policy skills to determine how the U.S. can most effectively forestall and respond to refugee crises around the world. And here, I have to say that Eric's broad experience and track record in dealing with issues, the kind of issues he'll be confronting as assistant secretary, demonstrate that he is superbly qualified for this position.

And finally, I think you want someone who, if I can use a phrase which is currently come into currency, you want someone who has empathy for the displaced and the dispossessed, and who will be a passionate advocate on their behalf. I think that for Eric, helping the unfortunate, assisting the victims of history, has been what much of his life has been all about. And I have no doubt that he will bring to this position a deep compassion and inexhaustible energy in the effort to help those who need our assistance. In the process, it will give meaning to his life and he will, at the same time, save the lives of countless others.

If for some inexplicable reason -- perhaps because of a hold related to some utterly unrelated issue -- the Senate does not confirm his nomination, the administration would then have to commence a search for a successor. And I have no doubt that after several weeks or months of scouring the country for someone else to fill the job, it might possibly -- possibly come up with someone just as good. But I can say with complete confidence it would never come up with someone better.

So with millions of displaced people now in Pakistan and Sri Lanka craving, crying out for desperately needed assistance, I urge you to expeditiously vote to confirm his nomination, because not only do those people need him, but we as Americans need him to craft an effective and meaningful response to the current refugee crisis as well.

Thank you.

SEN. BOXER: Thank you for your eloquent introduction.

And gentleman, I'll tell you, you both have to be so pleased and thrilled with accolades you received. And we really look forward to hearing from you. So we're going to go first to Andrew Shapiro. And we would love for you to introduce your family. And after you do that, we'll start your clock and we'll move forward.

MR. SHAPIRO: Thank you so much, Madame Chairwoman, Senator Wicker and distinguished members of the committee. The members of my family who've joined me today include my wife, Yael Weinman, my parents, Dr. Lawrence R. Shapiro and Miriam Shapiro, my sons, Sam and Zach. Zach was providing some of the pre-hearing entertainment -- (laughter) -- which I'm sure he's delivering out in the hall right now. They provide me with tremendous pride and joy.

I'm also delighted that my sister, Dr. Deborah Shapiro Plumer; my nephew, Adam Plumer; and my aunt, Ann Bialek, all traveled down from New York to share this day with me. And I'm also greatly moved by the fact that many members of Senator Clinton's former Senate staff have joined here -- me here today to show their support.

Madame Chairwoman, Senator Wicker, distinguished members of the committee, it is an honor and a privilege to testify before you and thank you for the opportunity to appear before you today. I would also like to express my deep gratitude to President Obama and Secretary Clinton for nominating me for this position and can assure you that, if confirmed, I will work every single day to meet the high standards and expectations that the administration and this committee have set.

I've already introduced my family, who has always been supportive of my involvement and my public service, despite the sacrifices that it often demands, and I am tremendously appreciative of their love and support.

As the committee knows, I had the honor of serving on Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton's staff as her primary foreign and defense policy advisor for the eight years prior to her confirmation as secretary of State in January. That experience has imbued me with a deep understanding of the role that Congress plays in helping to formulate our national security strategy. Secretary Clinton has been the most significant mentor in my professional life and I plan to follow her example in establishing a close relationship with this committee. As Secretary Clinton stated during her own confirmation hearing, "For me, consultation is not a catch-word, it is a commitment."

Since its establishment in 1960, the Bureau of Political-Military Affairs has served as the State Department's primary link with the Department of Defense. During my tenure as Senator Clinton's senior defense and foreign policy adviser, I served as her primary liaison to the Senate Armed Services Committee. In that role, I had countless interactions with Pentagon officials and our men and women in uniform, and also visited numerous military installations in the United States and around the globe. If confirmed as assistant secretary, I will bring those experiences and relationships with me to the bureau.

The Bureau of Political-Military Affairs is staffed by nearly 300 foreign and civil service employees, contractors, and military officers. As such, it is representative of the type of cooperation and teamwork that will be essential to implement Secretary Clinton's and the Obama administration's vision of smart power.

A strong partnership between the State Department and the Department of Defense is critical to addressing the serious international challenges that the United States faces today. Fortunately, both Secretary of State Clinton and Secretary of Defense Robert Gates have expressed a commitment to a State-Defense relationship that is complementary, not competitive.

As Secretary Clinton noted in her confirmation hearing before this committee, Secretary Gates has been particularly eloquent in articulating the importance of diplomacy in pursuit of our national security policy and foreign policy objectives. In particular, she said, "Secretary Gates is more concerned about having a unified, agile and effective U.S. strategy than in spending our precious time and energy on petty turf wars." If confirmed, I pledge to work to ensure that the partnership between the State Department and the Department of Defense envisioned by Secretary Clinton and Secretary Gates is successful on a day-to-day basis.

In today's international environment, the Bureau of Political- Military Affairs has a critical role in providing the Secretary of State a global perspective on political-military issues. The bureau plays a significant role in a wide array of political-military issues from Asia to the Middle East to Africa to the Western Hemisphere.

In my testimony submitted for the record, I highlight some of the most significant issues that, if confirmed, I expect to address during my tenure as Assistant Secretary, including the management of military assistance, piracy, defense trade and countering the proliferation of conventional weapons. I would be happy to answer any questions that you may have on those or any other topics of concern to the committee.

In conclusion, if confirmed, I pledge to work closely with this committee and Congress to support the president and secretary's foreign policy agenda.

Thank you for the time and opportunity to appear before you today. And I look forward to taking your questions.

SEN. BOXER: Thank you so much, Mr. Shapiro.

Mr. Schwartz, please introduce your family first if you have your family here, and then proceed to your time.

MR. SCHWARTZ: Thank you.

My wife, Cathy Graham, my daughters, Sarah and Anna, are here and I want to take the opportunity to express my deepest appreciation for their unequivocal support and encouragement. I'm also grateful for the presence of my brother, Karl Schwartz of Philadelphia, my sister, Martha Mason of Seaview, New York, and my cousin, Air Force Lieutenant Colonel Lee Spechler of Fort Lauderdale, who are all behind me.

SEN. BOXER: Welcome. Thank you for service.

MR. SCHWARTZ: I'm honored to appear before you today as the president's nominee for the position of assistant secretary of State for Population, Refugees, and Migration. I thank President Obama for selecting me as his nominee, and I'm deeply grateful to Secretary of State Hilary Clinton for her confidence and her -- and her support.

If confirmed for this critically important assignment, I would take it on with enormous enthusiasm, with a deep and abiding commitment to humanitarianism and to public service and with an enduring interest in and concern for the plight of refugees. As a young child, I listened to my grandfather, George Schwartz, who emigrated from Romania at the turn of the century, as he conveyed to me and to my brother and sisters the fear of persecution he experienced as a young Jewish boy in Eastern Europe. He also told me of the adversity he faced after his arrival in the United States, underscoring for me the critical importance of a refugee admissions program that adequately addresses the newly resettled refugees and welcomes them into our communities.

If confirmed, I would seek to sustain the extraordinary, truly extraordinary partnership between the executive and legislative branches on these sets of issues. And I would be inspired and assisted enormously by the knowledge and the commitment of the senators on this committee, whether it is the work of the committee that you have done in protecting and empowering the most vulnerable of refugees -- women and children -- the efforts you've made on behalf of religious minorities who risk persecution, the committee's efforts on behalf of the millions of displaced and refugees in Sub-Saharan Africa, your leadership on refugee resettlement issues and the expertise on this committee on the public information and communications, the roles of which can be so critical in humanitarian crises.

In all of my efforts, I would endeavor to promote Secretary of State Clinton's objective to elevate refugee issues and develop more effective humanitarian strategies.

First, I would be a determined and persistent advocate for humanitarian principles - especially protection -- within the U.S. government policymaking process, in contacts with governments whose policies impact refugees and among other donors.

Second, I would promote more active efforts to tackle the challenge of protracted refugee situations. Some 8 million people have lived as refugees for more than a decade. And women and children are especially vulnerable in such circumstances.

If confirmed, a third priority for me would be to ensure that U.S. humanitarian assistance efforts help to create the conditions for longer term, sustainable recovery, as well-designed humanitarian aid can help to begin the process of recovery and reconstruction that is crucial to economic growth and to political stability.

Finally, if confirmed, I would seek to ensure that the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program continues to serve as a model of responsible humanitarian action for other governments around the world.

In conclusion, I want to assure the members of the committee that, if confirmed, I would take on the role of steward of this humanitarian brief with the utmost sense of responsibility and accountability to the president, to the secretary of State, to the Congress, to the American people, and to the millions of refugees, displaced persons and conflict victims whom the United States seeks to protect and to assist.

Thank you, and I look forward to answering your questions.

SEN. BOXER: Thank you very much to both of you. I'm going to call on Senator Kaufman, because I'm going to hold my questions to the end, since I had a chance to express some of my views. So Senator, please proceed.

SEN. TED KAUFMAN (D-DE): Thank you, Madame Chair.

Thank you for dedication to public service. As a former Senate staffer, I got to say, it's always good when a congressional staffer does well. So I'm really pleased for the both of you.

Mr. Shapiro, in your opening statement you talked about smart power. And I just kind of -- if you could spend a few minutes, talk about kind of how you read that concept which is in use now and how it's going to inform what you're doing in your new job.

MR. SHAPIRO: Thank you so much, Senator Kaufman. The term "smart power" was referenced by Secretary Clinton in her confirmation testimony. And as that -- the term refers to using every tool at our disposal to pursue our interests. The senator -- Secretary Clinton has referred to the three platforms of our foreign policy being defense, development and diplomacy.

And in the Bureau of Political-Military Affairs, we have all these different tools. We have Foreign Service officers, Civil Service officers and military officers. So if confirmed, my goal would be to try and develop a relationship with the Pentagon where we were using all the tools at our disposal, whether it's using diplomacy to combat piracy, whether it is working with the Pentagon to make sure that our men and women have the access that they need to do their mission and to continue to make sure that we're using every possible tool to pursue our national security interests.

SEN. KAUFMAN: This is really a powerful concept, and I think it's so much part of what we're doing now with our current counterinsurgency efforts. And how do you see how you can help in Afghanistan, where we're trying to do exactly what you just said to move the ball forward by having the military and all the different elements of the government together to do the counterinsurgency strategy that we know works so well?

MR. SHAPIRO: Well, the bureau of Political-Military Affairs is a partner with the Pentagon, so it is helping our military through identifying ways to develop bases to bring supplies to our troops who are on the ground. It's providing POLADs, which are foreign policy advisers to military commanders. And that program has been recently expanded so that commanders have the benefit of State Department foreign policy advice as they are engaged not just at the overall country level, but we're starting to push POLADs down to the sub- commander level in a way that will enable those commanders to have the benefit of State Department foreign policy advice.

So it's -- again, through this partnership, we can ensure that the military and the State Department, working together, are using every tool to pursue our interests in Afghanistan.

SEN. KAUFMAN: I mean, I think this is really growing. This will be more and more important as the basis for our thinking. So I think you're in a hot spot in terms of doing that.

Mr. Schwartz, how do we alleviate -- any ideas you have on alleviating the growing crisis in Pakistan?

MR. SCHWARTZ: Well, I think the -- I think the first response has got to be additional resources. The magnitude of the crisis far outstrips -- certainly outstrips what had initially been anticipated over the course of this fiscal year and even outstrips the initial estimations after the crisis broke. Initial estimations were about 1.7 million people would be displaced; now it looks like the number's around 3 million.

So I think the administration's decision to seek supplementary funding was a critically important one. And I think that we need to do everything possible to assist the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees, which is on the ground trying to provide support and also, frankly, be ready for additional displacement. As high as the number of 3 million is, there is concern that the numbers could increase by hundreds of thousands. And we have to be in a position to respond. And if that means additional resources, I think that may well be necessary.

SEN. KAUFMAN: And how about just finally your -- better coordination with the U.N. high commissioner, do you have some thoughts on that?

MR. SCHWARTZ: Yeah, I mean, I think the partnership between the State Department and UNHCR has really been an excellent one -- I'd even say extraordinary in terms of the work of the bureau that, should I be confirmed, I would be in charge of.

I think there are three or four priorities that the administration has and the prior administration had with UNHCR: number one, reduction of headquarter staff; number two, empowering local offices of UNHCR; and number three, which might have implications for own budgeting process, a needs-based budgeting by UNHCR, because, you know, it doesn't do any good to have a budget that doesn't reflect what the requirements are.

SEN. KAUFMAN: Thank you.

Thank you, Madame Chair.

SEN. BOXER: Thank you.

Senator Feingold?

SEN. RUSS FEINGOLD (D-WI): I thank the chair and congratulate the nominees. I'm glad you're here today so we can move forward on these nominations and swiftly fill the positions.

Mr. Schwartz, one area of particular concern, as you know, to many of my constituents, as we talked about, is the status of some 5,000 Laotian Hmong currently living in Thai refugee camps with the Thai government thus far being unwilling to allow UNHCR monitors to screen the inhabitants for legitimate refugee status. And last month, Doctors Without Borders, the only organization that was working in the camp to provide food and health care to the inhabitants, decided to pull out due to, quote, "pressure and intimidation" by the Thai military.

You and I talked about this, but in light of this recent development, I, of course, want to bring it up again as I do every time I have the chance concerning this issue because of the great interest in Wisconsin. And I'd like to ask you, what steps do you think that the State Department, including PRM, should take to move beyond the current impasse and ensure that there's acceptable process to help bring about a suitable resolution of the situation?

MR. SCHWARTZ: Senator, thank you for your question and thank you for your leadership on this issue. I think it's -- let me be frank and succinct. I think it's time that we turned the corner on this issue. Everybody knows what's needed.

We need to have confidence that the process for refugee determination in Thailand is transparent so that -- so that the -- so that the international community has confidence that decisions that are being made about the status of these people are rendered fairly, number one. Number two, if it is determined in a fair and transparent process that there are -- there are individuals among the population of 5,000 in Phetchabun who require protection, they should -- they should be resettled. And I believe that we need to continue -- the United States needs to continue to press the Thai authorities on this issue until it gets resolved.

I'd also say that I was encouraged to learn in December of 2008 that the Laotian authorities had permitted a monitoring mission back into Laos. That's the other side of this coin. And I think we have to continue to press the issue of monitoring of those returnees who are not deemed to be refugees. But the critical issue is a transparent process in Thailand.

Also, I think that -- I think that the decision of MSF to withdraw was very unfortunate. And I think we have to -- the United States has to talk to the Thai military about creating conditions that would permit assistance providers to operate effectively in the camp.

SEN. FEINGOLD: Thank you.

Mr. Shapiro, under the Bush administration we gave military aid to quite a few countries that had a pattern of consistent gross human rights abuses, as documented by our own State Department reports. And I outlined my concern with this practice in a letter to Secretary Rice last year, but I didn't get a response.

While training and equipping foreign military forces obviously can be an important part of our counterterrorism and national security strategy, I worry, of course, that aiding militaries with a pattern of abuses could contribute to greater instability over the long run and potentially even foster extremism or anti-Americanism. Would you commit to reviewing the criteria for providing aid to foreign militaries that, according to State Department reports, have a consistent history of human rights abuses, lack of civilian control or failure to hold its members accountable for misconduct?

MR. SHAPIRO: Thank you, Senator Feingold, for that question.

As Senator Boxer pointed out in her opening statement, it is important that our military assistance be consistent with our interests and our values. And we need to ensure that any military assistance we provide is not being used in a way that increases or contributes to human rights abuses. And that will be something that will be an important priority of mine if I am confirmed and will work to ensure that that is something that is not -- that our aid does not contribute to.

SEN. FEINGOLD: And a recent GAO report indicated that the Defense Department was unable to account for tens of thousands of weapons supplied to Afghanistan security forces. There's been similar concerns regarding weapons provided to the Iraqi security forces, as well as our reimbursements to Pakistan for counterterrorism operations. If confirmed, what role will you specifically and the P-M Bureau more generally play in helping to improve planning, coordination, implementation of military assistance programs to obviously ensure that the programs are used effectively, that the programs are properly aligned with and supporting of our overarching foreign policy goals?

MR. SHAPIRO: Thank you again for that question.

As an initial matter, we're -- I'm aware of the GAO report. And it will obviously be something that we discuss with the Defense Department about the best way to ensure that we keep track of our military aid.

As a broader principle, the view on military assistance should be that the secretary of State has the primary authority regarding foreign assistance, including security assistance. If confirmed, I intend to review all of our military assistance and make recommendations to the secretary about how best for her to be able to implement that authority.

SEN. FEINGOLD: I thank the chairman.

SEN. BOXER: Senator Shaheen?

SEN. JEANNE SHAHEEN (D-NH): Thank you, Madame Chairwoman.

First, congratulations to both of you. Thank you for your willingness to continue to serve the country.

Mr. Shapiro, I wasn't here last year, but I understand that there are two treaties that are still pending before the Foreign Relations Committee on defense trade cooperation with the United Kingdom and Australia. These treaties, as you know, are important to our allies; they're important to the United States; and they're equally important to a number of businesses, one of which is in New Hampshire, BAE Systems. I know that there are some issues to be worked out in the committee, but what is the position of this new administration about those treaties? Is this something that you're going to be willing to work with us to try and address? And is this a priority for you?

MR. SHAPIRO: Yes, it is, Senator Shaheen. The administration supports ratification of the U.S.-U.K. And U.S.-Australia treaties. However, as you pointed out, there have been a number of concerns raised by this committee which we want to work through. Secretary Clinton recently has sent a letter to the committee. I -- if I'm confirmed, I will follow up on that and work with both members and staff to try and resolve whatever issues are still out there.

SEN. SHAHEEN: Thank you.

Mr. Schwartz, you may be aware that several weeks ago, Senators Boxer and Feingold held a subcommittee hearing here on gender-based violence. I appreciate their leadership on this issue, particularly Senator Boxer. And unfortunately, at that hearing, we heard some really tragic and terrible testimony from women from the Congo and Darfur who were witnesses to the victims of that kind of violence.

What more can the office that you've been nominated to do to address this kind of violence against women in regions of conflict like Darfur and the Congo?

MR. SCHWARTZ: Thank you for that question, Senator.

This is an issue that I -- that I care deeply about. I'm very -- I was very proud to have played a part in the Trafficking Victims Protection Act in 1999 or so. It came about after we met a woman -- Julie Su -- who -- an advocate who was involved in the -- I believe it was called the El Monte canning factory in California where we found that women who were subject to abuse were reluctant to come forward for fear of being deported.

So we pushed very hard to get a provision in the INA that would provide a degree of protection for such women.

I was fortunate to be the lead expert on the issue of sexual abuse -- exploitation and abuse from peace-keepers for the Gingrich- Mitchell panel. This is an issue I care deeply about. Happily, the bureau that I would lead if I were confirmed cares deeply about this issue. They've spent about $33 million over the past decade or so on programs in refugee areas to address these -- this issue. But as a recent report from Physicians for Human Rights indicates -- done by an excellent researcher, Jennifer Leaning of Harvard -- indicates this is a problem which need constant attention. And I think the three recommendations in that report are good guideposts: greater efforts at prevention and protection in the camps, greater efforts to promote accountability so militaries and others know that they will be punished and efforts to assist victims. I think that's a pretty good three-pronged approach that would very much inform my thinking on this issue, on which I expect to spend a great deal of time and energy if I'm confirmed.

SEN. SHAHEEN: Thank you. I appreciate that commitment.

One of the things that I found most troubling about the testimony, in addition to, obviously, the horrible circumstances that they cited, was the suggestion by one of the people testifying who was from the Congo that if these atrocities were happening to people -- to women in the Western world, that there would be a very different response from the United States, Europe and the Western world. And I thought that that was almost as damning a statement as the terrible conflict and violence that she described.

MR. SCHWARTZ: My time has run out, but my only response is I think it's critical that we not lose our sense of outrage about these kinds of horrific violations, and I certainly would not.

SEN. SHAHEEN: Thank you.

SEN. BOXER: Well, let me just say, Senator Shaheen speaks for me. And we're working very closely together on this, and we really look forward to working with you, Mr. Schwartz, when you confirmed and I'm confident that you will -- very hopeful. And I think the lack of people here is a good thing, not a bad thing. (Laughter.) When there's problems, people just show up and they didn't seem to show up today. So we're happy.

But Senator Shaheen and I and others, with the leadership of Senator Feingold, have really taken this issue on. I'm going to just ask you a little more in depth about it.

Last month, Senator Feingold and I held this joint subcommittee hearing that Senator Shaheen referred to. We examined the use of violence against women, particularly the use of rape as a tool of war in conflict zones. And we did look at the DRC, Republic of Congo and Sudan.

And you mentioned the security in the camps, and this is really important, because what we found out is most of the rapes and the attacks occur when women leave the safety of the camps to go seek fuel. And we were told by one of the witnesses there who lives there -- a brilliant woman -- that it's a pretty simple thing to resolve, because if we just had things like solar ovens in the camps, you wouldn't have to have these women leaving.

So I put together a letter with my colleague -- several colleagues which I'm going to send to you about a -- about a four- or five-point plan in each of these areas -- in Darfur as well as in the Congo. And it's just story after story. So what I'd like to do -- given the fact that you can see that I'm having a hard time talking, because I'm -- I have just an old-fashioned cold today -- so what I'd like to do is get you these questions in more detail. Would you be willing to answer them quickly?

MR. SCHWARTZ: I would be -- I would be eager to answer them quickly.

SEN. BOXER: Good. And we'll also show you the letter that we sent to Senator Clinton, who is also very concerned about these matters. And I think we -- what we're beginning to see is a team that's evolving here in the committee, along with the secretary of State, along with you -- both of you, really and others and, of course, Ambassador Verveer so that we can really make a difference.

On other area that we talk about in the letter is the need to train more doctors. These rapes -- I won't go into them here because I want to spare everybody the pain of having these rapes described -- but the women have to be put back together. And, you know, what we need to do is stop this completely, but until we stop it completely, for God's sakes, we've got to get doctors in there who are trained and we have to get mental health professionals in there to help these women, because their life is effectively over if they don't get this help.

Rape is just becoming a tool of war and too much silence is surrounding it. And this violence goes on not only in these two places, but just all over. And we have to stop it. It's on our watch. We -- you know, it's a lot easier to pull the covers over your head and say, it's too hard; I don't want to look at it; it's too ugly. But I think both of you in your positions are going to -- particularly Mr. Schwartz -- are going to just have to look at this.

And I just feel very good about both of you and the experience and the caring, compassion and the pragmatism that you're bringing to these positions. So I will get -- and I have a set of questions for you as well, Mr. Shapiro, which I will also send you. And then I hope we can move this expeditiously.

Are there any particular questions I have to ask them before they go?

SEN. : No.

SEN. BOXER: Okay. We'll keep the record open for 24 hours. And we want you to get the answers in as quickly as you can. And we do hope to put your names up on the business committee meeting scheduled for the June the 16th. So enjoy your last days of freedom, gentlemen. (Laughter.) I predict good things.

And we do want to say to the families, even the families who slept through most of this -- (laughter) -- I assure you, you are not the only one who slept through it. Some people in the back I saw nodding off a couple times. We really appreciate what you do by giving permission, really, to share your spouses with the country. And that's what you're doing. And we're so grateful to you for that and we're grateful to these nominees.

And we stand adjourned. (Sounds gavel.)

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