S. HRG. 113–163 NOMINATION OF JOHN F. KERRY TO BE SECRETARY OF STATE HEARING BEFORE THE COMMITTEE ON FOREIGN RELATIONS UNITED STATES SENATE ONE HUNDRED THIRTEENTH CONGRESS FIRST SESSION JANUARY 24, 2013 Printed for the use of the Committee on Foreign Relations ( Available via the World Wide Web: http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/ U.S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE 86–451 PDF WASHINGTON : 2014 For sale by the Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Printing Office Internet: bookstore.gpo.gov Phone: toll free (866) 512–1800; DC area (202) 512–1800 Fax: (202) 512–2104 Mail: Stop IDCC, Washington, DC 20402–0001 VerDate Nov 24 2008 11:54 Jan 29, 2014 Jkt 000000 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 5011 Sfmt 5011 S:\FULL COMMITTEE\HEARING FILES\113TH CONGRESS, 1ST SESSION\2013 NOMINAT COMMITTEE ON FOREIGN RELATIONS JOHN F. KERRY, Massachusetts, Chairman BARBARA BOXER, California BOB CORKER, Tennessee ROBERT MENENDEZ, New Jersey JAMES E. RISCH, Idaho BENJAMIN L. CARDIN, Maryland MARCO RUBIO, Florida ROBERT P. CASEY, JR., Pennsylvania RON JOHNSON, Wisconsin JEANNE SHAHEEN, New Hampshire JEFF FLAKE, Arizona CHRISTOPHER A. COONS, Delaware JOHN McCAIN, Arizona RICHARD J. DURBIN, Illinois JOHN BARRASSO, Wyoming TOM UDALL, New Mexico RAND PAUL, Kentucky CHRISTOPHER MURPHY, Connecticut TIM KAINE, Virginia WILLIAM C. DANVERS, Staff Director LESTER E. MUNSON III, Republican Staff Director (II) VerDate Nov 24 2008 11:54 Jan 29, 2014 Jkt 000000 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 5904 Sfmt 5904 S:\FULL COMMITTEE\HEARING FILES\113TH CONGRESS, 1ST SESSION\2013 NOMINAT CONTENTS Page Clinton, Hon. Hillary Rodham, Secretary of State, U.S. Department of State, Washington, DC, introductory statement .......................................................... 5 Corker, Hon. Bob, U.S. Senator from Tennessee, opening statement ................. 3 Kerry, Hon. John F., U.S. Senator from Massachusetts, nominated to be Secretary of State ................................................................................................. 8 Prepared statement .......................................................................................... 14 Responses to prehearing questions submitted by Senator Bob Corker ....... 66 Responses to questions submitted for the record by the following Sen- ators: Robert Menendez ....................................................................................... 89 Bob Corker ................................................................................................. 116 Barbara Boxer ........................................................................................... 125 Benjamin L. Cardin ................................................................................... 130 Robert P. Casey, Jr. .................................................................................. 132 James E. Risch .......................................................................................... 137 Marco Rubio ............................................................................................... 149 Tom Udall .................................................................................................. 163 Christopher Murphy ................................................................................. 166 Ron Johnson .............................................................................................. 167 Jeff Flake ................................................................................................... 168 John Barrasso ............................................................................................ 174 Rand Paul .................................................................................................. 188 McCain, Hon. John, U.S. Senator from Arizona, introductory statement .......... 6 Menendez, Hon. Robert, U.S. Senator from New Jersey, opening statement .... 1 Warren, Hon. Elizabeth, U.S. Senator from Massachusetts, introductory state- ment ...................................................................................................................... 4 (III) VerDate Nov 24 2008 11:54 Jan 29, 2014 Jkt 000000 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 5904 Sfmt 5904 S:\FULL COMMITTEE\HEARING FILES\113TH CONGRESS, 1ST SESSION\2013 NOMINAT VerDate Nov 24 2008 11:54 Jan 29, 2014 Jkt 000000 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 5904 Sfmt 5904 S:\FULL COMMITTEE\HEARING FILES\113TH CONGRESS, 1ST SESSION\2013 NOMINAT NOMINATION OF JOHN F. KERRY TO BE SECRETARY OF STATE THURSDAY, JANUARY 24, 2013 U.S. SENATE, COMMITTEE ON FOREIGN RELATIONS, Washington, DC. Hon. John F. Kerry, of Massachusetts, to be Secretary of State The committee met, pursuant to notice, at 10:07 a.m., in room SH–216, Hart Senate Office Building, Hon. Robert Menendez, pre- siding. Present: Senators Menendez, Boxer, Cardin, Casey, Shaheen, Coons, Durbin, Udall, Murphy, Kaine, Corker, Risch, Rubio, John- son, Flake, McCain, Barrasso, and Paul. OPENING STATEMENT OF HON. ROBERT MENENDEZ, U.S. SENATOR FROM NEW JERSEY Senator MENENDEZ. Good morning. This hearing of the Senate Foreign Relations committee to consider the nominee for the Sec- retary of State will come to order. Let me again ask as I did yesterday. Since the full Senate has not yet passed the committee resolution seating members, I ask unanimous consent of returning members to allow our prospective members to participate in today’s hearing. And if there is no objec- tion, it is so ordered. Let me start with saying that you are not at the table yet, Sen- ator, but we are going to have you there shortly. Let me say, Sen- ator Kerry—or should I say ‘‘Mr. Chairman,’’ since you are still our committee’s chair—that I am deeply humbled to preside over the committee today as we consider your nomination. We are honored to welcome you as the President’s nominee for a position you have most deservedly earned from the first time you testified before Chairman Fulbright as a young returning Vietnam war hero in 1971 to the day the President nominated and announced your nom- ination as Secretary of State. You may not be aware of it, but you will be the first member of this panel to ascend directly to the posi- tion since Senator John Sherman of Ohio became President McKinley’s Secretary of State more than 100 years ago. So you are clearly making history once again. Yours is a big chair to fill and I will do my best today to live up to your example. I have watched your lead on the committee with an equally deep and abiding commitment to get to the heart of the (1) VerDate Nov 24 2008 11:54 Jan 29, 2014 Jkt 000000 PO 00000 Frm 00005 Fmt 6633 Sfmt 6633 S:\FULL COMMITTEE\HEARING FILES\113TH CONGRESS, 1ST SESSION\2013 NOMINAT 2 matter, always probative, always open to debate, always ready to mitigate disagreements, always looking for the truth, for answers, uncovering the facts, hearing all the evidence, and then publicly speaking truth to power based solely on what was the best inter- ests of the Nation. As a Senator, as a member of this committee, and as chairman, you have already built strong relationships with leaders around the world which will help you seamlessly into the role of Secretary of State. You will need no introduction to the world’s political and military leaders and will begin on day one fully conversant not only with the intricacies of U.S. policy but with an understanding of the nuanced approach necessary to effectively interact on the multi- national stage. When Vice President Biden sat in this chair, he said on more than one occasion: ‘‘Good international relationships are always predicated on strong interpersonal relationships.’’ I think we can all agree that you have set the highest standard for developing those relationships throughout your career, and as Secretary of State you will continue to strengthen those relationships on behalf of the President in the furtherance of American foreign policy. I will have some questions later on policies and your views, in- cluding how you explain to world leaders how you could have been rooting for the Boston Red Sox instead of what the world knows is the New York Yankees as the team of the world. [Laughter.] But let me say, Mr. Chairman, it has been a pleasure working with you. I am looking forward to continuing to work with you on the issues you have championed over the years: fighting global ter- rorism, preventing the spread of nuclear, biological, and chemical weapons, fighting for human rights and against HIV/AIDS around the world, fighting crime, corruption, drug trafficking, and standing up as you always have for the interests of the Foreign Service around the world. In your new role, should you be confirmed—and I know you will—your portfolio will be greatly expanded. You will be center stage representing the interests of all of us from securing our em- bassies and protecting our overseas personnel to promoting com- merce, enhancing cross-cultural ties, and keeping America secure through cooperation where possible and isolation where necessary as in the case of Iran. And of course, it goes without saying that you have truly been a world leader on one of the most consequential issues of our time: climate change. And it heartens me to know that someone with your commitment to the issue will be our voice to the world. The fact is whatever the challenges we will face, in my view the State Department could not be in better hands. When it comes to America’s role in world affairs, I know we agree that it is critical that the United States remains fully engaged, that we project not only the power of our military strength when necessary, but the wisdom