Political Quotes

“I join the Senator from Iowa in supporting Governor Branstad as our next Ambassador to China. I have the opportunity of being the ranking Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. I knew of Governor Branstad's reputation as the Governor of Iowa--that he was well thought of and that his leadership was recognized not only by the people of his State but in our Nation. So I was, before the nomination was made, impressed by his dedication to public service. I then had a chance to meet with him in my office. I must tell you that I was extremely impressed about how he was prepared to move on to be the Ambassador to China and how he spoke in favor of our strong ideals. We then had a confirmation hearing in our committee, and that very much confirmed his knowledge of the challenges that he has, his dedication to public service, and that he would be a strong advocate for American values. So I support his nomination and I urge my colleagues to confirm Governor Branstad. As Senator Ernst pointed out, our mission in China is a particularly important international responsibility. We know that China plays a significant role--maybe even a dominating role--in regard to North Korea and in trying to get North Korea to give up its nuclear arsenal. We also know that China has a very checkered record on protecting the human rights of its own citizens.…”