Political Quotes

“Madam President, I would like to address the nomination of Director Pompeo to be the next Secretary of State. I intend to vote against this nomination, and I would like to explain how I reached this conclusion. This was a difficult decision. I supported Director Pompeo's nomination to be Director of the Central Intelligence Agency. Director Pompeo is a talented individual who has spent his life in public service, but the job of Secretary of State requires different skill sets and experiences than that of Director of the Central Intelligence Agency. As such, the Senate has a constitutional responsibility to review Director Pompeo's qualifications anew with respect to this specific nomination. As I indicated, the role of the Secretary of State is significantly different from that of the CIA Director. The question before us is whether Director Pompeo has the right background, judgment, and independence to faithfully execute the duties of America's top diplomat. Using those criteria, I have to oppose this nomination. One of the first tasks for the next Secretary of State will be to rebuild the capabilities and morale of the Department of State. Over the last year and a half, the Department has struggled with widespread vacancies, drastic proposed budget cuts, a Foreign Service treated with contempt by the White House, and a failed reorganization effort under Secretary Tillerson.…”