Thomas Daschle: “I congratulate both of our new members of the Cabinet on the strong support they received through the votes taken this…”

“I congratulate both of our new members of the Cabinet on the strong support they received through the votes taken this afternoon. In the case of Madeleine Albright, I have had the opportunity to inform her of the Senate's vote and to personally congratulate her. Let me say how pleased I am with the overwhelming sentiment expressed by the Senate on both sides of the aisle. Madeleine Albright is unquestionably qualified to be Secretary of State. She is one of our best foreign policy minds, particularly given the extraordinary experience she has had in so many roles in her past. As a professor at the Georgetown School of Foreign Service, Ambassador to the United Nations, serving as a counselor to the President on foreign policy, Madeleine Albright, as much as anybody else, has had the opportunity to be in the forefront of foreign policy in this administration. This vote, obviously, was quite historic. Madeleine Albright stands now as the first woman to be confirmed as Secretary of State in our Nation's history. I cannot think of a more appropriate honor to be bestowed on a woman of this caliber and with this degree of credibility. I commend her and commend the administration for nominating her for this most important position.”