Kay Bailey Hutchison: “Thank you, Mr. President. I thank the distinguished Senator from Colorado. Senator Brown has done an incredible job of…”

“Thank you, Mr. President. I thank the distinguished Senator from Colorado. Senator Brown has done an incredible job of educating the Senate on this nominee. I think he has gone the extra miles to make sure the United States and the President of our country does not make a mistake in putting someone in a very important and sensitive position who really does not belong in that position. Perhaps he belongs in another position, but not this one. Let us talk about this job. We have heard eloquent debate from the Senator from Massachusetts, the Senator from New Hampshire, and the Senator from Colorado. But let us focus on what this job is: Ambassador to the Conference on Security and Cooperation in Europe. The Treaty on Conventional Armed Forces in Europe established the retreat of the Soviet Union from Eastern Europe. In the Wall Street Journal today, there is a quote from then Defense Secretary Richard Cheney in 1991: With implementation of the CFE Treaty, for the first time since the end of World War II, the Soviets would be denied the ability to mount an offensive threat in Europe. That is what this treaty is. Mr. President, this treaty restricts Russia from amassing troops in the flank regions of Europe. Now there are requests pending today from Russia to relax parts of that treaty that may have a long-term impact on the future of those Eastern European countries which are now struggling with democracy and struggling to make it.”