Kerry officially gets Foreign Relations post
Senator John F. Kerry met with Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari in Islamabad today. (AFP/Getty Images)
By Bryan Bender, Globe Staff
WASHINGTON -- Senator John F. Kerry was named chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee today, pledging to use his stewardship of the influential panel to strengthen American interests in Afghanistan and Pakistan, help end the war in Iraq, and craft solutions to the climate change crisis.
The Massachusetts Democrat is already on an extended tour of trouble spots that will likely consume the foreign policy attention of President-elect Barack Obama. Kerry met today with leaders in Pakistan and India, trying to ease tensions between the two nuclear powers over the recent terrorist attacks in Mumbai.
He next goes to Afghanistan, where Obama wants to deploy thousands of additional troops to fight the war on terror. The first stop on Kerry's itinerary, which began over the weekend, was the Republic of Georgia, the front line in Russia's more aggressive stance against the West. Sunday, he and Obama talked about a global warming conference in Poland that Kerry attended.
"We have a big agenda ahead of us, just as our country faces big challenges across the globe," Kerry said in a statement from Islamabad.
Kerry, who has served on the committee for 24 years and first came to public notice when he testified before the panel in opposition to the Vietnam War, was elevated to the chairmanship by Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid after he lost out to Hillary Clinton to be Obama's secretary of state.
Kerry is set to take over for the outgoing chairman, Vice President-elect Joe Biden, at a crucial time. Aides said the stops on his foreign trip highlight some of the core issues he will have to deal.
Over the weekend Kerry met in the Georgian capital of Tbilisi with Prime Minister Grigol Mgaloblishvili and President Mikheil Saakashvili, who are still reeling from the Russian invasion of their territory in August and are seeking membership in the NATO alliance.
Today, Kerry met with Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in New Delhi before traveling to Islamabad to meet with Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari and other leaders.
Kerry had tough words for his Pakistani hosts, saying that the government must shut down terrorist training camps like those believed to be have been used by the perpetrators of the Mumbai attacks last month.
"It's imperative to comply and terrorist camps should be shut down," Kerry told reporters after holding talks with the Indian external affairs minister, Pranab Mukherjee, according to local media reports.
Speaking of the spate of attacks that killed nearly 200 people in India's financial center, Kerry added: "We know it was all planned in Pakistan and we are very, very confident that evidence will be presented at the right time."
Tuesday, Kerry is to meet with President Hamid Karzai of Afghanistan and visit US troops from Massachusetts who are serving there, according to his Senate office.
The Senate Foreign Relations chairmanship remains among the most prized in the Senate. It is responsible for vetting international treaties, conducting the confirmation hearings for presidential nominees for the State Department, and overseeing the State Department budget. The panel also helps set policy for foreign aid and arms control programs and authorizes military training for allied nations.
Kerry, in his statement today, cited two legendary chairman of the committee, one from each political party, in promising to seek bipartisan policies.
"Whether it was under the Republican Chairman [Arthur] Vandenberg or the great Democratic Chairman William Fulbright, this committee has always stood for the best of American foreign policy," Kerry said.
Kerry has been preparing to take leadership of the committee for several weeks. Last week, he met with Clinton to iron out any issues that might arise during her confirmation hearing. Kerry also appointed a new spokesman for the committee: Frederick L. Jones II, a former career foreign service officer and spokesman for the National Security Council under President Bush.
The Bay State's senior senator, Edward M. Kennedy, released this statement:
“John will do an excellent job as Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and the nation’s fortunate to have him in this high position. I know he’ll make significant contributions to our foreign policy in dealing with the many challenges we face in our relationships with other countries, and he’ll work well with President Obama and Secretary of State Clinton to restore America’s respect in the world.”
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Unfortunately, it looks like we (Massachusetts) are still stuck with him! BOO!
What happens to his Senate seat now?
Congratulations to our own Senator Kerry and to our nation. He will be a most excellent and effective SFRC Chair and the Committee, under his leadership, will work seriously to bring America back to the ideals that earned us the respect of the world. I know the hearings will be tops on the viewing list at my house!
There is no one I respect more on foreign policy than John Kerry. When he spoke before the SFRC in 1971, at the end of his speech he spoke of his hope that the foreign policy of the US would "turn" and that the Vietnam War would be seen as the point where it turned. His hope was not fulfilled and as Senator, he spoke and worked against the covert aid to the Contras which reflected the same bad policy. I had hoped that he would be able to change the policy as President starting 4 years ago. Now, I hope that in this position with a President Obama, he will be able to help change from the policies that caused so much harm in the past decades.
Kerry representing our counrty abroad in any capacity is scary.
You can just hear him saying those words, can't you? John, there's something to be said for being short and succinct.
"Thanks for the appointment, I look forward to working with the new President and the other members of the committee and US Congress. Merry Christmas."
So much for Change under Obama - yet another long-time Washington insider gets a top post in the Obama administration. Change Change Change! Except for the part where we don't change anyone!
an excellent choice for such a prestigious post... gthe greatest american to ever live appointed to the position nexy best to the president... JOIHN KERRY 4 LIFE!!!
don cherry?
Tom (#7): Obama does not choose this post, if you read more carefully, the article says that Sen. Harry Reid selected Sen. Kerry.
Stevee B (#2): This post is held by a senator. He doesn't stop being senator.
Congratulations, Senator Kerry!
To bad he did not get secretary of state then we would have anew senator in massahcusetts
Tom. If you had any brains, you would know that Obama did not appoint Kerry, but rather the Majority Leader, whose name I suspect you don't even know. When you sound off on some news item, get your basic facts correct, which I know would be a problem. SAH
Change?? This is Clinton 2.0!
Does this make Teesa the asst. freign relations chairman?
Will he need a wind surf board travel bag for Christmas?
Does this make Terrressssa the asst. foreign relations chairman?
Will he need a wind surf board travel bag for Christmas?
John K, you can't say "Merry Christmas" anymore, remember? It's politically incorrect. Bah Humbug!
Congrats Senator Kerry! A True Statesman!!!!!!
HE SHOULD BE NEUTRAL AND SHOULD NOT APPEAR AS PRO SOME AND ANTI SOME
SteveeB are you that stupid?
He will have his Senate seat no matter what, He was named to head a committee!
Get off the drugs.
To the Neo-cons: The change is you're no longer in power! Enjoy the view!
God help up with this phony. Get you fallout shelters ready. Talk about a sign of weakness to the world. Kerry is a clown show.
A well deserved position for an excellent Senator - He is still our Senator, Stevee B! His experience will be invaluable! As for change - think of the different perspective he and other members of the Obama administration will bring!! Remember what we are just getting rid of!! Someone with his experience and good judgment (as are all the other Obama choices) will restore our reputation and respect around the world. I can't wait!
@7... umm the post is within the Senate. This is generally viewed as Obama dissing Kerry because Kerry remains in the Senate and he is not part of the Administration.
The Foreign Relations Committee chairmanship is a Senate committee ... the one Liberman was stripped of. Kerry will remain in the Senate. He's not going anywhere. The position is not an Obama appointment at all. Its the democratic caucus within the Senate that made the decision, of which Obama only had a 2% say in the matter!
Just a brief lesson in U.S. Government organization to people such as Tom (no. 7), Stevee B (no. 2), and Matt (no. 5): John Kerry remains the junior Senator from Massachusetts. This selection is to Chair the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, which is not part of the Obama Administration, but is determined by the Democratic Leadership of the US Senate (to which Obama no longer belongs). Chairs of Senate and Congressional Committees are usually determined in large part by seniority - meaning those who have been in the Senate the longest are considered for Chair of the Committees for which they have interest. That's partly why Clinton didn't want to stick around in the Senate and jumped at the chance for the prestigious Secretary of State Cabinet position: she is still relatively junior among US Senators, and was highly unlikely to be considered as Chair of an influential Committee such as this one.
Nothing happens to his Senate seat. He is still in the Senate; now as the chairman of a high profile committee.
Perhaps some of you should look into how our government works. Nothing happens to Kerry's senate seat. He's still a senator. Chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee is a post he now holds in the senate. Additionally, Kerry's appointment to chairman has nothing to do with the Obama administration. Last I checked, the Senate was a part of the legislative branch, wholly separate from Obama's executive branch.