Hoyer Statement on Appointment of Susan Rice as Next National Security Advisor and Nomination of Samantha Power as Ambassador to the U.N.
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WASHINGTON, DC - House Democratic Whip Steny H. Hoyer (MD) released the following statement today after President Obama announced he is appointing Susan Rice as his next National Security Advisory and nominating Samantha Power to be the next Ambassador to the United Nations:
“I am pleased that President Obama is appointing Susan Rice as his next National Security Advisor. Ambassador Rice is an accomplished diplomat, a skilled crisis manager, and a trusted advisor to the President who has the experience and strategic vision required to identify threats to our national security and advise appropriate action to keep the American people safe. As Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs under President Clinton, she was deeply involved in formulating our policies toward a region that today is becoming ever more of a focus for emerging security threats. More recently, Ambassador Rice led the charge to restore American credibility and influence at the United Nations, in turn improving our national security and effectively protecting the interests of the United States and its allies. I want to thank Tom Donilon for his service to the country as National Security Advisor, and I wish him well as he begins the next stage of his career.
“I am also glad that Samantha Power is the President’s nominee to be our next Ambassador to the United Nations, to succeed Ambassador Rice. As Senior Director for Multilateral Affairs and Human Rights on the National Security Council during the President’s first term, Ms. Power oversaw our efforts to protect and expand basic rights and freedoms – including freedom of speech, freedom of religion, and the protection of minority groups – around the world. In that role, she also worked closely on United Nations affairs, and I am confident she will make a smooth transition into the job – and indeed serve as an excellent representative of the American people to that body. I urge the Senate to consider her nomination with due speed so we can maintain our United Nations representation at full strength at such a critical time.”
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