POMED Notes: Nomination Hearing for William J. Burns

On Tuesday, the Senate Foreign Relations Committee held a nomination hearing for William J. Burns to become Deputy Secretary of State. The hearing was presided over by Committee Chairman Senator John Kerry (D-MA) with Senators Robert Menendez (D-NJ), Jib Webb (D-VA), Robert P. Casey Jr. (D-PA), Richard Lugar (R-IN), and Marco Rubio (R-FL) in attendance. William J. Burns is a career foreign service officer and former U.S. Ambassador to Russia and Jordan. He currently serves as U.S. Undersecretary of State for Political Affairs.

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Senator Kerry opened the hearing by voicing strong support for Mr. Burns. He stated that Mr. Burns has been at the center of many of the toughest crises of our time and this will undoubtedly be valuable as he moves to his new position as Deputy Secretary of State. He asserted that the U.S. is at an important transitional moment in history and that this period is ripe with uncertainty, but also with potential for great change. He stated that the U.S. has been moved by the democratic uprisings across the Middle East and highlighted the uprisings in Libya, Egypt, and Tunisia along with the brutal crackdown in Syria. Senator Kerry stated that the idea of a multi-polar world is no longer a catch phrase or a phenomenon, but was indeed very real. In closing he stated that Mr. Burns was an essential piece of U.S. foreign policy in “defense of what is most important to our nation.”

Senator Lugar stated that he was “thrilled with the nomination”, and delighted that Mr. Burns was going to be accepting this new challenge. He stated that his nomination was a testament to the commitments of Foreign Service members to the United States. Sen. Lugar praised Mr. Burns for his knowledge on nuclear, energy, and Security Council issues that he stated would be vital for his new position. He went on to state that effective diplomacy requires long term strategy beyond just the news headlines.

Mr. Burns thanked the committee and stated that the world is facing growing problems, but also many opportunities for “creative leadership.” Mr. Burns discussed the U.S. unwavering support for the “universal aspirations of the Arab spring,” and stated that these events were as consequential as the fall of the Berlin wall in 1989. He went on to highlight important regions and issues affecting U.S. policy including Afghanistan, Pakistan, China, Japan, South Korea, Africa, South East Asia, and the Middle East.

When asked about the importance of funding to the State Department by Sen. Kerry, Mr. Burns stated that Secretary of State Hillary Clinton stated clearly in the QDDR (Quadrennial Diplomacy and Development Review) what is needed for the future of state department initiatives. Sen. Kerry stated that he was uncomfortable with the amount of money being put on the table to support democracy in Egypt. He stated that it was not enough money, stating that the “economic challenge is clear.” He stated that he did not see the concentrated program or initiative.

Mr. Burns responded by stating that Egypt’s transition was going to be as consequential as any challenge that the United States faces today. He went on saying that a successful transition will be essential to a positive regional future. Mr. Burns argued that for a political success to be achieved that economic support will be needed as well. He expressed that debt swaps, enterprise funds, and trade initiatives could be very beneficial.

Senator Casey asked about the status of Iran, citing an intelligence report, he stated that it has become clear that Iran has the potential to build nuclear weapons and asked if Mr. Burns could tell them how he will push forward an agenda to keep pressure on Iran. Mr. Burns stated that the U.S. remains thoroughly committed to maximizing pressure on Iran, both with allies and the UN to increase diplomatic pressure on the Iranian regime. He stated that the U.S. continues to look for more ways to increase this pressure.

Senator Rubio asked Mr. Burns if he could comment on the situation in Yemen. Mr. Burns stated that the U.S. Government continues to seek a peaceful solution to the crisis in Yemen and that the administration was very disappointed to hear that Saleh had once again refused to step down and create a peaceful transition as he had previously stated he would.