Executive Session
Floor Speech
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Mr. REED. Madam President, I would like to address the nomination of Director Pompeo to be the next Secretary of State. I intend to vote against this nomination, and I would like to explain how I reached this conclusion.
This was a difficult decision. I supported Director Pompeo's nomination to be Director of the Central Intelligence Agency. Director Pompeo is a talented individual who has spent his life in public service, but the job of Secretary of State requires different skill sets and experiences than that of Director of the Central Intelligence Agency.
As such, the Senate has a constitutional responsibility to review Director Pompeo's qualifications anew with respect to this specific nomination. As I indicated, the role of the Secretary of State is significantly different from that of the CIA Director. The question before us is whether Director Pompeo has the right background, judgment, and independence to faithfully execute the duties of America's top diplomat. Using those criteria, I have to oppose this nomination.
One of the first tasks for the next Secretary of State will be to rebuild the capabilities and morale of the Department of State. Over the last year and a half, the Department has struggled with widespread vacancies, drastic proposed budget cuts, a Foreign Service treated with contempt by the White House, and a failed reorganization effort under Secretary Tillerson. The result has been the hemorrhaging of decades of foreign policy expertise, the demoralization of those who continue to serve at State, and the marginalization of diplomacy as an instrument of national power.
I question whether Director Pompeo is right for the task of reversing the damage wrought at the State Department. During his time in the House, then-Congressman Pompeo was a staunch supporter of Tea Party proposals to slash the very State Department programs that are critical for advancing our foreign policy and national security interests. During his confirmation hearing earlier this month, Director Pompeo declared his commitment to end the ``demoralizing'' vacancies at the State Department and strengthen the diplomatic corps. Even if Director Pompeo has had a late conversion on the road to his nomination for Secretary of State, it is not clear whether he will be any more successful than Secretary Tillerson was in gaining White House approval for his desired candidates for senior positions or convincing this President to listen to the advice of our experts at Foggy Bottom.
My deeper concern is whether Director Pompeo is the right choice to carry out the Secretary of State's role as the lead advocate for diplomacy as a means of advancing our national interests.
The need for effective diplomacy to solve our most pressing security challenges has never been greater. Today's national security threats are complex, including the reemergence of near-peer competitors Russia and China who seek to undermine the rules-based international order, regional challenges from rogue regimes in North Korea and Iran, and the continuing threat from violent extremist groups that seek to exploit ungoverned spaces to spread their destructive ideologies. Such challenges to our national security require a comprehensive strategy that coordinates military and nonmilitary tools of national power.
I am concerned that President Trump's bellicose rhetoric and budgetary priorities indicate a predisposition for choosing military action over diplomatic solutions. Since September 11, we have asked our men and women in uniform to go above and beyond in addressing security and stability challenges globally, and they have responded magnificently. As we face expanding threats below the level of armed conflict and insecurity arising from regional destabilization, we need an increased focus on nonmilitary tools and diplomacy to prevent or mitigate these challenges. The next Secretary of State needs to be an effective counterpart for Defense Secretary Mattis in finding diplomatic solutions to the complex crises we face in Syria, the Middle East, North Africa, the South China Sea, and North Korea.
Based on his record, I am not convinced that Director Pompeo will serve as the strong voice for diplomacy that our military and our country need to counter these pressing threats. Time and again, Director Pompeo has chosen to reject negotiations and call for the use of force. His track record calls into question his ability to be an effective advocate for diplomatic solutions that are in U.S. national interests.
With regard to the nuclear deal with Iran, known as the joint comprehensive plan of action, or JCPOA, Director Pompeo has called for ``rolling back'' this multilateral agreement that was carefully negotiated alongside the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Russia, and China. Director Pompeo's opposition to the Iran nuclear deal runs counter to views of Defense Secretary Mattis and most senior military leadership. As a congressman, Director Pompeo sought to undermine negotiations with Iran and advocated for military airstrikes to destroy its nuclear program. During his confirmation hearing, Director Pompeo indicated that he would not push back against President Trump's reckless impulse to withdraw from the JCPOA in mid-May, saying instead that he would ``recommend to the President that we do our level best to work with our allies to achieve a better outcome and a better deal.'' This response is in spite of the fact that, by all accounts, the JCPOA is working as intended and Iran is verifiably meeting its commitments under the deal.
Withdrawal from the Iran nuclear deal would also have a profoundly harmful effect on our nuclear negotiations with North Korea. North Korea has little reason to engage with us in a serious dialogue if it suspects that we may later withdraw unilaterally from any agreement without cause. During the Trump administration, the risk of conflict with North Korea has increased to unprecedented levels, and the diplomatic preparations over the coming weeks will be critical to the success of President Trump's upcoming summit with the North Korean leader. However, should that summit fail to produce meaningful constraints on North Korea's nuclear ambitions, I am concerned that the administration will use this failure as a pretext for pivoting to a preemptive strike against North Korea, and I am not confident that Director Pompeo will be effective in urging restraint by President Trump in opposing military action while seeking to redouble efforts to find a negotiated solution.
Perhaps the most difficult role of any Secretary of State is being an independent voice willing to say no to the President. I recognize that some say that one of Director Pompeo's highest qualifications for Secretary of State is his close relationship with the President because foreign leaders will know that, when Director Pompeo speaks, he has the backing of President Trump. Director Pompeo's alleged ``rapport'' with President Trump raises concerns that he will only tell the President what the President wants to hear and will not provide objective, nuanced policy recommendations based on U.S. foreign policy interests. I believe we are already seeing this dynamic with respect to the JCPOA.
Unfortunately, we have seen this scenario before. Early in the George W. Bush administration, the President surrounded himself with like- minded advisers who were predisposed to distorting the intelligence on Iraq, and, as a result, they failed to present nuanced policy options on the march to war against Saddam Hussein. I am concerned that we will find, in hindsight, that Director Pompeo's closeness to President Trump will prove less an asset and more a shared blind spot that will lead to simplistic policy recommendations, an unwillingness to stand up to the President when he is wrong, and an indulgence of the President's impulsive preference for strategy-free displays of military force.
The President needs a top diplomat who will provide independent foreign policy recommendations, will press to exhaust all possible diplomatic avenues for the safety of our military and citizens, and will boldly represent our core American values. While I believe that Director Pompeo is an honorable and decent man, who has provided life- long service to our country, he is not the right nominee for Secretary of State at this time. As such, I will oppose Director Pompeo's nomination for Secretary of State.
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