Remarks at the Swearing-in Ceremony of the Honorable John Negroponte as Deputy Secretary of State

10:25 a.m. EDT

SECRETARY RICE: Ladies and gentlemen, distinguished guests, members of Congress, members of the Administration, it is a great pleasure to welcome you here to the State Department for the swearing-in of John Negroponte as Deputy Secretary of State. We are honored to have John's family with us, his wife, Diana, his children, Marina, Alejandra, John, George and Sophia. And of course, we are really honored to have our very special guest, the President of the United States, George W. Bush.

(Applause.)

SECRETARY RICE: Mr. President, in John Negroponte, you could not have chosen a more capable, more dedicated, or more experienced public servant. John's tenure in the Foreign Service began during the Eisenhower Administration. He has served every president since and now, this legend of American diplomacy returns home.

As you know, Mr. President, our nation has the finest diplomatic corps in the world and we're asking more of them today than ever before. All across the globe, the men and women of the State Department are serving honorably, far away from their homes, and very often far away from their families as well. In fact, many are on the front lines in some of the toughest places in the world, serving shoulder to shoulder with our men and women in uniform and risking their lives for the sake of our country.

Every day, in every country, our diplomats and civilians are working to realize America's vision of a community of nations growing in security, prosperity, and liberty. They are drawing on the compassion of America to help eradicate diseases like AIDS and malaria, to fight poverty and injustice, and to support what you have called the nonnegotiable demands of human dignity. And they are doing their part to defend America and our allies in the global war on terror.

It is for that reason that I am so delighted to welcome John back, because he will be a great leader and an inspiration to the men and women of American diplomacy. And I know that they will be an inspiration for him, as they are for me and for all of us.

Thank you, Mr. President, for your steadfast support of the Department, for your steadfast support of the men and women of American diplomacy, and thank you for bringing John back to State. We're grateful for your leadership, we are honored by your presence here today, and it's my privilege to invite you to take the podium. Mr. President.

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