Senator Chris Dodd (D-CT), a senior member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, today made the following statement at the Foreign Relations Committee hearing to confirm Senator Hillary Clinton as Secretary of State:

In order to implement an effective international policy response to the economic crisis, we must first ensure that there is coordinated leadership on this issue. In my view, the Secretary of State’s leadership is key, and a well-coordinated strategy including aggressive diplomatic initiatives and Treasury’s initiatives is absolutely essential. We must ensure that the United States Government speaks with one coherent voice as we implement a set of strategic and well-coordinated international policies."

The full text of the statement Senator Dodd submitted for the record is below:

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I would like to join my colleagues in congratulating you, Senator Clinton, on your nomination. I have had the pleasure of working closely with you on a wide range of issues for many years, and I look forward to our continued partnership and to your leadership as Secretary of State. I have no doubt you will do a remarkable job.

I don’t think it’s overstating the case to say that you will be inheriting some of the biggest international challenges the United States has seen in over fifty years. We are waging simultaneous wars overseas. The global economic downturn has inflicted serious and wide reaching damage, from which no nation is immune.

Indeed some countries are facing very real threats to their political and economic systems. Our own prestige, influence, and elements of our "soft power" have been questioned.

The threat of terrorism and the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction continue to cast a dark shadow over global security. The recent attacks in India are a reminder of the insidious threat that terrorism poses to all nations. Regimes in Iran and North Korea have yet to fulfill their obligations regarding their nuclear intentions and capabilities – and use the resulting threat as a negotiating tool against their neighbors and the West.

While the challenges we face in the coming years are daunting, I believe they also present us with a tremendous opportunity for American leadership – to fundamentally redefine our foreign policy, to reengage with our friends and allies in the international community, to assume a global leadership role centered on smart and strategic diplomacy, and to fully meet the threats we face as a nation.

I believe the question is not whether we will meet these goals and challenges – no one should doubt for a second our commitment to our interests and ideals, our strength, and our resilience – but rather how we do so.

First, as I know the Secretary-designate appreciates, we must get our own house in order and that must start with ensuring that the State Department steps up to the challenges – that it is committed, empowered, and resourced to do the job. In recent years, the State Department has been relegated to a supporting role in defining U.S. policy abroad. If we hope to re-orient and refocus American foreign policy, then we must recognize and draw upon one of the greatest assets we have: the dedicated Foreign and Civil Service personnel who make up our diplomatic corps and lead our foreign policy apparatus.

Next, we must rebuild our friendships and alliances, improving relations particularly with our NATO partners. In recent years, treatment of our allies has been inconsistent, to say the least.

We want to work with our friends and allies not just for U.N. votes and public statements – not just so we feel less isolated. We need them as partners in consultation, in policy, and in implementation.

We more fully protect our security and advance our interests when we work in concert with a host of strategic allies – not just ad hoc "coalitions of the willing." America is at its strongest when we recognize our allies’ strengths, considerations and priorities.

Nowhere is this more apparent today than in Afghanistan, where deficient consultation and coordination on all sides has led to misunderstandings and excessive operational caveats among many of our NATO Allies.

Simply put, we need a policy on Afghanistan — a clear statement of objectives and the strategy for achieving them. The current Administration recently has become more serious about Afghanistan, but we must not take our eye off the ball again. Our new strategy must look to meet the challenges of the Taliban and Al-Qaeda in a comprehensive and regional manner. For too long, and at our own peril, we have viewed Afghanistan in a vacuum.

We need a strategy in Afghanistan that uses America’s and our allies’ diplomatic, social, and economic tools – as well as the military tools. This should include an emphasis on development and civil society. Our military and allies have demonstrated that they can "clear" large areas; what we need now is a strategy for the Afghan Government to "hold" them.

In Pakistan, we need to continue focusing on the border, but it will be for naught if we do not bolster civilian rule and help strengthen the rule of law.

The new Administration must also pay close attention to our relationships with China and Russia. I know, Senator Clinton, that you have called for a more nuanced approach to Russia -- and I welcome that. We must abandon the "Cold War" approach that the previous Administration relied on so heavily in favor of one that engages Russia on issues of mutual concern, such as counterterrorism and nuclear proliferation, without looking the other way on Russia’s troublesome human rights record and expansionist foreign policy.

Similarly, we need a flexible and proactive policy toward engaging China on an array of issues, as it struggles to deal with the current financial crisis. In a country lacking democracy, human rights, and a transparent judiciary, we have to be prepared for unpredictable shifts in policy and internal dynamics.

Last, an issue of great personal interest to me: Latin America. The upcoming transition represents an historic opportunity for the United States to fundamentally change the tone and nature of its relationship with Latin America. Rather than focusing on negative events in the region as an impetus for political disengagement, we must focus on the many positive developments in the region as a foundation for proactive diplomacy. Latin America is not our "backyard," but rather our neighborhood – and we must work together for a better future together.

We need to emphasize our partnership with major players in the region such as Mexico and Brazil, transforming our views of this important region from a competitive one to a collaborative one. The Administration will have an opportunity to signal such a shift at the upcoming Summit of the Americas, and it is my hope that the United States will unveil a policy that recognizes the importance of renewed and broadened engagement and cooperation in the region.

I must also add that it is long past time for the United States to re-examine its policy toward Cuba, the ineffectiveness of which has been proven time and again for the past fifty years. We all agree on the need to foster peaceful, democratic change, but we need to move the means of obtaining it in line with current realities – with a focus on the future, not the past; and a focus on the Cuban people, not the aging Communist leadership. We need to acknowledge that things are changing in Cuba and among Americans who care about Cuba. I believe we have a choice – we can either be players in helping the Cuban people shape that landscape for the next fifty years, or we can remain on the sidelines.

Senator Clinton, I hope that in addition to these critical matters, we do not lose sight of the tremendous work you have done over the course of your lifetime on issues that don’t frequently make our headlines.

From championing micro-credit programs long before they were popular, to advocating on behalf of women’s political and economic rights throughout the world, as well as human rights more generally, your leadership has helped to improve the lives of countless individuals. I hope you will continue this vital work as Secretary of State.

Senator Clinton, I am fully confident that under your leadership we can restore not only American foreign policy but also our leadership in the world. At this precarious moment in our history, it has never been more important.

I look forward to our conversation today, to your swift confirmation, and to working with you. Again, congratulations on your nomination.

-30-