What the Secretary Has Been Saying

Date: 01/20/2009 Description: Blue envelope icon, used for email subscriptions. State Dept PhotoSign up for Secretary's Remarks email updates

In her confirmation testimony, Hillary Rodham Clinton said: "The best way to advance America's interests in reducing global threats and seizing global opportunities is to design and implement global solutions. ...We must use what has been called "smart power," the full range of tools at our disposal -- diplomatic, economic, military, political, legal and cultural -- picking the right tool or combination of tools for each situation. With smart power, diplomacy will be the vanguard of our foreign policy."

On arrival for her first day as Secretary of State, she addressed Department employees: "There are three legs to the stool of American foreign policy: defense, diplomacy, and development. And we are responsible for two of the three legs. And we will make clear, as we go forward, that diplomacy and development are essential tools in achieving the long-term objectives of the United States. And I will do all that I can, working with you, to make it abundantly clear that robust diplomacy and effective development are the best long-term tools for securing America's future."

Through this web page, the Bureau of Public Affairs releases all speeches, testimony, briefings, statements, and other remarks from the Secretary of State as soon as they are available. (Also see daily press briefings by the Department Spokesman and other releases from the Press Relations Office.)

President's Global Health Initiative
Secretary Clinton (May 5):
"The President’s new global health initiative will be a crucial component of American foreign policy and a signature element of smart power. Bringing better health to people around the globe is an avenue to a more secure, stable, and prosperous world. Our investments in programs to combat HIV/AIDS, malaria, TB, and other preventable diseases save millions of lives, reduce maternal and child mortality, and reflect our nation’s leadership as a positive force for progress around the world." Full Text | Statement by the President

The Foreign Service: Working for a Better World
Date: 05/01/2009 Description: Secretary Clinton delivers the keynote address of the Town Hall Meeting at Plenary Session of Foreign Affairs Day in the Dean Acheson Auditorium. © State Department photo by Michael GrossSecretary Clinton (May 1):
"I see [the work of the State Department] as really based on principled and pragmatic partnerships.... We’ve engaged emerging nations and pivotal regional actors on issues of common concern, from climate change and energy, to democracy and good governance, and regional and global security.... " Full Text