Currently, Sen. John Kerry (D-MA) is testifying before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, the panel of which he currently chairs, regarding his nomination as the next Secretary of State.
A day after appearing in front of lawmakers to discuss the State Departments actions in response to the deadly Sept 11 attacks on the U.S. attacks in Benghazi, Libya Hillary Clinton is presenting Kerry at the hearing today. On Wednesday, Clinton displayed her emotions, including anger, as she discussed the deaths of Ambassador Chris Steven and the three other Americans killed in the attacks. Wednesday gave Clinton the opportunity to confront her critics and defend the Obama administration’s response. Thus, allowing her to protect her legacy and clear the road for whatever her future will bring.
Hillary Clinton introduced John Kerry at the nomination hearing by saying , “John is the right choice to carry forward the Obama administration’s foreign policy and I urge his speedy confirmation.” Others who spoke in support of John Kerry’s nomination were Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) and Senator John McCain (R-AZ) who said at the end of his statement, “I commend his nomination to you without reservation.”
Therefore, while John Kerry is likely to be confirmed, he will still face some tough questions by those on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. But he is ready to tackle them head on and feels very grateful to the president for nominating him.
So with John Kerry set to be the next Secretary of State the real question is where does this leave Hillary Clinton? We will ask Politico’s Jonathan Allen this question and more today at 3 p.m.
Abby Borovitz