Commentary: Today, U.S. Senator Tom Udall voted against the nomination of former ExxonMobil CEO Rex Tillerson to be Secretary of State. Udall said that Tillerson lacks the qualifications or experience to serve as the nation’s top diplomat, has close business ties to the Russian government that may color his diplomatic efforts, is entangled in a web of potential conflicts of interests stemming from his decades-long career at ExxonMobil, and has made an insufficient commitment to maintaining the United States’ leadership role in combatting climate change.
Udall also said he is concerned that Tillerson would not be an independent leader for American values. President Trump's anti-immigrant, anti-refugee order issued over the weekend highlights how important it is to have cabinet members who will check the administration's reckless policies, Udall said.
“For the last century, the United States has led on the world stage. We are the inspiration for countless nations as they nurture hopeful democracies, democracies that respect human rights and individual liberties. We are a nation of freedom, where men and women can work hard and build a happy, healthy life, and live the American Dream. And that is what makes President Trump’s anti-Muslim and anti-immigrant actions last week so repugnant. I believe his actions violate the constitution. They also violate everything we stand for,” said Udall on the Senate floor.
“These disturbing, un-American acts are the most urgent reason I rise today to say that I cannot support confirming Rex Tillerson as Secretary of State,” Udall continued.
Udall added, “It is no exaggeration to say that the post-World War Two international order in under attack by the President, endangering U.S. leadership in the world. As a result, our national security and place in the world are threatened like never before. During such tenuous times, we need a leader as our chief diplomat who is prepared to take the reins and calm the waters. But I do not have confidence that Mr. Tillerson has the experience, knowledge, values, or temperament to stand up to the President — to be a voice of reason, to moderate the President’s extreme views and actions.”
The full text of Udall’s speech as prepared for delivery is below.
“Mr. President, for the last century, the United States has led on the world stage. We are the inspiration for countless nations as they nurture hopeful democracies, democracies that respect human rights and individual liberties. We are a nation of freedom, where men and women can work hard and build a happy, healthy life, and live the American Dream.
“And that is what makes President Trump’s anti-Muslim and anti-immigrant actions last week so repugnant. I believe his actions violate the constitution. They also violate everything we stand for. Turning our backs on refugees and those seeking a better life doesn’t project strength. It shows weakness. It fuels anti-American rage around the world. Our nation doesn’t punish innocent people because of what they believe, how they pray. We don’t slam the door in the faces of those who need help the most. I call on all of us, especially my colleagues across the aisle, to denounce this action, and the people behind it.
“I am relieved that federal judges around the nation are blocking the President’s unconstitutional order. I have never been gladder for our strong constitutional system of checks and balances.
“These disturbing, un-American acts are the most urgent reason I rise today to say that I cannot support confirming Rex Tillerson as Secretary of State.
“Mr. President, there is no doubt that Mr. Tillerson was qualified to run ExxonMobil. Exxon was his first job out of college, and the only company he worked for during his 40-year career in the oil and gas industry. And there is no doubt that Mr. Tillerson, as CEO and Chair of ExxonMobil, was 100 percent committed to making sure the best interests of the company’s shareholders were served.
“But, with no diplomatic experience or history of public service, I am not confident that Mr. Tillerson is qualified to serve as the United States’ chief diplomat. And, after studying his work history and his responses at his confirmation hearing and in writing, I do not believe that Mr. Tillerson is able to commit 100 percent to serving the best interests of the American public.
“Negotiating the complexities of oil and gas deals is not the same as negotiating the complexities of treaties and agreements with nation-states, even with foreign governments. ExxonMobil‘s top priority is profit. That is its reason for existence. Leaders negotiate business deals over money and access to resources.
“The United States – the American people – have different priorities, sometimes conflicting priorities. Our nation is economically successful, to be sure. We value business and making money. But our core values go far beyond economics. We value representative government, human rights, and freedom of speech.
“An incoming secretary of state should not be learning this on the job. He or she should already have substantial, relevant experience. He or she should already have proven experience fighting for our nation’s core values, for human rights.
“Mr. Tillerson has made it clear during his hearing before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee that he lacks substantive foreign policy experience and knowledge. He told the committee many times that he was not familiar with the issues at hand, or needed briefing. As just one example, Mr. Tillerson was unfamiliar with Russia’s role in the indiscriminate slaughter of civilians in Syria. He had no opinion of the legality of the slaughter under international law.
“These are some of the most important – most urgent – foreign policy matters we face. But he was unprepared to answer them under questioning.
“Like Senators on both sides of the aisle, I am concerned that Mr. Tillerson’s close personal and business ties to the Russian government color his view of Russia. He has long been friends with Vladmir Putin. He has a highly profitable relationship with Igor Sechin, the head of state-owned oil company, Rosneft. I worry that these ties make it difficult, or impossible, for him to objectively evaluate Russia’s actions, and to act in America’s best interests.
“Are his close ties to Russian why he does not condemn Russia’s actions in Syria? We cannot be sure.
“Mr. Tillerson also will not confirm whether he will advocate maintaining sanctions against Russia for invading Crimea. We know that the sanctions also continue to cost ExxonMobil, because it is not able to drill for oil in Russia’s Arctic. Will Mr. Tillerson not commit to maintaining sanctions because of his ties to Russia? We cannot be sure.
“And a third example: Mr. Tillerson would not commit to sanctions against Russia for its interference in our presidential election. He said he didn’t have enough information.
“Every U.S. security agency - 17 of them - has concluded that the Russian government hacked the DNC, disclosed the emails, and tried to influence our election. They agree that these actions were authorized at the highest levels of the Russian government.
The intelligence community’s public report stated: ‘We assess Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered an influence campaign in 2016 aimed at the U.S. presidential election. Russia’s goals were to undermine public faith in the U.S. democratic process, denigrate Secretary Clinton, and harm her electability and potential presidency. We further assess Putin and the Russian Government developed a clear preference for President-elect Trump. We have high confidence in these judgments.’
“Mr. Tillerson had adequate information to make a strong statement against this attack and in favor of American democracy. He did not make such a statement.
“We must have a Secretary of State whose allegiance is 100 percent committed to U.S. interests. Mr. Tillerson’s equivocating testimony on Russia did not convince me that he can be counted on to serve America’s interests, and America’s interests only.
“Mr. Tillerson’s equivocations mirror the Republicans’ record on Russian interference in our democracy. While the President has plans to dismantle the post-World War Two international order, Republicans have done nothing to address Russia’s attempt to dismantle our democracy.
“Mr. President, I was also unsatisfied by Mr. Tillerson’s answers on climate change. While he acknowledges the existence of climate change, he testified that, ‘our ability to predict that effect is very limited,’ and what action to take ‘seems to be the largest area of debate existing in the public discourse.’
“That is not what the overwhelming majority of scientists tell us. Our ability to predict what is happening to the planet’s climate is not ‘very limited.’ And there is international consensus – written in the Paris Agreement – what actions nations agree they must take.
“I appreciated that he at least believes the United States should remain at the table. But he questioned a key part of the Paris Agreement - the Nationally Determined Contribution or NDC. Without the NDC from the United States, the agreement is likely to fall apart. And his claimed support for the Paris Agreement becomes meaningless.
“I cannot be clearer. Ignoring the threat of climate change is a direct threat to the United States, and my home state of New Mexico. And while President Trump may be trying to quiet our climate scientists, the science is still clear. Climate change is real. We just finished the hottest year in recorded history. We know we must act. And we know there will be devastating impacts if the United States does not lead on this issue.
“Mr. President, no matter what you believe about science or foreign policy, we should all find the lack of transparency in the new administration reason for alarm, especially the unwillingness of our President and key cabinet members to be open and honest with the taxpayers about their finances and potential conflicts. While Mr. Tillerson has divested from ExxonMobil, we still don’t have copies of his tax returns.
“Mr. Tillerson’s ties to ExxonMobil are decades old. Yet he has said he will recuse himself from matters related to ExxonMobil – only for one year.
“He should refrain from taking calls from his old company for as long as he serves the taxpayers as Secretary of State. I do not understand why he cannot agree to this simple standard, to avoid the appearance of any conflict.
“If he deals favorably with ExxonMobil, how can the American public know he’s working for us or for his former employer who made him an extremely wealthy man?
“But most concerning to me, Mr. President, is whether Mr. Tillerson will be able to speak truth to power. We have seen just this weekend how vital that will be in this administration, where it appears that there is no unifying vision – and different factions of President Trump’s cabinet are competing for his attention. We need a leader with a clear vision for America’s role in the world, someone who will put American values ahead of everything else.
“Too many times, when pressed during his confirmation hearing about U.S. interests and values, Mr. Tillerson did not give straight answers. On questions such as human rights violations in the Philippines and Syria, he did not call out these offenses for what they were. On questions whether we should maintain sanctions against Russia for illegally invading Crimea, or for interfering with our electoral process, he deferred. He waivered. He said he would decide at a later date when he could be briefed or meet with the President.
“If Mr. Tillerson can’t give straight answers – from the heart – about the most pressing human rights issues, on violations of international law, on a foreign power’s interference with our presidential election, how can we expect him to speak up and temper the worst angels in the Trump administration?
“If Mr. Tillerson was the nominee for a more conventional Republican president, these concerns would not be as serious. But I think every Senator can agree that Donald Trump is not a conventional president. He is offending allies and upending alliances on a near daily basis. He has made negative statements about the German Chancellor’s domestic policies. He is threatening to extort the Mexican government to pay for an offensive and ineffective wall on America’s southern border.
“He has repeatedly questioned NATO, the fundamental alliance that has secured peace between major powers since World War Two. He is threatening to slash funding for the United Nations, including the World Health Organization which fights global pandemics.
“While addressing employees of the Central Intelligence Agency, standing in front of a wall honoring professionals who have made the ultimate sacrifice for our freedoms, President Trump threatened that he may take another chance to ‘take’ Iraq’s oil. He said ‘to the victor go the spoils.’ This is a line attributed to Julius Caesar, who decreed himself emperor.
“He began rattling the sabre with China before he was sworn in. The President has done all of this while repeatedly praising Vladimir Putin as a strong leader and proposing to improve relations there, while making them worse nearly everywhere else.
“And this weekend he closed America’s doors to Muslim refugees trying to escape the very evils our government is fighting against. He not only closed the doors to people who believe in our democratic institutions and the freedoms we enjoy, he closed doors to people who have risked their lives in service of our ideals.
“These are not normal changes in foreign policy between Administrations. I would change many aspects of U.S. foreign policy if I could. But President Trump’s approach to foreign policy, so far, is one of reckless changes that is frankly scaring the American public.
“In such a foreign policy environment, we need experienced, skilled hands —people who understand these allies, that understand our long-standing alliances and why we have them. But the President has fired all U.S. ambassadors, and most high level State Department employees have resigned or been forced out.
“Mr. Tillerson is a talented businessman. He loves his country. He has devoted himself to other worthy causes like the Boy Scouts.
“It is no exaggeration to say that the post-World War Two international order in under attack by the President – endangering U.S. leadership in the world. As a result, our national security and place in the world are threatened like never before. During such tenuous times, we need a leader as our chief diplomat who is prepared to take the reins and calm the waters.
“But I do not have confidence that Mr. Tillerson has the experience, knowledge, values, or temperament to stand up to the President, to be a voice of reason, to moderate the President’s extreme views and actions.
“For these reasons, Mr. President, I oppose Mr. Tillerson’s confirmation as Secretary of State, and I urge my fellow members - including those who claim the mantle of President Reagan - to do the same.
“I yield the remainder of my time.”