Under Secretary Jeffery's Remarks at Ceremony

Under Secretary Jeffery's Remarks at Swearing-in Ceremony

Reuben Jeffery III, Under Secretary for Economic, Energy and Agricultural Affairs
Benjamin Franklin Room
Washington, DC July 11, 2007

Thank you for those kind words, Madame Secretary. It is truly an honor and a privilege to be here at the State Department under your leadership. I thank you and the President for the confidence you have placed in me, and the U.S. Senate for moving forward with the nomination and confirmation process.

And thank you all for being here on a sultry July afternoon. It means a great deal to me. My wife Robin is here, along with our children Jocelyn, Ben, and Bob, and my father Reuben.

It is wonderful to see so many friends here today from my time in government and from the private sector. It speaks volumes to the draw of our Secretary of State.

I would also like to recognize Deputy Secretary Negroponte, Deputy Secretary Kimmit, Mr. Josh Bolten.

I am particularly gratified to see so many of my friends and colleagues Commissioner Lukken, Commissioner Dunn and others from the Commodity Futures Trading Commission.

I’d be remiss in not recognizing and thanking the many people in the building who have done yeoman’s work in preparing me for hearings and for the job; Assistant Secretary Dan Sullivan for his exceptional leadership of the E/EEB Econ” function at State these past months; and to Lacey Dingman and Paula Hunker for organizing this afternoon.

It is fitting that today’s event, like so many before it, is taking place in the Ben Franklin Room. As we all know, Benjamin Franklin’s skillful diplomacy helped secure European support for America’s independence in Europe. But his legacy is far greater than his diplomacy.

His advocacy of hard work, thrift, opportunity and justice are now part of the American ideal that all people, through hard work, can prosper, if given a fair chance.

This ideal has attracted people from all backgrounds to the United States in search of greater opportunity and a better life. While it is an ideal that we haven’t always lived up to, it remains the measure of our success as a nation, and increasingly, it is a standard to which others around the world aspire, and one that our nation has come to symbolize.

The office for which I have the privilege of being sworn-in helps promote this ideal around the world. The Under Secretary’s role has a wide range of issues in its portfolio economics, finance, energy, agriculture and business outreach but really, its mission is simple. At the Department of State, we are working to advance freedom and prosperity.

The United States is a great country to which much has been given but from which much is expected. Indeed, President Bush has said that we have a national security and a moral obligation to help poor and struggling countries transform themselves into stable, prosperous and hopeful societies. I can think of no better expression of the mission statement of the so called
E-line& rdquo; at the State Department.

Helping poor nations prosper is also in our own economic interests, because by doing so, we create markets for American goods and services. As our ties grow with these nations, we have the potential to build lasting, peaceful and stable trading partners.

Witness our relations with former adversaries Germany and Japan. They are now are our partners, and our economic friends and competitors. We’ve seen economic ties transform nations in the Pacific Rim, and more recently, in Eastern Europe. We apply these same lessons to countries in our own hemisphere, and to other countries in need, particularly those in sub-Saharan Africa.

I am aware that time is short. But the objective we have before us to improve the quality of life and economic standing for Americans and people around the world transcends party lines and administrations.

And it is a team effort. We have an outstanding team here at the Department, and at posts overseas, at other agencies and on the Hill. Together with our private sector and NGO partners, and friends and allies internationally, we look forward to the challenges and opportunities ahead.

Thank you again for your patience and support.

ENDS

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