Caroline Kennedy "humbled to carry forward" JFK's
legacy
http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-250_162-57603668/caroline-kennedy-humbled-to-carry-forward-jfks-legacy/
US Embassy ,Tokyo
http://japan.usembassy.gov/
Nominee for U.S. Ambassador to Japan
http://www.state.gov/p/eap/rls/rm/2013/09/214418.htm
Ms. Caroline Kennedy
Statement before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee
Washington,
DC
September 19, 2013
Mr. Chairman, Ranking Member Corker, and Members of the
Committee:
It is an honor to appear before you this morning as the President’s
nominee to serve as United States Ambassador to Japan. I appreciate the confidence
that President Obama and Secretary Kerry have shown in nominating me for this
important position, and I am grateful for the consideration of this
distinguished Committee.
I appreciate the opportunity to be here today; to answer
your questions and hear first-hand your thoughts and concerns about our
essential relationship with Japan.
If confirmed, I look forward to working with the Committee and with other
Members of Congress to advance the interests of the United States, protect the safety
of our citizens, and strengthen the bilateral relationship for the benefit of
both our countries.
I would also like to thank my family for their support
throughout this process, and their enthusiasm for this mission. My husband Ed
is here along with two of my three children, my daughter Tatiana and my son
Jack. I am so pleased that my aunt Vicki is here as well. She carries with her
every day the spirit of my uncle Teddy whose devotion to this institution, to
his colleagues and country, was an inspiration to all of us.
I am humbled to be following in the footsteps of some of
Congress’ most distinguished members – Mike Mansfield, Walter Mondale, Tom
Foley, and Howard Baker. If confirmed, I will try every day to live up to the
standard they set in representing the United
States and advancing our relationship with Japan. I am
also grateful to Ambassador Tom Schieffer and especially to Ambassador John
Roos and Susie Roos for their generous advice and wisdom.
I would also like to acknowledge Ambassador Sasae from the
Embassy of Japan, who is himself a distinguished diplomat and who has been a
steadfast friend of the United
States.
I can think of no greater honor than to represent my country
abroad. I have spent my career working to make American history and ideals
accessible to the widest possible audience, and in particular, to younger
generations. As President of the Kennedy Library, I am proud that my father
became the first “digital” President, when we made his papers available online
around the world. As Chair of Harvard’s Institute of Politics,
I have worked to train new generations of leaders to pursue careers in public
service and to expand international opportunities for students.
In my books on the Bill of Rights and the Right to Privacy,
I sought to engage young audiences in the debate over our fundamental rights
and to give them the tools and understanding to advance and defend our
liberties.
For the past ten years I have been working with the New York City public
schools on education reform efforts. In a school system where students speak
more than 130 languages, I worked to increase individual literacy, cultural
awareness, college access, arts education and international exchange programs.
I saw the power of public-private partnerships to leverage involvement and
results, and, if confirmed, I look forward to building upon those experiences
to strengthen the ties between young people in Japan
and the United States.
And finally, this appointment has a special significance as
we commemorate the fiftieth anniversary of my father’s Presidency. I am
conscious of my responsibility to uphold the ideals he represented – a deep
commitment to public service, a more just America and a more peaceful world.
As a World War II veteran who served in the Pacific, he had hoped to be the
first sitting President to make a state visit to Japan. If confirmed as Ambassador,
I would be humbled to carry forward his legacy in a small way and represent the
powerful bonds that unite our two democratic societies.
I can think of no country in which I would rather serve than
Japan.
I first visited in 1978 with my Uncle, Senator Kennedy, and was deeply affected
by our visit to Hiroshima.
Our countries are bound by deep political, economic, cultural and strategic
ties, and our partnership has a global reach. We share a commitment to freedom,
human rights, and the rule of law. Japan
is the world’s third largest economy, our fourth largest trading partner, and
the second largest source of foreign direct investment in the United States.
Japan is
home to 50,000 U.S. troops,
the U.S.
7th Fleet, and 170,000 American citizens. As the United
States rebalances toward Asia, our alliance with Japan remains
the cornerstone of peace, stability, and prosperity in the region, as it has
been for more than 50 years. If confirmed, I will work closely with the
leadership in the U.S.
military to further strengthen our bilateral security relationship.
At the same time, Japan is an indispensable partner
in promoting democracy and economic development in the region, as well as in
global humanitarian efforts and peacekeeping. These are areas I care deeply
about, and, if confirmed, I will work to further strengthen this critical
partnership at a vital moment in its history.
This is indeed an important moment in the history of U.S. – Japan relations. Japan is enjoying a period of political
stability and economic renewal and is eager to increase trade and investment
with the United States.
If confirmed, I look forward to working with American business to promote
American exports, expand trade and support initiatives such as the
Trans-Pacific Partnership.
In addition, I will work to increase exchanges between
American and Japanese students, scholars, and citizens so that future
generations will understand our shared history and continue to bind our two
nations even closer.
Finally, if confirmed, I will meet my most fundamental
responsibility: to promote and protect the welfare of all American citizens in Japan. This
includes providing a safe and secure environment for U.S. government employees and their
families.
I especially look forward to benefitting from the support of
the talented Foreign Service professionals, both American and locally engaged
staff, at our Mission in Japan.
I would like to thank this Committee for your consideration
of my nomination. If confirmed, I look forward to working closely with you to
advance our national interests, protect our citizens, and deepen our ties with Japan.
Caroline Kennedy "humbled to carry forward" JFK's
legacy
http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-250_162-57603668/caroline-kennedy-humbled-to-carry-forward-jfks-legacy/
US Embassy ,Tokyo
http://japan.usembassy.gov/