Congresswoman Nita Lowey (D-NY), Ranking Democrat on the House Appropriations Committee and the State and Foreign Operations Subcommittee, today issued the following statement about the nomination of ExxonMobil CEO Rex Tillerson for U.S. Secretary of State:
“It is disturbing that, coming on the heels of bombshell reports about Russian meddling in our election, President-elect Trump has chosen as our top diplomat an individual with close business ties to the top levels of the Russian government.
The American people need a Secretary of State that can protect U.S. foreign policy and leadership worldwide from President-elect Trump’s erratic, impulsive, and destabilizing statements and actions. We need someone who can temper - not reinforce - his affinity for autocrats like Vladimir Putin. And we need someone willing to hold Russia accountable for efforts to attack the core of our democratic institutions.
“It is critical that confirmation hearings focus extensively on Mr. Tillerson's business ties with Russia and determine whether he is capable of representing our nation's interests and values abroad."
Source: U.S. Department of HCA
