Congressman Boyle Statement On Rex Tillerson's Secretary of State Confirmation Hearings

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Congressman Brendan F. Boyle (PA-13), a member of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs, released the following statement regarding the start of U.S. Senate confirmation hearings for former ExxonMobil CEO Rex Tillerson, President-elect Trump's nominee for Secretary of State:

"I have grave concerns about President-elect Trump's nomination of Rex Tillerson as Secretary of State. Mr. Tillerson's four decades at Exxon displayed a troubling track record of coziness with Russian President Vladimir Putin, cooperation with despots, defiance of State Department policy when it proved inconvenient to the company's profits, and an irresponsible skepticism of climate change."

"The Secretary of State's primary duty is to promote American interests and the advancement of democratic principles across the globe. Mr. Tillerson's potentially deep international conflicts of interest may undermine his ability to pursue that singular mission. Our top diplomat must be absolutely independent of competing interests, not compromised by a long history of direct cooperation with President Putin and his state-owned oil firm. Particularly now, when our intelligence community has unequivocally found that Russia actively sought to interfere with our democratic process, we need a top diplomat who can – without any doubt – stand firm against our adversaries in defense of American citizens, institutions, and values."

"I also remain unconvinced by Mr. Tillerson's stance toward climate change. It is incumbent upon the Secretary of State to recognize climate change as an international threat that does not observe borders. I call upon my colleagues in the Senate to determine if the nominee will honor the groundbreaking Paris Agreement on international cooperation achieved under the Obama administration."

"President-elect Trump is building his cabinet with an unprecedented number of billionaire board members. Rex Tillerson is perhaps the most entangled and conflicted of these nominees. His confirmation hearings must provide substantial insight into his vast business interests and how they will affect his work on behalf of the American people, should he be confirmed."

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