Statement By Senate Majority Leader Malcolm A. Smith

“It is with the deepest of gratitude for her service to our state that I congratulate Madame Secretary, Hillary Clinton, on her confirmation as our new Secretary of State. I have been honored for the opportunity to serve with her; it is with a heavy heart that New Yorkers send her on to new challenges and endeavors. As President Obama said yesterday, there are hurdles ahead, but Americans have a history of using innovation, courage, and vision to get back on track—no one embodies those qualities or can better represent America to the world during this trying time than Hillary.”