President Joseph Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris On the Passing of Former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright ~ Secretary Albright Became The Highest Ranking Female Cabinet Member in US History, January 23, 1997
Hers were the hands that turned the tide of history.
As a young girl, she found a home in the United States—after her family fled their home country of Czechoslovakia during World War II, and the Iron Curtain came down across Central and Eastern Europe. Her father, a diplomat, was marked for death by the Soviet regime. She spent the rest of her days defending freedom around the world and lifting up those who suffered under repression.
She was an immigrant fleeing persecution. A refugee in need of safe haven. And like so many before her—and after—she was proudly American.
To make this country that she loved even better—she defied convention and broke barriers again and again. As the devoted mother of three beloved daughters, she worked tirelessly raising them while earned her doctorate degree and started her career. She took her talents first to the Senate as a staffer for Senator Edmund Muskie, followed by the National Security Council under President Carter. And then to the United Nations where she served as U.S. Ambassador, and ultimately, made history as our first woman Secretary of State, appointed by President Clinton.
A scholar, teacher, bestselling author, and later accomplished businesswoman, Secretary Albright continued to advise presidents and members of Congress with matchless skill and diplomatic acumen. In every role, she used her fierce intellect and sharp wit—and often her unmatched collection of pins—to advance America’s national security and promote peace around the world. America had no more committed champion of democracy and human rights than Secretary Albright, who knew personally and wrote powerfully of the perils of autocracy.
Working with Secretary Albright during the 1990s was among the highlights of my career in the United States Senate during my tenure on the Foreign Relations Committee. As the world redefined itself in the wake of the Cold War, we were partners and friends working to welcome newly liberated democracies into NATO and confront the horrors of genocide in the Balkans.
When I think of Madeleine, I will always remember her fervent faith that “America is the indispensable nation.”
In the years after she left government, Secretary Albright never stepped away from that belief. As the Chairman of the National Democratic Institute for over two decades, and through other organizations she advised, she continued to champion democratic principles as vitally important to America’s interests in freedom, prosperity and security.
She continued to mentor and nurture new generations of foreign policy experts at Georgetown University, the Korbel Center for International Studies at the University of Denver, named after her father, and beyond. As always, she shared her insight and wisdom widely, but she was especially dedicated to supporting the next generation of women leaders, including through the establishment of the Albright Institute for Global Affairs at Wellesley College.
Madeleine was always a force for goodness, grace, and decency—and for freedom.
Jill and I will miss her dearly and send our love and prayers to her daughters, Alice, Anne and Katie, her sister Kathy, her brother John, her six grandchildren, and her nephews and grandniece."
I first met Secretary Albright when I was a young lawyer in San Francisco. From the beginning, she was generous with her time, support, and advice. She was able to balance strength and compassion, and her deep empathy has been a constant source of inspiration throughout my own career.
Secretary Albright was a mentor and a friend. I will always cherish the conversations we had over the years, which ranged from global affairs to our families.
The world lost a brilliant and beloved leader today. But Secretary Albright’s legacy will live on through the lives she touched. I will miss her.
My heart is with her daughters, Alice, Anne, and Katie, and their entire family. Rest in peace, Madam Secretary.
America is strong, our principles are ascendant and our leadership both respected and welcome in most corners of the world. But if we are complacent or timid or unwilling to look beyond our borders, our citizens will not prosper and the framework of American leadership and the foundation of American security we have built could crumble with 21st century speed. We cannot allow that to happen. We must not shy from the mantle of leadership, nor hesitate to defend our interests, nor fail in our commitments, nor diverge from the principles that have defined, elevated and sustained our nation for more than 200 years.
Like those who came before us, we must be builders and leaders. We must heed the President's call to place patriotism above partisanship. We must formulate and finance a world-class diplomacy to complement our world-class military. And we must explain our policies and priorities to the American people with a logic they can embrace and a reasoning they can relate to their own lives. My life reflects both the turbulence of Europe in the middle of this century and the tolerance and generosity of America throughout its existence. As I stand here today in this office, which symbolizes the power and purpose of the United States, I think especially of five people: my mother and father who taught me to love freedom; President Vaclav Havel, who helped me to understand the responsibilities of freedom; and Edmund Muskie, who gave me the confidence to know that no barrier or ceiling should stop me from serving freedom in my own life; and someone I did not know, Thomas Jefferson, who, as our first Secretary of State, set the right diplomatic course for this great nation.
Mr. President, you have stated as your goal that America should remain the world's strongest force for peace, liberty, prosperity and security, so that we can build a future for the next generation free from the worries and plagues of the past. This is an ambitious task, but we are an ambitious and determined people. With your leadership, our people's optimism and God's help, let us proceed.
Thank you very much." (Applause.)
QUESTION: Madam Secretary, what is your first order of business?
SECRETARY ALBRIGHT: To go over to the State Department and tell them all that we have a very important job to do with the hard work of our foreign service and civil service who works in the State Department. And then I will plan the next steps. But my first goal is really to go and work with the excellent people that have provided the backbone of America's diplomatic service.
QUESTION: Madam Secretary, now that you've made history, how else do you intend to differ from your predecessor?
SECRETARY ALBRIGHT: I'm basically interested in serving the President of the United States and the people of the United States as best I can. I'm very proud to be an American. And I hope very much that the American people will be proud of me as I perform this service for the United States.
Thank you.
QUESTION: Are you going to be tough on the new Secretary General, as you were on his predecessor? (Laughter.)
SECRETARY ALBRIGHT: I think we are going to meet with the new Secretary General. I'm very pleased, actually, that his - the first official trip that -- the first visit here that the President is going to have after his inauguration is with the United Nations Secretary General. My first official act will be to meet with the President and the new Secretary General in a little while. And I think that is a very good sign of the support that the United States is going to give to the United Nations. And as the Vice President said last night, we are committed to the United Nations.
Thank you.
THE PRESIDENT: Thank you. (Applause.)
