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Statement of P. Robert Fannin
Ambassador-Designate to the Dominican Republic
Senate Foreign Relations Committee
September 25, 2007
Mr. Chairman and Members of the
Committee, I am honored to be the President’s nominee to be the next
United States Ambassador to the Dominican Republic. I would like to
express my gratitude to President Bush and Secretary Rice for the
confidence they have shown in me.
I would like to thank Senator Kyl
for introducing me. I would also like to introduce my wife, Dr. Lisa
Fannin, and my son Paul and his wife Sharon, who have been very
supportive during this entire process.
Mr. Chairman, I see this nomination
as a unique opportunity to serve my country. I come from a family which
deeply values and respects the call to public service. My father’s
service as Governor of Arizona and U.S. Senator inspired all of his
children. I have sought to follow his example with my own dedication to
public service.
The Dominican Republic and the
United States have a special relationship with economic, cultural, and
social ties that are strong and growing. Indeed, only last week,
President Fernandez had a very cordial meeting with Deputy Secretary
John Negroponte at the Department of State. Dominican Americans in the
United States are a growing, thriving community. The ties of music,
baseball, art, and literature bring our two countries closer every
year. We face the challenges of the world together, a fact never more
clear than when some forty-one persons of Dominican descent lost their
lives on September 11, 2001. Many persons of Dominican descent proudly
serve in our armed forces. Approximately 100,000 Americans live in the
Dominican Republic. Over a million Americans visited the Dominican
Republic in 2006. If confirmed, one of my chief priorities will be the
well-being and security of both official and non-official Americans in
the Dominican Republic.
I hope to
utilize the leadership skills I have learned as a military officer, as a
chairman of many non-profit organizations, as a leader promoting
intelligent economic development, and as a managing partner of a law
firm. I would use these leadership skills to bring together the many
agencies of a U.S. Embassy into one cohesive country team. My
experience as a lawyer would provide me with the background to assist in
the implementation of many reforms in progress in the Dominican
Republic. These include programs promoting a more transparent,
accountable, and effective judicial system. My experience in the law
and military would help me work effectively with U.S. and Dominican
military, intelligence, and law enforcement agencies in the areas of
anti-corruption, counter-terrorism, counter-narcotics,
counter-trafficking in persons, extradition, illegal migration, legal
migration and others.
Mr.
Chairman, I recognize that as the United States Ambassador to the
Dominican Republic, I would have the duty to promote and protect
America’s values and interests.
America
has a paramount interest in promoting social justice in this
hemisphere. If confirmed, I will work to advance the cause of social
justice in the Dominican Republic. This would include the continuation
of our government’s cooperation with the Dominican Republic in the areas
of education, health care, housing, economic freedom, human rights, good
governance, and democracy. I am particularly interested in the health
sector because my wife is a physician and board member of a health
related non-profit corporation and a philanthropic foundation.
I hope to
use my experience in the banking industry, including serving as an
officer and as a director of two major financial institutions, to assist
with the implementation of the Central America Free Trade Agreement in
the Dominican Republic, CAFTA-DR. My experience as an officer and board
member of chambers of commerce would also be helpful in the areas of
trade and economic development.
I would
also work to assist U.S. businesses in the Dominican Republic, in
particular by encouraging Dominican efforts through the CAFTA-DR
framework to create and enforce laws and regulations that are
pro-business and pro-investment. I would work to resolve existing
commercial and investment disputes involving U.S. interests. I would
encourage stronger Dominican support for intellectual property rights,
particularly in light of Dominican efforts to attract hi-tech
investment.
At the
same time, I recognize that growth in the economy and trade would mean
little if not accompanied by improvement in the lives of all the
people. Economic liberty must not mean that business rules at the
expense of the poor, of the middle class, and of the environment. If
confirmed, I would work to maximize the benefits of our development
assistance targeting labor rights and the environment.
I appreciate this opportunity to
appear before Senator Cardin and this esteemed committee. I hope to
work with you and your colleagues on the Committee and in the Congress
on a full range of issues. I also look forward to answering any
questions you may have.
Thank you. |
