The Foreign Service Journal, June 2005

in the Law of the Sea Treaty, and you held hearings last year in which you urged the Senate to ratify that agre e- ment. Are you optimistic about prospects? RL : Our committee had good hearings on Law of the Sea, and approved it in February 2004. We did so because Pres. Bush had indi- cated that it was one of five treaties that had high priority for the admin- istration. It is a treaty that has been around for some time and has been controversial from the time of P resident Reagan’s administration, but many modifications have been made since then. I’ve found that the treaty is not only important to the president, but we had direct testi- mony in favor of it by the Joint Chiefs of Staff and the Chief of Naval Operations and by a good number of people in the oil and energy industries, and other people involved in American shipping, in addition to the diplomatic corps. So our committee unanimously passed the treaty out to the floor in the last Congress. It was never brought up for full Senate debate, but it remains an item we’re now discussing in terms of the appropri- ate time for the committee to take an affirmative vote once again. But essentially, the opposition has been substantial enough that the majority leader thus far has not indicated a willingness to schedule the Law of the Sea Treaty on the floor. I’m hopeful he can be persuaded to do so, and I’ve raised it specifically with Secretary [of State Condoleezza] Rice during her confirmation hear- ings in a series of direct questions about Law of the Sea. Likewise, during the hearings for [John B. Bellinger III], the legal adviser to the State Department, I went into this even more extensively, to make certain that the State Department clearly supports everything that the president has in mind on this, which they do. So we’re attempting to set the framework once again to indi- cate widespread support for some- thing that I think is important. FSJ : Changing gears a bit: Who a re some career diplomats you have known and worked with over the years that particularly stand out in your estimation? J U N E 2 0 0 5 / F O R E I G N S E R V I C E J O U R N A L 21 “I have always had some skepticism as to how [the USIA/State merger] has worked out.” Home Suite Home The next time you’re going to be in DC for an extended stay, make yourself at home at Georgetown Suites. With our discounted monthly rates and large, comfortable suites, you’ll feel right at home. Plus we’re near the State Department. Call today! Georgetown Suites the fun place to stay in DC 1-800-348-7203 www.georgetownsuites.com sales@georgetownsuites.com