Originally: Confirmation Hearing for Amb. Tom Shannon
Senate Foreign Relations Committee, September 21, 2005: Confirmation hearing for Amb. Tom Shannon, Latin America director of National Security Council, to become assistant secretary of state for Western Hemisphere affairs.
Sen. Norm Coleman (R-Minn.), presiding. Also participating: Sen. Chris Dodd (D-Conn.), Sen. Mel Martinez (R-Fla.)
Senator Nelson was the only senator with questions about Haiti. First question dealt with effectiveness of the U.N. mission in Haiti, the MINUSTAH. Ambassador Shannon said that the mission’s effectiveness was increasing.
Senator Nelson then asked about increasing the effectiveness of the Haitian police. Ambassador Shannon said their effectiveness was increasing as well.
Senator Nelson asked about the prospects of administration support for HOPE/HERO-type legislation to encourage job-creation by the Haitian private sector. Ambassador Shannon said that investment depended on security. After elections it would be the right time to assess whether the increase in security made a HOPE/HERO approach feasible.
The Haiti Democracy Project consulted with the senator before the hearing.