Albright Offers Her Agenda to Receptive Senate Panel

WASHINGTON — Madeleine Albright, who arrived in the United States nearly half a century ago as a preteen refugee from Communist Czechoslovakia, on Wednesday cruised almost effortlessly toward Senate confirmation as the country’s first female secretary of state, pledging an active foreign policy under her leadership.

“To defeat the dangers and seize the opportunities [on the international front], we must be more than audience, more than even actors,” she told the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. “We must be authors of the history of our age.”

“We are doers,” she added.

Albright, who served as United Nations ambassador during President Clinton’s first term and was nominated by him last month to replace Warren Christopher as secretary of state, was treated with extraordinary deference and liberally praised by committee members during nearly six hours of testimony. By the end of the day, her confirmation seemed merely a formality.

Committee Chairman Jesse Helms (R-N.C.), who has not hesitated to take the Clinton administration to task on a variety of foreign policy issues, referred to Albright as the “secretary-to-be.”

Saying “I don’t have any doubt how [the committee’s confirmation vote] is going to come out,” Helms indicated that the panel likely would send Albright’s nomination to the Senate floor for approval on Jan. 20, Inauguration Day.

In her testimony, Albright acknowledged that the United States is neither “a charity [n]or a fire department” that can respond to every world crisis. But she argued that the nation must act assertively to protect its interests and values.

She also:

* Endorsed expanding the North Atlantic Treaty Organization to take in the new democracies of Central Europe--a move that almost certainly would include her former homeland;

* Called for swift Senate ratification of a global treaty banning chemical weapons;

* Declared the fight against international drug cartels a top priority of her foreign policy agenda;

* Endorsed the policy of “delinking” U.S. trade with China to progress by that country on the human rights front.

“It’s not linkage, its engaging that’s important,” she argued. “By delinking, we can pursue both equally.”

Her comment came in response to a question from Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), who noted that one-third of the Golden State’s economy is tied in some way with Asian trade.

Albright urged the United States to pay the $1 billion it owes to the United Nations in back dues, even though the world body has only completed some of the reforms this country has demanded.

“It’s important that we pay what we owe, because we believe in the rule of law and . . . we believe that contracts are sacred,” she said. Helms has been among those who advocate withholding the payments and Wednesday he repeated his view that more reforms must be made before the country pays up.

As the confirmation hearing began, Albright introduced her three daughters. But in a sign of the friendly atmosphere, when Helms learned that members of her extended family were present, he insisted that they also be introduced.

Some senators took note of the historic aspect of Albright’s nomination. Feinstein said that it represented “one more door open [for women], one more door that won’t be closed.” Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.) said that his daughters thought Albright’s selection was “cool.”