Antony John "Tony" Blinken (born April 16, 1962)[1] [2] [2] is the United States Deputy Secretary of State and the former Deputy National Security Advisor for President Barack Obama . He had served as a Senior Fellow at the Center for Strategic and International Studies , Democratic Staff Director of the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations (from 2002 to 2008), and a member of the Obama-Biden Presidential Transition team (from November 2008 to January 2009), among other positions.
From 2009 to 2013 Blinken served as Deputy Assistant to the President and National Security Advisor to the Vice President . From 2002 to 2008 he served as the Democratic Staff Director for the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee . From 2001 to 2002 Blinken was a Senior Fellow at the Center for Strategic and International Studies . During the Clinton Administration, Blinken served in the State Department and in senior positions on the National Security Council Staff.[3]
On November 7, 2014, President Obama announced that he would nominate Blinken for the Deputy Secretary post, replacing the retiring William Joseph Burns .[4] On December 16, 2014 Blinken was confirmed as Deputy Secretary of State by the Senate by a vote of 55 to 38.[5]
Early life [ edit ]
Blinken was born to Jewish parents, Judith and Donald Blinken. He attended Dalton School in New York City until 1971, when he moved to Paris, France , with his divorced mother and her new husband, lawyer Samuel Pisar , who had survived both the Auschwitz and Dachau camps in the Holocaust.[3]
He attended Harvard University , where he edited the daily student newspaper and co-edited the weekly art magazine. After earning his bachelor's degree, Blinken reported for The New Republic .[6] He earned his J.D. at Columbia Law School . After graduation, he practiced law in New York and Paris .[6] During the 1988 presidential campaign , Blinken became a Democratic partisan, working with his father in fundraisers for Michael Dukakis .[3]
Blinken has held senior foreign policy positions in two administrations over two decades. He served on the United States National Security Council staff at the White House from 1994 to 2001.[7] From 1994 through 1998 Blinken was Special Assistant to the President and Senior Director for Strategic Planning and NSC Senior Director for Speechwriting .[7] From 1999 to 2001 he was Special Assistant to the President and Senior Director for European and Canadian Affairs.[8]
In 2002 Blinken was appointed Staff Director for the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee , a position he served in until 2008.[7] He was also a Senior Fellow at the Center for Strategic and International Studies . In 2008, Blinken worked for the presidential campaign of Senator Joseph Biden ,[3] and was a member of the Obama-Biden Presidential Transition team.[7] [9]
From 2009 to 2013 he served as Deputy Assistant to the President and National Security Advisor to the Vice President. In this position he also helped craft U.S. policy on Afghanistan , Pakistan and the Iranian nuclear program .[10] [11]
He is the author of Ally Versus Ally: America, Europe and the Siberian Pipeline Crisis (Praeger, 1987).[3] [7]
Personal life [ edit ]
Blinken, who is Jewish ,[3] married Evan Ryan in a bi-denominational ceremony officiated by a rabbi and priest at Holy Trinity Catholic Church (Washington, D.C.) .[12] Ryan works with her husband at the State Department, as Assistant Secretary of State for Educational and Cultural Affairs since 2013.
References [ edit ]
^ "Antony Blinken steps into the spotlight with Obama administration role" . Washington Post . September 15, 2013. Retrieved November 16, 2015 .
^ a b "Antony "Tony" Blinken" . Jewish Virtual Library . 2013. Retrieved November 16, 2015 .
^ a b c d e f Horowitz, Jason (September 20, 2013). "Antony Blinken steps into the spotlight with Obama administration role" . The Washington Post . Retrieved 28 September 2013 .
^ "Obama nominates his adviser Tony Blinken as Deputy Secretary of State" . Reuters . Retrieved November 7, 2014 .
^ Senate vote to confirm
^ a b Antony Blinken, Deputy National Security Advisor , Sara Sorcher, National Journal , July 17, 2013
^ a b c d e "President Obama Nominates Antony Blinken for Deputy Secretary of State" . Foreign Policy News . 8 November 2014. Retrieved 20 January 2015 .
^ Robert Gallucci (2009). Instruments and Institutions of American Purpose . United States: Aspen Institute. p. 112. ISBN 9780898435016. Retrieved 20 January 2015 .
^ Gabe LaMonica (17 December 2014). "Blinken confirmed by Senate as Kerry's deputy at State" . CNN . Retrieved 3 February 2015 .
^ "Senate Confirms Antony "Tony" Blinken '88 as Secretary of State" . Columbia Law. 17 December 2014. Retrieved 20 January 2015 .
^ David E. Sanger (7 November 2014). "Obama Makes His Choice for No. 2 Post at State Department" . The New York Times . Retrieved 3 February 2015 .
^ "WEDDINGS; Evan Ryan, Antony Blinken" . The New York Times . March 3, 2002. Retrieved 28 September 2013 .
External links [ edit ]
Office
Name
Term
Office
Name
Term
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William M. Daley
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National Security Advisor
Deputy National Security Advisor
Deputy National Security Advisor for Iraq and Afghanistan
Jim Jones
Thomas E. Donilon
Susan Rice
Thomas E. Donilon
Denis McDonough
Tony Blinken
Avril Haines
Douglas Lute †
2009–10
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White House Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations
Jim Messina
Alyssa Mastromonaco
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John O. Brennan
Lisa Monaco
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Kristie Canegallo
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Denis McDonough
Brooke Anderson
2009–10
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David Axelrod
David Plouffe
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2009–
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Johnathan McBride
Valerie Green
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2009–
Position
Appointee
Chief of Staff to the Vice President
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Counsel to the Vice President
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Counselor to the Vice President
Mike Donilon
Assistant to the Vice President for Intergovernmental Affairs and Public Liaison
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Shailagh Murray
Deputy Chief of Staff to the Vice President
Shailagh Murray
Deputy National Security Adviser to the Vice President
Brian McKeon
Residence Manager and Social Secretary for the Vice President and Second Lady
Carlos Elizondo
National Security Adviser to the Vice President
Tony Blinken
Position
Appointee
Chief of Staff to the Vice President
Steve Ricchetti
Counsel to the Vice President
Cynthia Hogan
Counselor to the Vice President
Mike Donilon
Assistant to the Vice President for Intergovernmental Affairs and Public Liaison
Evan Ryan
Assistant to the Vice President and Director of Communications
Shailagh Murray
Deputy Chief of Staff to the Vice President
Shailagh Murray
Deputy National Security Adviser to the Vice President
Brian McKeon
Residence Manager and Social Secretary for the Vice President and Second Lady
Carlos Elizondo
National Security Adviser to the Vice President
Tony Blinken