Senator John Kerry (D-MA) testified about his nomination as secretary of state. Among the topics he addressed were Iran’s nuclear weapon program, Afghanistan, and the civil war in Syria. In his opening statement he urged bipartisanship to promote U.S. leadership on matters such as food and energy security and climate change. He also answered questions about Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s statements on the U.S. Consulate attack in Benghazi, Libya. Regarding Afghanistan, he said the turnover of U.S. operations in that country was on target to happen in Spring 2013. He was introduced by Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren, Secretary of State Clinton, and Senator John McCain.