JAMES P. RUBIN
James P. Rubin was nominated by President Clinton to be assistant secretary of state for Public Affairs on May 23, 1997 and confirmed by the full Senate on July 31, 1997. On August 4, 1997, Secretary of State Madeleine K. Albright swore Mr. Rubin in as assistant secretary and appointed him to be the Department's chief spokesman.
In this capacity, Mr. Rubin articulated on a daily basis U.S. foreign policy, conducting on-camera briefings for American and foreign journalists on Department of State policies, activities and initiatives. He oversaw the development and execution of Secretary Albright's and the Department's outreach efforts to the American people. He also advised the secretary of state on national security issues related to her role as a member of President Clinton's Cabinet and the National Security Council.
Prior to his presidential appointment as assistant secretary, Mr. Rubin served as a senior advisor to the secretary of state. From August to November 1996, Mr. Rubin was director of Foreign Policy and spokesman for the Clinton/Gore '96 Campaign. From May 1993 until his arrival at the Clinton/Gore Campaign, Mr. Rubin served as senior advisor and spokesman for U.S. Representative to the United Nations, Madeleine K. Albright. He assisted Ambassador Albright in formulating and articulating U.S. policy pursued at the United Nations.
Before joining Ambassador Albright's staff, Mr. Rubin served as a professional staff member on the U.S. Senate Committee on Foreign Relations and senior foreign policy advisor to Senator Joseph R. Biden, Jr. (D-DE). While working in the Senate, he advised Senator Biden and other Committee members on U.S. policy toward Europe and the former Soviet Union, the Middle East, China and on global arms proliferation issues.
From 1985 to 1989, Mr. Rubin was the research director for the non-profit Arms Control Association in Washington, DC. In that capacity, he often served as a consultant to the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on nuclear arms control issues.
Mr. Rubin was born in New York City, New York in 1960. He received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science from Columbia University in 1982 and a Master's degree in International Affairs in 1984. In 1998, Mr. Rubin was the recipient of Columbia College's John Jay Award for Distinguished Professional Achievement. In April 2000, Secretary of State Madeleine Albright awarded him the State Department's highest honor, the "Distinguished Service Award."