Andrew J. Shapiro is the current United States Assistant Secretary of State for Political-Military Affairs.
Contents |
Andrew J. Shapiro was raised in Chestnut Ridge, New York. His father headed the Westchester Medical Center's regional genetics program, and his mother ran a liquor store. Shapiro was educated at the University of Pennsylvania, receiving a B.A. in Diplomatic History in 1989.
Upon graduation, Shapiro took a job as a research assistant at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy. In 1991, he enrolled in the combined M.A./J.D. program at Columbia University, graduating with his J.D. and an M.A. in International Affairs in 1995.
After law school, Shapiro took a job as an associate attorney at the Washington, D.C. office of Covington & Burling. He left Covington & Burling after a few years to become counsel to the International Competition Policy Advisory Committee of the United States Department of Justice.
During the United States presidential election, 2000, Shapiro served as briefing book director for vice-presidential candidate Joe Lieberman. He would go on to be a member of the Gore-Lieberman Recount Committee, which contested the presidential election in the courts, ultimately resulting in the United States Supreme Court deciding the matter in Bush v. Gore.
Shapiro then became a legislative assistant for Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton (D–NY). In 2005, Clinton appointed him as her senior defense and foreign policy adviser. In this capacity, he was Senator Clinton's liaison with the Pentagon and worked closely with her in connection with her work as a member of the United States Senate Committee on Armed Services. According to The New Republic "it is Shapiro, Hillaryites say, who is in the room for most of her important foreign policy decisions" as senator.[1] Shapiro has been described as a hawk on defense and Israel,[2] and was reportedly influential in Clinton's decision to vote in favor of the Iraq Resolution in 2002[3]
During the 2008 presidential election, Shapiro was a member of Hillary Clinton's campaign team, with his special focus being on foreign affairs.
During the presidential transition of Barack Obama, Shapiro was a member of the Obama-Biden Department of Defense Agency Review Team. Following the confirmation of Hillary Clinton as United States Secretary of State on January 21, 2009, President of the United States Barack Obama nominated Shapiro as Assistant Secretary of State for Political-Military Affairs. After Senate confirmation, Shapiro was sworn into office on June 22, 2009.
| Government offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Mark Kimmitt |
Assistant Secretary of State for Political-Military Affairs June 22, 2009 – Present |
Succeeded by Incumbent |