Secretary Hillary Rodham Clinton Attends a Flag Ceremony for Ambassador Dan Rooney

Remarks
Hillary Rodham Clinton
     Secretary of State
Capricia Penavic Marshall
     Chief of Protocol
Diplomatic Reception Rooms
Washington, DC
January 9, 2013

SECRETARY CLINTON: Thank you so much, Capricia, and let me welcome all of you here to the eighth floor, and especially welcome the Rooneys. As you may have seen earlier this week, my staff gave me a personalized football helmet and jersey. They told me it was a welcome-back gift, but I suspect they also were thinking about the fact that you would be here in a few days, and we wanted to make you feel right at home. But I have chosen to forego the football gear this morning in place of this opportunity to really thank both Dan and Patricia, and to celebrate your service on behalf of the United States.

Dan Rooney is someone who never seems to miss making friends everywhere he goes, whether it’s western Pennsylvania or Ireland. And we’re delighted to have some of your friends and colleagues here for this ceremony. I want to say a special word of thanks to Patricia, who has been a fabulous support and great person in reaching out to the Irish on her own behalf alongside Dan. And Sarah, welcome here to the State Department. And we have a number of the people you’ve worked with. We knew that if we opened it to the entire State Department, we would not have a room big enough to hold everybody. MORE

(Source: state.gov)