Washington reacts to Mubarak resignation

President Obama‘s remarks on Egypt have been pushed back to 3 p.m. Meanwhile, here are some of the reactions pouring in from officials, lawmakers, and experts on today’s resignation of (former) Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak.

Vice President Joseph Biden:

This is a pivotal moment, it’s a pivotal moment not only in the Mideast but in history.… All has changed in the last 15 years internationally and all continues to change.… The future depends on our ability to adequately understand and engage the truths of our time.

We have said from the beginning, that future of Egypt will be determined by Egyptian people.… [E]ven in this contentious political climate in which we work, on this issue the United States has largely spoken with one voice.… This unity has been important, and it will be even more important in these delicate and fateful days ahead.

Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman John Kerry (D-MA):

This is an extraordinary moment for Egypt. Courageous and peaceful demands for freedom and opportunity have now won the Egyptian people a chance at a new beginning. Now the hard work intensifies to prepare for free and fair elections that will allow the people to choose a broadly representative and responsive government. 

Egypt’s army and transitional leaders must heed the call to lift the emergency law and clarify a timetable to establish a proper foundation for credible elections. The United States must help Egyptians turn this democratic moment into a process that builds a government responsive to economic needs as well as demands for freedom. What happens next will have repercussions far beyond Egypt’s borders. We know from recent experience in Gaza that this requires not just elections, but hard work to build a government that is transparent, accountable, and broadly representative.

House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairwoman Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL):

Now that the immediate demands of the Egyptian people have been met, steps must be taken for the prompt commencement of a calm and orderly transition process towards freedom and democracy in Egypt. This transition must include constitutional and administrative reforms, starting with the repeal of the emergency laws. These are necessary for legitimate, democratic, internationally recognized elections to take place with peaceful, responsible actors who will not only advance the aspirations of the Egyptian people, but will continue to enforce Egypt’s international obligations.

The Egyptian military can continue to play a constructive role in providing for security and stability during this transformational period. The U.S. and our allies must focus our efforts on helping to create the necessary conditions for such a transition to take place.  We must also urge the unequivocal rejection of any involvement by the Muslim Brotherhood and other extremists who may seek to exploit and hijack these events to gain power, oppress the Egyptian people, and do great harm to Egypt’s relationship with the United States, Israel, and other free nations.

Senate Armed Services Committee ranking Republican John McCain (R-AZ):

While this is a welcomed event, the Egyptian people are clearly saying that President Mubarak’s resignation should be the beginning, not the end, of their country’s transition to democracy.  I completely agree.  For the Egyptian people to achieve the legitimate and enduring democratic change they seek, representatives from Egypt’s pro-democracy parties and movements must be included in the transition government.  In advance of elections later this year, Egyptians must be free to exercise their universal rights peacefully – to speak and express themselves without interference, including over the internet; to organize independent political parties; to register candidates of their choosing for office; and to participate in elections that are free and fair by international standards.

In the days ahead, the Egyptian military will continue to have a critical role in maintaining order and stability while allowing their fellow Egyptians to exercise their universal rights in peace.  The Egyptian people are demanding a meaningful and irreversible transition to democracy, and I urge the Egyptian military to faithfully support and secure the coming process of political change in Egypt.

Former Senator Russ Feingold (D-WI):

As the world watches events unfold in Egypt, it only highlights the need to reform how the United States gathers information around the world, so that we can anticipate events rather than simply respond to them. This reform includes using all the tools at our disposal, integrating clandestine collection of intelligence with the means by which our government gathers information openly. Last year, Congress passed bipartisan legislation to create an independent commission to examine long-standing weaknesses in our intelligence capabilities and make recommendations for reform. It is now time that the commission be funded, its membership constituted, and its critical work begun.

Center for American Progress’ Brian Katulis:

Mubarak leaving office is only the first step in Egypt’s political transition, and will not resolve Egypt’s ongoing political crisis. It remains unclear whether the Egyptian people will accept Vice President Suleiman as an interim leader, and the National Assembly, Egypt’s legislature, does not reflect the free vote of the Egyptian people. Constitutional reforms are necessary to open up the political system to all political parties and groups willing to play by the rules of democracy. In short, what Egypt needs is a full reboot of its political system. The Obama administration should remain focused on the constructive long-term goal of a peaceful and orderly transition to a free and democratic Egypt, and should continue to support steps – such as a new round of free and fair parliamentary elections – toward ensuring that outcome.

Former Middle East negotiator Aaron David Miller:

If we’re lucky this time around, we’ll avoid the who-lost-Egypt debate. Hosni Mubarak’s decision to step down has pre-empted a catastrophic crisis for Egypt and for American interests. We may not be adept at manipulating Middle Eastern politics; but we’re sure experts at beating ourselves up.

Commentators and analysts have argued forcefully that Barack Obama’s administration failed to anticipate the current crisis, blew an opportunity by failing to push Mubarak to make significant reforms during the early days of the upheaval, and risked being on the wrong side of history by not being assertive in trying to force Mubarak’s removal. But the administration was smart to keep its distance from this crisis.