Susan Rice
Susan Elizabeth Rice (born November 17, 1964) is the United States National Security Advisor. Rice is a former U.S. diplomat, former Brookings Institution fellow, and former United States Ambassador to the United Nations. Rice served on the staff of the National Security Council, and as Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs during President Bill Clinton's second term. Rice was confirmed as UN ambassador by the U.S. Senate by unanimous consent on January 22, 2009. Rice's name was mentioned as a possible replacement for retiring Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in 2013 after President Barack Obama's November 2012 re-election, but on December 13, following ongoing controversy related to the 2012 Benghazi attack on the U.S consulate, she announced that she was willingly withdrawing her name from consideration saying that if nominated "the confirmation process would be lengthy, disruptive, and costly". Rice succeeded Tom Donilon as National Security Advisor on July 1, 2013.