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Sen. John Kerry used his confirmation hearing Thursday to paint an expansive picture of the foreign policy he would promote as the next secretary of State 鈥� saying economic development, climate change, and human rights must be as much a part of America鈥檚 role in the world as 鈥渄rones and deployment.鈥�

Appearing before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, which he still chairs, Senator Kerry (D) of Massachusetts said, 鈥淭his really is a time for American leadership.鈥� But, he warned, the US would be unable to continue its 鈥渆ssential鈥� role in the world if it does not first 鈥減ut its own [fiscal] house in order.鈥�

鈥淲e can鈥檛 be strong in the world unless we are strong at home,鈥� he said.

Yet even as he emphasized the importance he would place on soft-power issues like development and democracy promotion, Kerry made a point of reiterating President Obama鈥檚 commitment to preventing Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon.

鈥淥ur policy is not containment. It is prevention,鈥� he said, underscoring an issue that could very well dominate the initial months of his presumed tenure at the State Department. 鈥淣o one should mistake our resolve鈥� to stop Iran from developing a nuclear weapon, he added.

Kerry, accompanied by his wife, Teresa Heinz Kerry, and one of his two daughters, bathed in the accolades and good wishes of his committee colleagues from both sides of the aisle. The hearing鈥檚 overall tone left little doubt that Kerry can anticipate easy confirmation.

Despite the warm atmosphere, however, several senators made it clear that their respect for Kerry does not extend to Mr. Obama鈥檚 foreign policy. Sen. Marco Rubio (R) of Florida said he has 鈥渟truggled to fully understand what President Obama鈥檚 vision for the world is,鈥� while other Republicans focused their criticism on the administration鈥檚 handling of the Sept. 11 terrorist attack in Benghazi, Libya, and the civil war in Syria.

Even the Democratic senator who presided over the hearing, Robert Menendez of New Jersey, took a moment to outline his opposition to some of Obama鈥檚 Cuba policy 鈥� suggesting how Congress and the White House will remain at odds on certain foreign-policy issues.

Sen. John McCain (R) of Arizona 鈥� who joined Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton and Massachusetts鈥� other Democratic senator, Elizabeth Warren, in introducing Kerry 鈥� concluded his endorsement of Kerry鈥檚 confirmation by saying he recommended him 鈥渨ithout reservation.鈥�

But later in the four-hour-long hearing, Senator McCain turned more combative as he took up two divisive issues. McCain repeated his view that the administration 鈥渕isled鈥� the American people on what happened in Benghazi, and he seemed to put Kerry on notice when he said, 鈥淪ome of us will not give up on this.鈥�

McCain then blasted the administration鈥檚 lack of intervention in the Syria conflict. Saying, 鈥淲e can do a lot more without putting American boots on the ground,鈥� he reiterated his support for a no-fly zone and for arming the rebels fighting to depose President Bashar al-Assad.

Kerry responded by outlining the factors underpinning the administration鈥檚 reluctance to take more forceful steps: the growing role of anti-Western Islamists in the fight, the dangers that a splintering Syria would pose to the region, and the threat of chemical weapons no longer under the central government鈥檚 control.

In response to McCain鈥檚 assertion that 鈥渆very day that goes by it gets worse鈥� in Syria, Kerry said the US had to be sure that the steps it does take 鈥渉ave to make things better鈥� and not worse.

Kerry, the son of a Foreign Service officer, said he was proud to have Senate experience, but he choked up when he said he was also proud to have 鈥渇oreign service in my blood.鈥�

Kerry honed his diplomatic skills over more than two decades of traveling the world as a senator and foreign-policy specialist. More recently he became Obama鈥檚 go-to guy for sensitive diplomatic missions to the difficult leaders of Afghanistan and Pakistan. He also carried out delicate assignments to Egypt and Syria.

Indeed, it is Kerry鈥檚 knack for building relationships with some of the world鈥檚 more troublesome leaders that led some foreign-policy experts to question Kerry鈥檚 nomination. For example, Kerry developed a relationship with Mr. Assad, saying as recently as March 2011, 鈥淢y judgment is that Syria will move, Syria will change, as it embraces a legitimate relationship with the United States and the West.鈥�

Kerry addressed his past views on Assad, saying he is convinced the Syrian leader 鈥渄id want to move鈥� his country forward. But 鈥渟ince then he had made a set of judgments that are inexcusable and reprehensible,鈥� Kerry said, adding he now believes that 鈥渢ime is ticking鈥� on Assad鈥檚 time in power.

The hearing was interrupted once by a heckler in the back of the room, a woman in a pink hat who followed Kerry鈥檚 tough stand on Iran with shouts about friends dying in the Middle East and 鈥渕ake peace with Iran!鈥�

Kerry handled the boisterous protest with aplomb, noting that he, as a young Vietnam veteran, had also come to Congress to make his opposition to US policy known.