WASHINGTON – In the early hours of Wednesday morning, U.S. Senator Chris Murphy (D-Conn), a member of the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and U.S. Senator Bob Menendez (D-N.J.), Chairman of the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee, took to the Senate Floor immediately following budget reconciliation proceedings to make a series of motions seeking the Senate’s unanimous approval of nearly thirty highly-qualified foreign affairs and development nominees whose unwarranted delays in confirmation pose significant threats to United States national security. Every one of their motions was blocked by Senate Republicans.

“The effect of holding up all of these nominees is to kneecap American national security. Never ever before has a president had so few nominees confirmed to key national security posts than this president,” Murphy said. “I share this paralyzing fear that Senator Menendez expressed that something awful is going to happen without the kind of personnel that every president needs on post to do the job… We are talking about dozens of key national security posts that are left vacant because of the decision of one senator.”

“In the nearly 30 years I have been working on foreign policy, we have never faced such a confluence of global challenges: a once in a century global pandemic, climate change threatening stability, health, and safety around the world, fueling displacement and resource-driven conflicts, and great power competition from an increasingly emboldened China and Russia,” Chairman Menendez said. “But we cannot do that when we do not have empowered diplomats and development professionals in place to do so. I call on this body to confirm these nominees – all of whom the Foreign Relations Committee has moved with bipartisan support – to put the United States in the best position to advance our foreign policy, development, and national security priorities.”  


Republicans’ focus on denying the State Department and USAID all the resources they need to effectively conduct American foreign policy, including qualified and capable staff, has no precedents. In noting the Biden administration cannot promote our foreign policy, protect American citizens, advocate for American businesses or advance American values without a robust diplomatic corps, Menendez added: “The Trump administration had its first ambassador confirmed at Day 62 of the Trump presidency. The Obama administration had its first ambassador confirmed at Day 73. The George W. Bush administration had its first ambassador confirmed at Day 75.  For the Clinton administration, it was Day 75.  For the George H.W. Bush administration, it was Day 83.  We are now more than 200 days into the Biden administration, and as of this moment, there is not a single confirmed State Department country ambassador. Not one.”

Below is a full list of the nominees that were blocked.

 

1.       Larry Edward Andre Jr of Texas, a career member of the Senior Foreign Service, to be Ambassador of the United States to Somalia  

2.       Elizabeth Moore Aubin, a career member of the Senior Foreign Service to be Ambassador of the United States to Algeria.

3.       Maria E. Brewer, a career member of the Senior Foreign Service to be Ambassador of the United States to the Kingdom of Lesotho.

4.       Christopher John Lamora, a career member of the Senior Foreign Service to be Ambassador of the United States to Cameroon.

5.       Tulinabo S. Mushingi, a career member of the Senior Foreign Service to be Ambassador of the United States to Angola and to serve concurrently as the Ambassador to the Democratic Republic of Sao Tome and Principe.

6.       Eugene S. Young, a career member of the Senior Foreign Service to be Ambassador of the United States to the Republic of the Congo.

7.       Michele Jeanne Sison, a career member of the Senior Foreign Service to be Assistant Secretary of State for International Organization Affairs.

8.       Todd D. Robinson, of New Jersey, a career member of the Senior Foreign Service to be Assistant Secretary of State for International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs.

9.       Daniel J. Kritenbrink, a career member of the Senior Foreign Service to be Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs.

10.   Marc Evans Knapper, a career member of the Senior Foreign Service to be Ambassador of the United States to Vietnam.

11.   Christopher P. Lu, to be Representative of the United States of America to the United Nations for U.N. Management and Reform, with the rank of Ambassador.

12.   Christopher P. Lu, to be an Alternate Representative of the United States of America to the Sessions of the General Assembly of the United Nations.

13.   Rufus Gifford, to be Chief of Protocol, with the rank of Ambassador.

14.   Brian A. Nichols, a career member of the Senior Foreign Service to be Assistant Secretary of State for Western Hemisphere Affairs.

15.   Marcela Escobari, to be an Assistant Administrator of the United States Agency for International Development.

16.   Monica P. Medina, to be Assistant Secretary of State for Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs.

17.   Anne A. Witkowsky, to be Assistant Secretary of State for Conflict and Stabilization Operations

18.   Anne A. Witkowsky, to be Coordinator for Reconstruction and Stabilization.

19.   Mary Catherine Phee, a career member of the Senior Foreign Service to be a Member of the Board of Directors of the African Development Foundation, for a term expiring September 27, 2026.

20.   Mary Catherine Phee, a career member of the Senior Foreign Service to be a Member of the Board of Directors of the African Development Foundation, for a term expiring September 27, 2021.

21.   Mary Catherine Phee, a career member of the Senior Foreign Service to be Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs.

22.   Lee Satterfield, to be Assistant Secretary of State for Educational and Cultural Affairs.

23.   Karen Erika Donfried, to be Assistant Secretary of State for European Affairs and Eurasian Affairs.

24.   Jessica Lewis, to be Assistant Secretary of State for Political-Military Affairs.

25.   Donald Lu, a career member of the Senior Foreign Service to be Assistant Secretary of State for South Asian Affairs.

26.   Paloma Adams-Allen, to be a Deputy Administrator of the United States Agency for International Development.

27.   Isobel Coleman, to be a Deputy Administrator of the United States Agency for International Development.

28.   Brett M. Holmgren, to be an Assistant Secretary of State for Intelligence and Research.

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