[Congressional Record Volume 160, Number 145 (Tuesday, December 2, 2014)]
[Senate]
[Pages S6240-S6241]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


                            Bell Nomination

  Mr. McCAIN. Mr. President, I don't usually object to the appointments 
and nominations by the administration to various ambassadorial 
positions around the world. I also understand there are numbers of 
political supporters, financial supporters, and that this is 
characteristic of Republican and Democratic administrations alike. It 
has never disturbed me when I have observed nominees to a Caribbean 
country or maybe to London or Paris or Berlin being rewarded for 
support both financial and otherwise. But now we are at a point where, 
according to the Washington Post, modern Presidents have generally 
followed a 70-30 rule on ambassadorial appointments--where 70 percent 
are career foreign service and 30 percent are political appointees. 
President Obama has defied this historic bipartisan political practice, 
and in his second term a shocking 53 percent of ambassadorial nominees 
have been political. This brings his 2-term average to 37--far more 
than any administration in the past. What is very interesting is that 
some of these nominees are in very sensitive positions around the 
world. The nomination of Ms. Colleen Bell is probably the most 
egregious example of that.
  Hungary is a close ally--in many respects--but there is no doubt that 
since taking office in 2010 the Hungarian Prime Minister, Mr. Viktor 
Orban, has centralized power, has faced scrutiny due to actions that 
critics charge are inconsistent with democratic principles and 
practices. His government has reduced the independence of Hungary's 
courts, pushed through controversial changes to the constitution, and 
placed acute restrictions on nongovernmental organizations. In other 
words, this is a very important country. This is a very important 
country where bad things are going on.
  Ms. Bell's experiences have been largely relegated to producing the 
television soap opera ``The Bold and the Beautiful.'' Now, I am sure 
television viewing is important in Hungary, but the fact is this 
nominee is totally unqualified for this position in this country.
  Now, if it were, as I say, some Caribbean country or some other, I 
would understand that. But here we are in a relationship with a country 
where, according to Bloomberg News, ``Orban says he seeks to end 
liberal democracy in Hungary. Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban 
said he wants to abandon liberal democracy in favor of an `illiberal 
state,' citing Russia and Turkey as examples.''
  By the way, we have an excellent DCM there in Hungary who has been 
doing a great job.
  Ms. Bell has two qualifications. One is she is a producer of a 
television soap opera. She has no experience in foreign policy or 
national security, no familiarity with the language, country, or the 
region, has never been there, and lacks meaningful knowledge of history 
or economics. Her only significant qualification is that she bundled, 
as the word is used, $800,000 to President Obama in the last election, 
and as part of the California delegation to the 2012 Democratic 
convention, she bundled more than $2.1 million for President Obama's 
reelection effort.
  I want to repeat again that I understand there are awards for 
political support and it has grown with ``bundling.'' But when we send 
a person who doesn't know the language--has never been to the country, 
has no familiarity in foreign policy or national security--to a nation 
of this importance, then, my friends, we are making a serious mistake.
  The Hungarian Prime Minister is distancing himself from the values 
shared by most European Union nations. Orban said civil society 
organizers receiving funding from abroad needed to be ``monitored,'' as 
he considered those to be agents of foreign powers. We are talking 
about the International Republican Institute, the National Democratic 
Institute, Freedom House, and others.
  He said:

       We're not dealing with civil society members but paid 
     political activists who are trying to help foreign interests 
     here.

  Amazing. Orban, who has fueled employment with public works projects, 
said he wants to replace welfare societies with a workfare state. But 
the main problem is that Mr. Orban is cozying up to Vladimir Putin. He 
has now entered into a nuclear deal, and he is practicing the same 
kinds of antidemocratic practices as what seems to be his role model--
Vladimir Putin.
  Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that a letter to Mr. Reid from 
the 15 former presidents of the American Foreign Service Association be 
printed in the Record.
  There being no objection, the material was ordered to be printed in 
the Record, as follows:

                                                    March 6, 2014.
       Dear Senator Reid, Among the nominees for ambassadorships 
     currently under consideration by the Senate, three have 
     generated considerable public controversy: George Tsunis 
     (Norway), Colleen Bell (Hungary), and Noah Mamet (Argentina). 
     The nominations of Mr. Tsunis and Ms. Bell have been 
     forwarded to the full Senate by the Senate Foreign Relations 
     Committee.
       As former presidents of the American Foreign Service 
     Association, the professional association and trade union of 
     career members of the Foreign Service, we urge you to oppose 
     granting Senate consent to these three candidates. Although 
     we have no reason to doubt that the nominees are 
     conscientious and worthy Americans, the fact that they appear 
     to have been chosen on the basis of their service in raising 
     money for electoral campaigns, with minimal demonstrated 
     qualifications for their posts, has subjected them to 
     widespread public ridicule, not only in the U.S. but also 
     abroad. As a result, their effectiveness as U.S. 
     representatives in their host countries would be severely 
     impaired from the start. Their nominations also convey a 
     disrespectful message, that relations with the host country 
     are not significant enough to demand a chief of mission with 
     relevant expertise.
       These three nominations represent a continuation of an 
     increasingly unsavory and unwise practice by both parties. In 
     the words of President Theodore Roosevelt, ``The spoils or 
     patronage theory is that public office is primarily designed 
     for partisan plunder.'' Sadly it has persisted, even after 
     President Nixon's acknowledged rewarding of ambassadorial 
     nominations to major campaign donors was exposed. Recognizing 
     that the practice was inconsistent with democratic 
     principles, the U.S. Congress in the Foreign Service Act of 
     1980 set the following guidelines:


             SEC. 304. APPOINTMENT OF CHIEFS OF MISSION.--

       (a)(1)An individual appointed or assigned to be a chief of 
     mission should possess clearly demonstrated competence to 
     perform the duties of a chief of mission, including, to the 
     maximum extent practicable, a useful knowledge of the 
     principal language or dialect of the country in which the 
     individual is to serve, and knowledge and understanding of 
     the history, the culture, the economic and political 
     institutions, and the interests of that country and its 
     people.
       (2) Given the qualifications specified in paragraph (1), 
     positions as chief of mission should normally be accorded to 
     career members of the Service, though circumstances will 
     warrant appointments from time to time of qualified 
     individuals who are not career members of the Service.

[[Page S6241]]

       (3) Contributions to political campaigns should not be a 
     factor in the appointment of an individual as a chief of 
     mission.
       (4) The President shall provide the Committee on Foreign 
     Relations of the Senate, with each nomination for an 
     appointment as a chief of mission, a report on the 
     demonstrated competence of that nominee to perform the duties 
     of the position in which he or she is to serve.
       (b)( 1) In order to assist the President in selecting 
     qualified candidates for appointment or assignment as chiefs 
     of mission, the Secretary of State shall from time to time 
     furnish the President with the names of career members of the 
     Service who are qualified to serve as chiefs of mission, 
     together with pertinent information about such members.
       (2) Each individual nominated by the President to be a 
     chief of mission, ambassador at large, or minister shall, at 
     the time of nomination, file with the Committee on Foreign 
     Relations of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of 
     Representatives a report of contributions made by such 
     individual and by members of his or her immediate family 
     during the period beginning on the first day of the fourth 
     calendar year preceding the calendar year of the nomination 
     and ending on the date of the nomination. The report shall be 
     verified by the oath of the nominee, taken before any 
     individual authorized to administer oaths. The chairman of 
     the Committee on Foreign Relations of the Senate shall have 
     each such report printed in the Congressional Record. As used 
     in this paragraph, the term ``contribution'' has the same 
     meaning given such term by section 301(8) of the Federal 
     Election Campaign Act of 1971 (2 U.S.C. 431(8)), and the term 
     ``immediate family'' means the spouse of the nominee, and any 
     child, parent, grandparent, brother, or sister of the nominee 
     and the spouses of any of them.
       During his 2008 election campaign, President Obama 
     recognized the appropriateness of these guidelines, and 
     promised to respect them. The time for the Senate to begin 
     enforcing its own guidelines set forth in law for U.S. 
     diplomatic chiefs of mission is now. The nation cannot afford 
     otherwise.
           Sincerely,
         Fifteen former presidents of the American Foreign Service 
           Association--Marshall Adair, Thomas Boyatt, Kenneth 
           Bleakley, Theodore Eliot, Franklyn A Harris, William 
           Harrop, Dennis Hays, J. Anthony Holmes, Lars Hydle, 
           Susan Johnson, Alphonse La Porta, John Limbert, John 
           Naland, Lannon Walker, Theodore Wilkinson.

  Mr. McCAIN. They say:

       As former presidents of the American Foreign Service 
     Association, the professional association and trade union 
     career members of the Foreign Service, we urge you to oppose 
     granting Senate consent to these three candidates . . .

  They mention George Tsunis to Norway, Colleen Bell to Hungary, and 
Noah Mamet to Argentina. I think we should pay attention to these 
former distinguished members of the diplomatic corps.
  I urge my colleagues for once to vote against a totally unsuitable 
nominee to be Ambassador to a very critical country in a struggle that 
is going to go on for a long time, as Colonel Vladimir Putin tries to 
extend the reach of Russia and restore the old Russian Empire. We will 
be sending a message by this appointment that it really isn't that 
important. I urge my colleagues to cast a ``no'' vote.
  I yield the floor, and I suggest the absence of a quorum.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.
  The legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  Mr. McCAIN. I ask unanimous consent that the order for the quorum 
call be rescinded.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The question is, will the Senate advise and consent to the nomination 
of Noah Bryson Mamet, of California, to be Ambassador Extraordinary and 
Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to the Argentine 
Republic?
  Mr. McCAIN. I ask for the yeas and nays.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there a sufficient second?
  There appears to be a sufficient second.
  The clerk will call the roll.
  The legislative clerk called the roll.
  Mr. DURBIN. I announce that the Senator from Ohio (Mr. Brown), the 
Senator from Louisiana (Ms. Landrieu), and the Senator from West 
Virginia (Mr. Rockefeller) are necessarily absent.
  Mr. CORNYN. The following Senators are necessarily absent: the 
Senator from Oklahoma (Mr. Coburn), the Senator from Mississippi (Mr. 
Cochran), the Senator from Alaska (Ms. Murkowski), and the Senator from 
Kansas (Mr. Roberts).
  The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. Schatz). Are there any other Senators in 
the Chamber desiring to vote?
  The result was announced--yeas 50, nays 43, as follows:

                      [Rollcall Vote No. 293 Ex.]

                                YEAS--50

     Baldwin
     Begich
     Bennet
     Blumenthal
     Booker
     Boxer
     Cantwell
     Cardin
     Carper
     Casey
     Coons
     Donnelly
     Durbin
     Feinstein
     Franken
     Gillibrand
     Hagan
     Harkin
     Heitkamp
     Hirono
     Johnson (SD)
     Kaine
     Klobuchar
     Leahy
     Levin
     Manchin
     Markey
     McCaskill
     Menendez
     Merkley
     Mikulski
     Murphy
     Murray
     Nelson
     Pryor
     Reed
     Reid
     Sanders
     Schatz
     Schumer
     Shaheen
     Stabenow
     Tester
     Udall (CO)
     Udall (NM)
     Walsh
     Warner
     Warren
     Whitehouse
     Wyden

                                NAYS--43

     Alexander
     Ayotte
     Barrasso
     Blunt
     Boozman
     Burr
     Chambliss
     Coats
     Collins
     Corker
     Cornyn
     Crapo
     Cruz
     Enzi
     Fischer
     Flake
     Graham
     Grassley
     Hatch
     Heinrich
     Heller
     Hoeven
     Inhofe
     Isakson
     Johanns
     Johnson (WI)
     King
     Kirk
     Lee
     McCain
     McConnell
     Moran
     Paul
     Portman
     Risch
     Rubio
     Scott
     Sessions
     Shelby
     Thune
     Toomey
     Vitter
     Wicker

                             NOT VOTING--7

     Brown
     Coburn
     Cochran
     Landrieu
     Murkowski
     Roberts
     Rockefeller
  The nomination was confirmed.

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