[Congressional Record Volume 162, Number 21 (Thursday, February 4, 2016)]
[Senate]
[Pages S647-S648]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




             UNANIMOUS CONSENT REQUESTS--EXECUTIVE CALENDAR

  Ms. KLOBUCHAR. Madam President, this is the fourth time I have come 
to the floor urging Senator Cruz to remove his hold on these very 
important nominees for two of our best allies, the countries of Sweden 
and Norway.
  Norway has been without a confirmed ambassador for 860 days. As we 
know, the first nominee withdrew, but many of these days have been 
filled up by the second nominee, who is not controversial--Sam Heins 
from the State of Minnesota--who made it through the committee without 
objection. In the case of Sweden, it has been 469 days since the 
President nominated Azita Raji to be ambassador.
  There is no issue with these nominees. In fact, in the words of 
Senator Cotton from Arkansas, my Republican colleague, ``I believe both 
[nominees] are qualified . . . and we have significant interests in 
Scandinavia. My hope is that both nominees receive a vote in the Senate 
sooner than later.'' We know we have the support of Senator Corker, the 
head of the Foreign Relations Committee. We thank Senator Cardin for 
his support. We thank Majority Leader McConnell. We thank Senator Reid.
  This vote is not a controversial vote. Senator Cruz is not here to 
object. We understand Senator Lee is here on his behalf. But I would 
like to know why Senator Cruz isn't here to object. I think I know why 
he isn't here to object--because he is in the State of my colleague 
Senator Shaheen.
  We cannot hold up the business of the Senate like this. We have two 
nominees for two countries, the 11th and 12th biggest investors in the 
United States of America, Sweden and Norway. The country of Norway is 
the purchaser of 52 Lockheed fighter planes, 22 just ordered at $200 
million apiece, all made in Fort Worth, TX, the home State of Senator 
Cruz.
  These are allies who are taking in refugees by the thousands. These 
are allies who are at our side in the fight against Russia to stand up 
against their aggression in Ukraine. They have stood with us in the 
fight against Islamic extremism. They have stood with us in the fight 
against ISIS. And what do we say to them? You can have ambassadors from 
Russia or from China, you can have ambassadors from every country but 
not from the United States of America.
  I ask Senator Cruz and I ask his colleagues--or perhaps his staff to 
ask him--why every other European nation of any major size has an 
ambassador and why not these two Scandinavian countries.
  So it is my hope--and the reasons for these holds are completely 
unrelated. They are varied. They are many. They change every day. I am 
hopeful that we are able to negotiate something because Senator Shaheen 
and I have pledged to come to the floor nearly every single day when 
the Senate is in session to continue asking, and his colleagues are 
going to have to come and object on his behalf.
  Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to 
executive session to consider the following nomination: the nomination 
of Samuel Heins to be Ambassador to the country of Norway, Calendar No. 
263; that the Senate proceed to vote without intervening action or 
debate on the nomination; that if confirmed, the motion to reconsider 
be considered made and laid upon the table.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there objection?
  The Senator from Utah.
  Mr. LEE. Madam President, on behalf of the junior Senator from Texas, 
I object.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Objection is heard.
  Ms. KLOBUCHAR. Madam President, I now ask unanimous consent that the 
Senate proceed to executive session to consider the following 
nomination: the nomination of Azita Raji to be Ambassador to the 
country of Sweden, Calendar No. 148; that the Senate proceed to vote 
without intervening action or debate on the nomination; that if 
confirmed, the motion to reconsider be considered made and laid upon 
the table.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there objection?
  The Senator from Utah.
  Mr. LEE. Madam President, on behalf of the junior Senator from Texas, 
I object.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Objection is heard.
  Ms. KLOBUCHAR. Madam President, I see the Senator from New Hampshire 
is here. She is a leader on the Foreign Relations Committee. I know she 
has a few things to say. But, again, we are simply asking for a vote. 
Senator Cruz can choose to be here or not. He can choose to vote or 
not. He can choose to vote no if he wants. We know these two nominees 
would pass because they are not controversial. I am tired of hearing 
from people in America and people who represent and live in these 
countries: What is wrong with America? Why are you ``dissing'' us when 
we stand by your side every day? This has to stop.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from New Hampshire.
  Mrs. SHAHEEN. Madam President, I am joining my colleague, Senator 
Klobuchar, to talk not just about these two positions of Ambassadors to 
Sweden and Norway but also about some of the other 27 nominees who deal 
with national security issues.
  As Senator Klobuchar said yesterday when we were on the floor, we 
said we were going to come down here every day. The Senate is not going 
to be in session every day, so we won't be here every day, but we will 
be back as often as possible to point out that we need to confirm these 
nominees. It is in the country's national security interests.
  The Presiding Officer serves with me on the Senate Armed Services 
Committee, so she understands just how

[[Page S648]]

critical it is that we have a team in place that can be part of the 
team that protects this Nation.
  As Senator Klobuchar said, Azita Raji has been waiting over a year 
since she was nominated. She went through the Foreign Relations 
Committee unanimously. Nobody objected. Sam Heins was nominated almost 
a year ago. He is nominated to be U.S. Ambassador to Norway.
  Again, this is not about just these two individuals; this is also 
about the message we are sending to two of our best partners and 
allies, Sweden and Norway. Both of these countries have been part of 
the anti-ISIL coalition fighting with us against the terrorists. Sweden 
has been on the frontlines of the refugee crisis, taking in thousands 
of refugees in Europe. As we think about the strains that the European 
Union is under right now, for us to have failed to put ambassadors in 
two of our most important allies is unforgiveable.
  Yesterday I said it was in 1914 that Norway had to scramble their F-
16 fighters. We know they didn't have F-16 fighters in 1914. It was 
2014. So a little over a year ago, Norway, which is a NATO ally, 
scrambled its F-16 fighters 74 times to intercept Russian warplanes.
  As we think about the threats from Russian aggression, Sweden and 
Norway are right there. They are on the frontlines. Norway has 
committed to participate in NATO's missile defense system. So, again, 
it is very important as we are looking at our efforts to stop Russian 
aggression.
  Yesterday in the Senate Foreign Relations Committee we were talking 
about the strains on Europe. We had witnesses for both the majority and 
the minority who confirmed that our failure to move these nominees on 
the Senate floor is ``an enormous issue,'' a ``disastrous policy,'' and 
sends the message that Washington does not ``care about European 
security''--both minority and majority witnesses--even arguing that the 
United States does not have ``players on the field.''
  Not only are there national security implications, but, as the 
Senator from Minnesota pointed out, vacancies in Sweden and Norway mean 
that some $11.3 billion in U.S. exports lack a strong champion in-
country.
  I hope the Senator from Texas--who is out running for President--will 
come back or will lift his hold so we can send the message that we 
should be sending to our European allies about how important they are 
and how strongly we want to support what is happening in those 
countries.
  Madam President, I ask unanimous consent to move two other national 
security nominees.
  The first is Ambassador Tom Shannon. He has been nominated to be 
Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs. Again, he has been 
waiting 136 days since being nominated. He also went through the 
Foreign Relations Committee without any opposition. He would be 
responsible for working with Europeans on the implementation of the 
Iran agreement, on coordinating the G7 to combat Russian aggression, as 
well as providing daily oversight and direction to all the Department's 
regional bureaus. He is a career Foreign Service officer who has served 
in five administrations, two Democratic and three Republican.
  At this time I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to 
executive session to consider the following nomination: the nomination 
of Ambassador Tom Shannon to be Under Secretary of State for Political 
Affairs, Calendar No. 375; that the Senate proceed to vote without 
intervening action or debate on the nomination; that if confirmed, the 
motion to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there objection?
  The Senator from Utah.
  Mr. LEE. On behalf of the junior Senator from Texas, I object.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Objection is heard.
  Mrs. SHAHEEN. Again, I am hopeful the junior Senator from Texas is 
going to do what he should have done all along, which is lift his hold 
and allow both the Ambassadors to Sweden and Norway and Ambassador 
Shannon to move forward.

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