[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 62 (Wednesday, April 10, 2019)]
[Senate]
[Pages S2350-S2351]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]



                     Nomination of John P. Abizaid

  Mr. MENENDEZ. Mr. President, I rise in strong support of General 
Abizaid's confirmation to be our Ambassador to the Kingdom of Saudi 
Arabia. It took this administration nearly 2 years to even nominate 
someone to this critical position, and, unfortunately, we have seen the 
results of the absence of serious, experienced U.S. leadership.
  I was pleased that the Senate Foreign Relations Committee 
expeditiously moved his nomination. In the past 2 years, we have seen 
Saudi leadership take actions that have seriously strained the U.S.-
Saudi relationship and that have run fundamentally counter to basic 
international norms.
  Saudi Arabia has detained and reportedly tortured members of its own 
royal family and has effectively abducted the Lebanese Prime Minister. 
In Yemen, the Crown Prince's coalition has led an offensive that has 
been responsible not just for breeding the world's worst humanitarian 
crisis but also for potentially opening the door to more malign Iranian 
influence. To this day, we still also seek accountability for the 
brutal murder of American resident and journalist Jamal Khashoggi.
  With the White House's having conducted freelance diplomacy, the 
American people have had little faith that there has been serious 
pressure on the Saudi leadership for it to correct course. Worse, we 
continue to learn that the administration appears to be rewarding the 
Kingdom with secret side deals in support of its nuclear program--far 
outside the scope of legally prescribed processes.
  Amidst all of this, we must find a way to get the U.S.-Saudi 
relationship back on course, for we do continue to share some common 
challenges and interests. Yet U.S. alliances are strongest with 
partners with whom we share values and with whom we can have honest 
conversations.

[[Page S2351]]

  General Abizaid faces a tall challenge, but I believe he is up to the 
job. He has the experience and leadership necessary to both manage a 
large mission and get the currently fraught relationship with Saudi 
Arabia back on track in a way that advances our security interests and 
stays true to our ideals.
  I urge my colleagues to support General Abizaid's confirmation. His 
leadership, deep regional expertise, management skills, knowledge of 
Arabic, and experience in having served in conflict areas will make him 
an effective U.S. Ambassador to Saudi Arabia.