[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 190 (Thursday, October 28, 2021)]
[House]
[Pages H6029-H6031]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]





                          WHERE IS THE SENATE?

  (Mr. CICILLINE asked and was given permission to address the House 
for 1 minute.)
  Mr. CICILLINE. Mr. Speaker, as the United States reasserts itself on 
the world's stage, it is time for robust engagement. We must reengage 
with our allies and regain our footing as a global leader. But we are 
standing in our own way.
  Mr. Speaker, 100 ambassadorial positions are currently unfilled, with 
60 awaiting Senate action. Where is the Senate?
  Mr. Speaker, more than 300 national security professionals asked this 
same question this morning in a letter to Senate leadership.
  We do not have representatives to NATO, the European Union, ASEAN, or 
the Organization of American States. Despite our significant interests 
in the Middle East, we lack an Assistant Secretary of State for Near 
East Affairs and an ambassador to Israel.
  Mr. Speaker, we are sending a dangerous message of neglect and 
indifference to our allies and adversaries. The Senate must act.
  I join the hundreds of esteemed former ambassadors and Pentagon 
officials in urging the Senate to begin hearings and to schedule votes 
for all pending State Department and USAID nominees.
  I include in the Record a letter from Foreign Policy for America.

                                   Foreign Policy for America,

                                 Washington, DC, October 28, 2021.
      Hon. Charles Schumer,
     Majority Leader, U.S. Senate,
     Washington, DC.
     Senator Bob Menendez,
     Chairman, U.S. Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, 
         Washington, DC.
     Hon. Mitch McConnell,
     Minority Leader, U.S. Senate,
     Washington, DC.
     Senator James E. Risch,
     Ranking Member, U.S. Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, 
         Washington, DC.

       We write as senior national security professionals to 
     express our alarm over the dangerously slow pace of Senate 
     confirmations of State Department and USAID officials over 
     the past ten months. The resulting vacancies have damaged 
     U.S. national security and our ability to address 
     international threats. We ask for your urgent attention to 
     resolving this situation.
       The United States cannot afford to be absent at this time 
     of strategic competition with China. Yet, at this moment, 100 
     Ambassadorial positions are unfilled with 60 awaiting Senate 
     action. As President Biden prepares to meet with world 
     leaders at the G20 summit, the Senate has confirmed just two 
     of the president's Ambassadorial nominations to G20 member 
     states. As the world works to fight the COVID-19 pandemic, 
     the United States lacks both an Assistant Secretary for 
     International Organization Affairs and a USAID Assistant 
     Administrator for Global Health. Of the 17 world leaders 
     known to be attending the COP26 climate summit in Glasgow in 
     November, only one has had the opportunity to coordinate in 
     advance with a confirmed U.S. Ambassador. Nearly half of 
     Ambassadorial posts on the African continent have nominees 
     stalled in the Senate. The sum total of missed opportunities 
     is staggering.
       In addition to placing the United States at a strategic 
     disadvantage, Washington has sent an unfortunate message of 
     neglect and indifference. We currently lack Representatives 
     to both NATO and the European Union, to ASEAN, and to the 
     Organization of American States. In Canada, France, Germany, 
     and the United Kingdom, the lack of confirmed U.S. 
     Ambassadors neglects historic allies. Despite our significant 
     interests in the Middle East and the threats posed by Iran, 
     the United States currently has neither an Assistant 
     Secretary of State for Near East Affairs nor an Ambassador to 
     Israel. As we call for a free and open Indo-Pacific, the 
     United States lacks an Ambassador not only to China, but to 
     Australia, Bangladesh, India, Japan, New Zealand, the 
     Philippines, Singapore, South Korea, Sri Lanka, Thailand, and 
     Vietnam.
       In Washington, widespread leadership vacancies and stopgap 
     appointments have resulted in an overstretched workforce and 
     unacceptable risks. As conflicts and natural disasters spur 
     population displacement unseen since World War II, the United 
     States has neither an Assistant Secretary of State for 
     Population, Refugees, and Migration nor an Assistant 
     Secretary of State for Conflict and Stability Operations. 
     President Biden's nominee for Assistant Secretary of State 
     for South and Central Asian Affairs, whose nomination was 
     announced on April 23rd, was not confirmed until September 
     13th, well after the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan. The 
     State Department is planning to host a global Summit for 
     Democracy in December, but does so without an Assistant 
     Secretary for Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor. Countless 
     other vacancies have resulted in unsustainable workloads, 
     undermining morale and retention.
       As you are aware, the Senate has thus far confirmed only 
     two of President Biden's ambassadorial nominees, and just 
     eleven Assistant Secretaries of State. At USAID, only two 
     appointees requiring Senate confirmation have been approved. 
     Of the 235 Senate-confirmed State Department positions, only 
     24 have confirmed occupants, while 83 are at the Senate 
     awaiting confirmation. This is well below the number of 
     nominees confirmed at similar points in the first terms of 
     Presidents Trump, Obama, and George W. Bush.
       We note with particular regret that individual Senators 
     have blocked the confirmations of exceptionally qualified 
     nominees for reasons completely unrelated to their 
     credentials. There is no question that this practice, which 
     has been employed by members of both parties, has eroded 
     America's global leadership and contributed to a perception 
     among our friends as well as our adversaries that the United 
     States is in decline.
       The steady atrophying of our diplomatic capacity poses an 
     unacceptable risk to U.S. national security. We urge you to 
     exercise decisive leadership to swiftly facilitate committee 
     hearings and votes for all pending State Department and USAID 
     nominees. If unanimous consent agreements cannot be obtained 
     to expedite votes, we ask that you once again dedicate the 
     floor time necessary to approve these nominations by regular 
     order.
       Sincerely,
       Ambassador (Ret.) Bernadette M. Allen,
       Ambassador (Ret.) Frank Almaguer),
       Major General (Ret.) Joseph T. Anderson,
       Brigadier General (Ret.) Steven M. Anderson,
       Ms. Wendy R. Anderson,
       Major General (Ret.) Marcia M. Anderson,
       Brigadier General (Ret.) Ricardo Aponte,
       Honorable Bernard Aronson,
       Ambassador (Ret.) Liliana Ayalde,
       Ambassador (Ret.) Daniel Baer,
       Ambassador (Ret.) Robert Cushman Barber,
       Ambassador (Ret.) Adrian A. Basora,
       Ambassador (Ret.) Leslie Bassett,
       Ambassador (Ret.) Robert M. Beecroft,
       Honorable Rand B. Beers,
       Ambassador (Ret.) Colleen Bell,
       Mr. John B. Bellinger III,
       Ms. Jenna H. Ben-Yehuda,
       Mr. Robert J. Berg,
       Honorable Stuart Bernstein,
       Ambassador (Ret.) Bruce G. Berton,
        Ambassador (Ret.) John R. Beyrle,
       Dr. Hans Binnendijk,
       Ambassador (Ret.) Clyde Bishop,
       Ambassador (Ret.) James Bishop,
       Lieutenant General (Ret.) Robert R. Blank,
       Ambassador (Ret.) Jeff Bleich,
       Ambassador (Ret.) Peter W. Bodde,
       Ambassador (Ret.) Barbara Bodine,
       Ambassador (Ret.) Michele Thoren Bond,
       Ambassador (Ret.) Amy L. Bondurant,
       Rear Admiral (Ret.) David M. Boone,
       Ambassador (Ret.) Eric Boswell,
       Ambassador (Ret.) Richard Boucher,
       Vice Admiral (Ret.) William Bowes,
       Ambassador (Ret.) Robert Bradtke,
       Ambassador (Ret.) Aurelia Brazeal,
       Ambassador (Ret.) James Brewster,
       Ambassador (Ret.) Pamela E. Bridgewater,
       Ambassador (Ret.) Kenneth C. Brill,
       Ambassador (Ret.) Timothy M. Broas,
       Ambassador (Ret.) Sue Brown,
       Ambassador (Ret.) Kenneth Brown,
       Ambassador (Ret.) Steven Browning,
       Ambassador (Ret.) George Bruno,
       Ambassador (Ret.) Susan Flood Burk,
       Ambassador (Ret.) A. Peter Burleigh,
       Ambassador (Ret.) Prudence Bushnell,
       Rear Admiral (Ret.) John D. Butler,
       Honorable Louis E. Caldera,
       Honorable Carlos Cardozo Campbell,
       Ambassador (Ret.) Piper Campbell,
       Brigadier General (Ret.) George J. Cannelos,
       Ambassador (Ret.) David L. Carden,
       Dr. Patrick Carrick,
       Mr. Steven A. Cash,
       Ambassador (Ret.) Judith Beth Cefkin,
       Mr. Christopher M. Centner,
       Ambassador (Ret.) Wendy Chamberlin,
       Ambassador (Ret.) Daniel A. Clune,
       Mr. Harry Coker Jr.,
       Honorable Erin C. Conaton,
       Ambassador (Ret.) Elinor G. Constable,
       Mr. Patrick C. Costello,
       Ambassador (Ret.) William Courtney,
       Mr. Allen B. Craft,
       Mr. Daniel T. Crocker,
       Ms. Marilee Cunningham,
       Ambassador (Ret.) James B. Cunningham,
       Ambassador (Ret.) Walter Cutler,
       Honorable Janine Davidson,
       Ambassador (Ret.) Glyn T. Davies,
       Ambassador (Ret.) Ruth A. Davis,
       Rear Admiral (Ret.) Scott Deitchman, MD, MPH,
       Ambassador (Ret.) Greg Delawie,
       Major General (Ret.) Richard T. Devereaux,
       Ambassador (Ret.) Miguel H. Diaz,
       Ms. Suzanne DiMaggio,
       Ambassador (Ret.) Kathleen Ann Doherty,
       Ambassador (Ret.) Shaun Donnelly,
       Ambassador (Ret.) Thomas Dougherty,
       Honorable John Wade Douglass,
       Ambassador (Ret.) David J. Dunford,
       Major General (Ret.) Paul D. Eaton,
       Ambassador (Ret.) Luigi R. Einaudi,
       Ambassador (Ret.) Susan M. Elliott,
       Ambassador (Ret.) Gregory W. Engle,
       Honorable William Enyart,
       Major General (Ret.) John L. Estrada,
       Ms. Elisa Catalano Ewers,
       Ambassador (Ret.) Kenneth J. Fairfax,
       Dr. Evelyn N. Farkas, Ph.D.,
       Brigadier General (Ret.) Robert Felderman,

[[Page H6030]]

       Ambassador (Ret.) Gerald Feierstein,
       Brigadier General Robert Felderman (Ret.),
       Ms. Ilsa Ferro,
       Ambassador (Ret.) Kathleen M. Fitzpatrick,
       Honorable Michele A. Flournoy,
       Ambassador (Ret.) Robert S. Ford,
       Ms. Stephanie Foster,
       Major General (Ret.) Eugene Fox,
       Vice Admiral (ret.) Michael Franken,
       Ms. Anita E. Friedt,
       Ambassador (Ret.) Julie Furuta-Toy,
       Mr. Melvin Gamble,
       Lieutenant General Robert G. Gard Jr.,
       Master Gunnery Sergeant (Ret.) Joseph H. Geeter,
       Ambassador (Ret.) Robert S. Gelbard,
       Honorable Rose Gottemoeller,
       Ambassador (Ret.) Gordon Gray,
       Vice Admiral (Ret.) Kevin P. Green,
       Ms. Naima Green-Riley,
       Vice Admiral (Ret.) Lee Gunn,
       Rear Admiral (Ret.) Donald J. Guter,
       Ambassador (Ret.) Lino Gutierrez,
       Ambassador (Ret.) Sheila Gwaltney,
       Ambassador (Ret.) Ken Hackett,
       Ambassador (Ret.) Pamela K. Hamamoto,
       Rear Admiral (Ret.) Janice M. Hamby,
       Ambassador (Ret.) S. Fitzgerald Haney,
       Lieutenant (Ret.) Kenneth E. Harbaugh,
       Rear Admiral (Ret.) Charles Dulaney Harr,
       Ambassador (Ret.) Anthony Stephen Harrington,
       Ambassador (Ret.) Douglas Hartwick,
       Dr. and Major General (Ret.) Ralph L. Haynes,
       Mr. Leif Hall Hendrickson,
       Rear Admiral (Ret.) Leendert ``Len'' Hering,
       Ms. Margaret H. Henoch,
       Ambassador (Ret.) Bruce Alan Heyman,
       Ambassador (Ret.) William H. Hill,
       Honorable Eric L. Hirschhorn,
       Ambassador (Ret.) Heather Hodges,
       Ms. Sally K. Horn,
       Ms. Sharon A. Houy,
       Ambassador (Ret.) Thomas C. Hubbard,
       Ambassador (Ret.) Vicki J. Huddleston,
       Ambassador (Ret.) Cameron Hume,
       Honorable Robert Hutchings,
       Rear Admiral (Ret.) John D. Hutson,
       Admiral (Ret.) Bobby R. Inman,
       Rear Admiral (Ret.) Lawrence B. Jackson,
       Ambassador (Ret.) Janice Jacobs,
       Ambassador (Ret.) Susan Jacobs,
       Ambassador (Ret.) David Jacobson,
       Ambassador (Ret.) Roberta Jacobson,
       Ambassador (Ret.) Dennis C. Jett,
       Ambassador (Ret.) Brenda Johnson,
       Ambassador (Ret.) David T. Johnson,
       Representative (Ret.) Donald Johnson,
       Brigadier General (Ret.) James D. Johnson,
       Mr. Lionel C. Johnson,
       Ms. Susan R. Johnson,
       Ambassador (Ret.) Deborah Jones,
       Ambassador (Ret.) John Melvin Jones,
       Ambassador (Ret.) Richard H. Jones,
       Lieutenant General (Ret.) Jan-Marc Jouas,
       Mr. Philip Karsting,
       Ambassador (Ret.) Richard D. Kauzlarich,
       Ambassador (Ret.) Craig Kelly,
       Honorable Raymond D. Kemp Sr.,
       Ambassador (Ret.) Laura Kennedy,
       Ambassador (Ret.) David T. Killion,
       Ambassador (Ret.) Michael Klosson,
       Dr. Susan J. Koch,
       Ambassador (Ret.) Eleni Kounalakis,
       Ambassador (Ret.) Lisa Kubiske,
       Ambassador (Ret.) Daniel Kurtzer,
       Ambassador (Ret.) Mark P. Lagon,
       Mr. Brett B. Lambert,
       Ambassador (Ret.) Joyce E. Leader,
       Ambassador (Ret.) Richard LeBaron,
       Vice Admiral (Ret.) Michael A. LeFever,
       Ambassador (Ret.) Alfonso E. Lenhardt,
       Major General (Ret.) Michael Lehnert,
       Ambassador (Ret.) Michael C. Lemmon,
       Major General (Ret.) Steven J. Lepper,
       Ambassador (Ret.) Melvyn Levitsky,
       Ambassador (Ret.) Dawn Liberi,
       Dr. David M. Litchman,
       Ambassador (Ret.) David C. Litt,
       Ambassador (Ret.) Hugo Llorens,
       Ambassador (Ret.) Carmen Lomellin,
       Ms. Kerry Lowry,
       Mr. Frank E. Loy,
       Lieutenant General (Ret.) Charles D. Luckey,
       Ambassador (Ret.) Douglas Lute,
       Rear Admiral (Ret.) Ron J. Maclaren,
       Rear Admiral (Ret.) Archer M. Macy,
       Major General (Ret.) Albert J. Madara,
       Ambassador (Ret.) Deborah R. Malac,
       Ambassador (Ret.) Eileen A. Malloy,
       Ambassador (Ret.) Steven R. Mann,
       Major General (Ret.) Randy Manner,
       Major General (Ret.) Frederick H. Martin,
       Ambassador (Ret.) Vilma S. Martinez,
       Ambassador (Ret.) Gail Dennise Mathieu,
       Ambassador (Ret.) Jack F. Matlock Jr.,
       Ms. Barbara Estock Mays,
       Ambassador (Ret.) Deborah Ann McCarthy,
       Mr. Michael V. Mcclary,
       Ambassador (Ret.) Donald McConnell,
       Rear Admiral (Ret.) William J. McDaniel,
       Ambassador (Ret.) Michael McFaul,
       Ambassador (Ret.) Steven McGann,
       Mr. David L. McGinnis,
       Mr. James McIlmail,
       Brigadier General (Ret.) Joseph V. Medina,
       Ms. Subhi Mehdi,
       Ambassador (Ret.) Thomas J. Miller,
       Rear Admiral (Ret.) Michael H. Mittelman,
       Ambassador (Ret.) Patricia N. Moller,
       Brigadier General (Ret.) Mark A. Montjar,
       Ms. Regina T. Montoya,
       Vice Admiral Edward Moore,
       Ambassador (Ret.) Roderick W. Moore,
       Mr. Edward T. (Tom) Morehouse,
       Ambassador (Ret.) Luis G. Moreno,
       Ambassador (Ret.) Allan Mustard,
       Ambassador (Ret.) Larry C. Napper,
       Ambassador (Ret.) David D. Nelson,
       Ms. Barbara Estock Mays,
       Ambassador (Ret.) Deborah Ann McCarthy,
       Mr. Michael V. McClary,
       Ambassador (Ret.) Donald McConnell,
       Rear Admiral (Ret.) William J. McDaniel,
       Ambassador (Ret.) Michael McFaul,
       Ambassador (Ret.) Steven McGann,
       Mr. David L. McGinnis,
       Mr. James McIlmail,
       Brigadier General (Ret.) Joseph V. Medina,
       Ms. Subhi Mehd,
       Ambassador (Ret.) Wanda Nesbitt,
       Mr. Brian H. Nilsson,
       Ambassador (Ret.) Crystal Nix-Hines,
       Ms. Suzanne Nossel,
       Honorable Sean O'Keefe,
       Ambassador (Ret.) Kevin F. O'Malley,
       Rear Admiral (Ret.) David Rogers Oliver, Jr.
       Ambassador (Ret.) Richard G. Olson,
       Mr. Stanley A. Otto,
       Ambassador (Ret.) Maurice S Parker,
       Ambassador (Ret.) William Robert Pearson,
       Ambassador (Ret.) Tom Perriello,
       Ambassador (Ret.) June Carter Perry,
       Ambassador (Ret.) Robert C. Perry,
       Honorable F. Whitten Peters,
       Ambassador (Ret.) James D. Pettit,
       Ms. Annie Pforzheimer,
       Major General (Ret.) Jeffrey E. Phillips,
       Ambassador Thomas R. Pickering,
       Mr. William Richard Piekney,
       Ambassador (Ret.) Steven Pifer,
       Ambassador (Ret.) Joan Plaisted,
       Lieutenant Colonel (Ret.) Joseph M. Plenzler,
       Ambassador (Ret.) Michael C. Polt,
       Ambassador (Ret.) Jo Ellen Powell,
       Mr. Jeffrey Pryce,
       Ambassador (Ret.) Jon R. Purnell,
       Ms. Karen Puschel Segal,
       Rear Admiral (Ret.) William Putnam,
       Honorable Marilyn A. Quagliotti,
       Ambassador (Ret.) Jack R. Binns,
       Major General (Ret.) William M. Rajczak,
       Ambassador (Ret.) Robin Raphel,
       Ambassador (Ret.) Charles Ray,
       Ambassador (Ret.) Frankie Reed,
       Ambassador (Ret.) Helen Patricia Reed-Rowe,
       Mr. Ben Rhodes,
       Honorable Clyde E. Robbins,
       Ambassador (Ret.) Thomas Robertson,
       Ambassador (Ret.) Peter Romero,
       Ambassador (Ret.) Selwa Roosevelt,
       Ambassador (Ret.) Jim Rosapepe,
       Ambassador (Ret.) Leslie V. Rowe,
       Mr. Joel Rubin,
       Brigadier General (Ret.) Murray G. Sagsveen,
       Ms. Heather Samuelson,
       Ambassador (Ret.) Janet Sanderson,
       Ambassador (Ret.) Miriam Sapiro,
       Ambassador (Ret.) Teresita C. Schaffer,
       Ambassador (Ret.) Andrew H. Schapiro,
       Ambassador (Ret.) Arthur Schechter,
       Mr. James Schumaker,
       Mr. Jack Segal,
       Lieutenant General (Ret.) Norman Seip,
       Congressman Joe Ambrose Sestak,
       Honorable Andrew J. Shapiro,
       Ambassador (Ret.) Mattie Sharpless,
       Honorable David B. Shear,
       Ambassador (Ret.) Robert A. Sherman,
       Dr. Russell Shilling,
       Ambassador (Ret.) Douglas A. Silliman,
       Ambassador (Ret.) Lawrence Silverman,
       Mr. John Sipher,
       Ambassador (Ret.) Emil M. Skodon,
       Rear Admiral (Ret.) Michael E. Smith,
       Brigadier General (Ret.) Paul Gregory Smith,
       Ambassador (Ret.) Alan Solomont,
       Ambassador (Ret.) Pamela L. Spratlen,
       Ambassador (Ret.) Sylvia Stanfield,
       Honorable Gregory Starr,
       Honorable Clifford L. Stanley,
       Major General (Ret.) Howard D. Standahl,
       Lieutenant General (Ret.) Mitchell Herman Stevenson,
       Lieutenant General (Ret.) Vincent Stewart,
       Ambassador (Ret.) Timothy Towell,
       Dr. Gregory F. Treverton,
       Major General (Ret.) F. Andrew Turley,
       Rear Admiral William S. Stokes,
       Ambassador (Ret.) Cynthia Stroum,
       Dr. Gordon Sumner, PhD,
       Ambassador (Ret.) Teddy Taylor,
       Ambassador (Ret.) Harry Thomas,
       Mr. Jack Thomas Tomarchio,
       Dr. Michael H. Van Dusen,
       Ambassador (Ret.) Alexander Vershbow,
       Ambassador (Ret.) Melanne Verveer,
       Ambassador (Ret.) Marcelle M. Wahba,
       Ambassador (Ret.) Jake Walles,
       Brigadier General (Ret.) George H. Walls, Jr.,
       Brigadier General (Ret.) Steve Warnstadt,
       Ambassador (Ret.) Alexander Watson,
       Brigadier General (Ret.) Marianne Watson,
       Ambassador (Ret.) Linda E. Watt,
       Ambassador (Ret.) Earl Anthony Wayne,
       Honorable Andy Weber,
       Honorable William H. Webster,
       Lieutenant General (Ret.) Jack Weinstein,
       Ambassador (Ret.) Allan Wendt,
       Mr. Louis M. Werdebach,
       Ambassador (Ret.) Alexa Wesner,
       Ambassador (Ret.) David Bruce Wharton,
       Ambassador (Ret.) Kevin Whitaker,
       Ambassador (Ret.) Barry B. White,
       Ambassador (Ret.) Pamela White,
       Mr. Jon A. Wiant,
       Ambassador (Ret.) Bisa Williams,
       Major General (Ret.) Michael Wilson,
       Ambassador (Ret.) Frank G. Wisner,
       Brigadier General (Ret.) Kevin B. Wooton,

[[Page H6031]]

       Captain Pamela Jean Wynfield,
       Ambassador (Ret.) Kenneth Spencer Yalowitz,
       Ambassador (Ret.) John M. Yates,
       Ambassador (Ret.) Stephen M. Young,
       Ambassador (Ret.) Marie L. Yovanovitch,
       Honorable Joseph Zengerle,
       Honorable Jane B. Zimmerman.

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