[Congressional Record Volume 168, Number 61 (Wednesday, April 6, 2022)]
[Senate]
[Page S1999]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                     NOMINATION OF JAMES C. O'BRIEN

  Mr. MENENDEZ. Mr. President, I rise today to express my support for 
the nomination of James O'Brien to be Coordinator of Sanctions Policy 
at the U.S. Department of State.
  At a time when we must keep the pressure on Putin to end his 
unprovoked, brutal, and illegal war against Ukraine, we need 
experienced officials at the helm to ensure that we are using every 
sanctions tool against Russia. As the power of our sanctions has been 
amplified by working closely with our allies and partners around the 
world, the long-term success of those efforts will be greatly enhanced 
by having a Senate-confirmed official in place to ensure that those 
coordination efforts continue and that we maximize the costs on 
Russia's economy.
  Mr. O'Brien is exactly the type of leader that the Office of 
Sanctions Coordination needs. And he brings impressive substantive 
expertise and professional background to this role.
  Mr. O'Brien is a former career employee of the State Department and 
recipient of numerous performance awards. He has served two U.S. 
administrations as a special envoy, for Hostage Affairs, and for the 
Balkans. Over the course of his career at the State Department, he has 
led a large and successful sanctions program and advised on a range of 
issues, including peace negotiations in Europe, scientific and 
environmental agreements, and initiatives to investigate and prosecute 
persons responsible for war crimes.
  In addition, Mr. O'Brien has negotiated agreements protecting 
intellectual property rights for scientific cooperation with China, 
promoted environmentally sound international trade regulations for 
hazardous and recyclable materials, and worked to make public-private 
partnerships and corporate social responsibility an important element 
in American foreign policy. As the first Presidential Envoy for Hostage 
Affairs, he helped establish the office and worked for the safe return 
of 100 American citizens.
  I have no doubt that he will bring the same dedication and rigor to 
advancing and coordinating U.S. sanctions policy as he has his prior 
roles.
  I strongly support confirming Mr. O'Brien. His confirmation will be 
critical to enhancing our sanctions efforts at this critical time. I 
urge my colleagues to join me in supporting his nomination, along with 
all of the foreign affairs nominations pending before this body, to 
advance our national security interests and improve our representation 
abroad.

                          ____________________