[Congressional Record Volume 168, Number 98 (Wednesday, June 8, 2022)]
[Senate]
[Page S2854]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]



             Unanimous Consent Request--Executive Calendar

  Mr. MARKEY. Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that at a time 
to be determined by the majority leader, in consultation with the 
Republican leader, the Senate proceed to executive session to consider 
Calendar No. 925, Alan M. Leventhal to be Ambassador to the Kingdom of 
Denmark; that there be 10 minutes for debate equally divided in the 
usual form on the nomination; and that upon the use or yielding back of 
time, the Senate vote without intervening action or debate on the 
nomination and the Senate resume legislative session.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there objection?
  The Senator from Mississippi.
  Mr. WICKER. Madam President, reserving the right to object, and I 
certainly hope we don't have to prolong this for very long, but I can 
report to Members of the Senate that there are Members on this side who 
have concerns about this particular nomination. Perhaps those matters 
can be resolved in short order. I certainly understand my friend from 
Massachusetts and his support for this nominee, and I respect that. In 
addition, there are larger issues involving actions and conduct of the 
State Department in Europe writ large that go beyond this nominee. 
Again, I hope the State Department will work with us on those important 
concerns. But for those stated reasons, I do object at this point.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The objection is heard.
  The Senator from Massachusetts.
  Mr. MARKEY. Madam President, I just want to say that I appreciate the 
position of the Senator from Mississippi, but I will say this on behalf 
of Alan Leventhal: He is a favorite son of Massachusetts. He has left 
an indelible mark on our community, on the surrounding community, and 
he has done just incredible work in his life.
  He is in a senior position at the Massachusetts Institute of 
Technology. He has worked to train the next generation of innovators 
and leaders. He has received broad accolades for his transformational 
work as chairman of the board of trustees at Boston University.
  In every professional, philanthropic, and personal endeavor, no 
matter how big or challenging, Alan has embodied excellence.
  The men and women of our Foreign Service and locally employed staff 
in Copenhagen will have an exceptional advocate and an accomplished 
manager and Ambassador, and our strong ally Denmark will get a 
committed partner with a direct line back to Washington to further 
strengthen our bilateral relationship. This is critical, as we rely on 
Denmark--a key member of NATO and of the European Union--to sustain its 
leadership role in defense of Ukraine in the wake of Russia's invasion.
  So I think it would be invaluable to have him on duty right now, 
especially at this critical time in European history. I understand the 
objection of the Senator from Mississippi, and I look forward to 
working with him and other Senators in order to find a route to 
removing the objection to this extremely qualified candidate as 
Ambassador to Denmark.
  I yield the floor.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Oklahoma.