[Congressional Record Volume 170, Number 96 (Wednesday, June 5, 2024)]
[Senate]
[Pages S3970-S3971]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]



                Nomination of Stephanie Sanders Sullivan

  Mr. CARDIN. Mr. President, we shortly will be voting on the 
nomination of Stephanie Sanders Sullivan to be the U.S. Representative 
to the African Union, and I take this time, as chairman of the Senate 
Foreign Relations Committee, to urge my colleagues to support that 
nomination.
  The African Union is the only continent-wide multilateral 
organization for diplomatic engagement and the advancement of peace and 
security in Africa. The U.S. Ambassador to the African Union plays a 
key role in representing the United States and advancing our national 
interests within this international body.
  The AU is critically important to helping find a diplomatic solution 
to conflicts on the continent, such as the ongoing war in Sudan. That 
conflict has led to the impending famine and what credible 
organizations have called genocide. It will not be resolved without AU 
participation. We should be there to support the AU's vital efforts, 
but we have been absent.
  The AU is also an essential voice in articulating continent-wide 
values related to democracy, good governance, respect for human rights, 
and gender equality--all values that we share.
  The alarming trend of democratic backsliding in the Sahel cannot be 
reversed without AU involvement. We should be there to support its 
efforts in this area, but we have not been.
  No, Mr. President, we have not been there, while the Chinese have 
been very active.
  It is critically important that we have confirmed representatives to 
represent our national security interests. When we don't have Senate-
confirmed representatives, it gives openings for our adversaries.
  China is there. We are not because we have not confirmed this 
Ambassador position. It is against our national security interest to 
leave these positions unfilled because of a lack of Senate action.
  This nomination has languished since February of 2023. For nearly a 
year and

[[Page S3971]]

a half, the United States has been a no-show, allowing others to engage 
in our absence. During this time, the United States has missed 
opportunities to add its voice and engagement to essential 
conversations on economic integration, the promotion of justice and the 
rule of law, durable solutions to crisis, and citizen engagement that 
impact the entire African continent.
  China has been active. We have been missing.
  We must get ourselves back into the game in the continent, and the 
nominee under consideration is well positioned to do this. Ambassador 
Sullivan has held numerous positions focusing on advancing U.S. 
interests in Africa. She has served as Ambassador to the Republic of 
Ghana and the Republic of Congo and as Deputy Assistant Secretary of 
State for the State Department's Bureau of African Affairs. Ambassador 
Sullivan is an experienced diplomat who knows and understands the 
continent and has demonstrated leadership skills that will serve us 
well at the AU headquarters.
  I urge my colleagues to vote yes on cloture and yes on the 
confirmation of Ambassador Stephanie Sullivan to be the next U.S. 
Ambassador to the African Union. Let's get this done, and let's get 
this done today.
  With that, I yield the floor.