Washington, D.C. – U.S. Sen. Jim Risch (R-ID), chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, today convened a committee business meeting during which members voted out 23 nominees and seven other pieces of legislation.
“I am pleased that our committee was able to come together today and vote out a sizable number of the president’s nominees, as well as seven very important resolutions,” said Risch. “Today we made great strides in staffing up the State Department by advancing to the floor Mr. R. Clarke Cooper, Mr. Keith Krach, and Brigadier General David Stilwell (Ret.) to fill under secretary and assistant secretary roles. Additionally, the committee moved General John Abizaid (Ret.) and Ambassador Matthew Tueller one step closer to confirmation. We badly need their representation in Saudi Arabia and Iraq, respectively, and I am glad that we have moved them forward. I am hopeful that this forward momentum will continue and we can advance them out of the Senate without further delay.
“Among the seven resolutions that passed the committee today on a variety of issues, I am particularly pleased to see the NATO resolution that I coauthored with a bipartisan group of colleagues advance to the Senate floor. As we will tomorrow mark the 70 th anniversary of the alliance, it is an excellent time to affirm our commitment to NATO and our allies. Additionally, the committee advanced a noteworthy resolution commending our friend and ally Canada for upholding the rule of law in response to the United States’ extradition request of a Huawei executive, and expressing concern about the Chinese government’s actions in response, including the continued arbitrary detention of two Canadian citizens. This resolution makes it all the more clear that we stand by our friends in Canada unfailingly.”
The full list of legislation and nominees advanced from today’s business meeting is below.
LEGISLATION
1. S. Res. 23, a resolution supporting the goals and ideals of Countering International Parental Child Abduction Month and expressing the sense of the Senate that Congress should raise awareness of the harm caused by international parental child abduction, with an amendment
2. S. Res. 27, a resolution calling for a prompt multinational freedom of navigation operation in the Black Sea and urging the cancellation of the Nord Stream 2 pipeline
3. S. Res. 35, a resolution supporting democratic principles and standards in Bolivia and throughout Latin America, with an amendment
4. S. Res. 67, a resolution expressing the sense of the Senate on the importance and vitality of the United States alliances with Japan and the Republic of Korea, and our trilateral cooperation in the pursuit of shared interests, with an amendment
5. S. Res. 95, a resolution recognizing the 198th anniversary of the independence of Greece and celebrating democracy in Greece and the United States
6. S. Res. 96, a resolution commending the Government of Canada for upholding the rule of law and expressing concern over actions by the Government of the People's Republic of China in response to a request from the United States Government to the Government of Canada for the extradition of a Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd. Executive
7. S. Res. 123, a resolution supporting the North Atlantic Treaty Organization and recognizing its 70 years of accomplishments
NOMINATIONS
8. General John. P. Abizaid, United States Army, Retired, of Nevada, to be Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
9. Mr. Stephen Akard, of Indiana, to be Director of the Office of Foreign Missions, with the rank of Ambassador
10. Mr. John Barsa, of Florida, to be an Assistant Administrator of the United States Agency for International Development (Latin America and the Caribbean)
11. Ms. Lynda Blanchard, of Alabama, to be Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to the Republic of Slovenia
12. Mr. Joseph Cella, of Michigan, to be Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to the Republic of Fiji, and to serve concurrently and without additional compensation as Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to the Republic of Kiribati, the Republic of Nauru, the Kingdom of Tonga, and Tuvalu
13. Mr. R. Clarke Cooper, of Florida, to be an Assistant Secretary of State (Political-Military Affairs)
14. The Honorable Jane L. Corwin, of New York, to be Commissioner on the part of the United States on the International Joint Commission, United States and Canada
15. Mr. Michael J. Fitzpatrick, of Virginia, a Career Member of the Senior Foreign Service, Class of Minister-Counselor, to be Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to the Republic of Ecuador
16. The Honorable Kenneth S. George, of Texas, to be Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to the Oriental Republic of Uruguay
17. The Honorable Brett P. Giroir, of Texas, to be Representative of the United States on the Executive Board of the World Health Organization
18. Dr. Jeffrey Ross Gunter, of California, to be Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to the Republic of Iceland
19. Mr. Ronald Douglas Johnson, of Florida, to be Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to the Republic of El Salvador
20. Mr. W. Patrick Murphy, of Vermont, a Career Member of the Senior Foreign Service, Class of Minister-Counselor, to be Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to the Kingdom of Cambodia
21. Mr. Mark Rosen, of Connecticut, to be United States Executive Director of the International Monetary Fund
22. Mr. Daniel N. Rosenblum, of Maryland, a Career Member of the Senior Executive Service, to be Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to the Republic of Uzbekistan
23. Mr. Robert K. Scott, of Maryland, a Career Member of the Senior Foreign Service, Class of Counselor, to be Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to the Republic of Malawi
24. The Honorable Robert C. Sisson, of Michigan, to be Commissioner on the part of the United States on the International Joint Commission, United States and Canada
25. Mr. Donald R. Tapia, of Arizona, to be Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to Jamaica
26. The Honorable Matthew H. Tueller, of Utah, a Career Member of the Senior Foreign Service, Class of Minister-Counselor, to be Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to the Republic of Iraq
27. Mr. Lance V. Yohe, of North Dakota, to be Commissioner on the part of the United States on the International Joint Commission, United States and Canada
28. Mr. Keith Krach, of California, to be an Under Secretary of State (Economic Growth, Energy, and the Environment), United States Alternate Governor of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, United States Alternate Governor of the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development, and United States Alternate Governor of the Inter-American Development Bank
29. Brigadier General David Stilwell, USAF, Retired, of Hawaii, to be an Assistant Secretary of State (East Asian and Pacific Affairs)
30. Mr. Kip Tom, of Indiana, for the rank of Ambassador during his tenure of service as U.S. Representative to the United Nations Agencies for Food and Agriculture