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SFRC Approves 33 Critical Foreign Policy Nominations

Chairman Menendez vows to continue push to break through Republican obstructionism

WASHINGTON  – U.S. Senator Bob Menendez (D-N.J.), Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, today released the following statement after the Committee voted to approve 33 State Department, United States Agency for International Development (USAID), and other critical foreign policy nominations. The nominations move favorably to the Senate Floor for consideration by the full Senate.

“As the United States faces an unprecedented confluence of challenges on the world stage, our security, interests, and ability to advance our values and assert global leadership should not be imperiled by the obstructionism of those infatuated with playing politics with our entire national security infrastructure,” said Chairman Menendez. “When it comes to confirming heavily vetted and highly qualified nominees, I intend to continue scheduling as many hearings and votes as possible to ensure we have empowered diplomats and development professionals in place to promote American values and interests around the world. I am proud the Committee fulfilled its responsibilities today and look forward to working with my colleagues to secure these nominees’ confirmation on the Senate Floor.”

Menendez has repeatedly condemned Senate Republicans’ continued obstructionism of nominee confirmations, which has resulted in unwarranted delays that threaten our national security and undermine our interests. Today’s extensive business meeting agenda was the latest in a string of efforts by Chairman Menendez in recent months to break through Senate Republicans’ blockade of critical national security nominations (here, here, here, and here).

Find a list of approved nominations below:

1.     Mr. David L. Cohen, of Pennsylvania, to be Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to Canada

2.     The Honorable Julieta Valls Noyes, of Virginia, a Career Member of the Senior Foreign Service, Class of Career Minister, to be an Assistant Secretary Of State (Population, Refugees, and Migration)

3.     The Honorable Denise Campbell Bauer, of California, to be Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of The United States of America to the French Republic, and to Serve Concurrently and Without Additional Compensation as Ambassador Extraordinary And Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to the Principality Of Monaco

4.     Ms. Julianne Smith, of Michigan, to be United States Permanent Representative on the Council of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, with the Rank and Status of Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary

5.     Dr. C.S. Eliot Kang, of New Jersey, to be an Assistant Secretary of State (International Security and Non-Proliferation)

6.     The Honorable Marcia Stephens Bloom Bernicat, of New Jersey, a Career Member of the Senior Foreign Service, Class of the Minister-Counselor, to be Director General of the Foreign Service

7.     The Honorable Adam Scheinman, of Virginia, to be Special Representative of the President for Nuclear Nonproliferation, with the rank of Ambassador

8.     The Honorable Bathsheba Nell Crocker, of the District of Columbia, to be Representative of the United States of America to the Office of the United Nations and Other International Organizations in Geneva, with the rank of Ambassador

9.     Dr. Michael Carpenter, of the District of Columbia, to be U.S. Representative to the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, with the rank of Ambassador

10.  Mr. Troy Damian Fitrell, of Virginia, 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 Guinea

11.  The Honorable Michael Raynor, of Maryland, 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 be the Republic of Senegal, and to serve concurrently and without additional compensation as Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to the Republic of Guinea-Bissau

12.  Mr. Marc Ostfield, of Pennsylvania, a Career Member of the Senior Executive Service, to be Ambassador to the Republic of Paraguay

13.  The Honorable Claire D. Cronin, of Massachusetts, to be Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United State of America to Ireland

14.  Ms. Sharon L. Cromer, of New York, a Career Member of the Senior Foreign Service, Class of Career Minister, to be Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to the Republic of Gambia

15.  The Honorable Mark Gitenstein, of Washington, to be Representative of the United States of America to the European Union, with the rank and status of Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary

16.  Mr. Kent Doyle Logsdon, of Pennsylvania, a Career Member of the Senior Foreign Service, Class of Minister Counselor, to be Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States to the Republic of Moldova

17.  The Honorable Jack A. Markell, of Delaware, to be Representative of the United States of America to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, with the rank of Ambassador

18.  Ms. Cindy McCain, of Arizona, for the rank of Ambassador during her tenure of service as U.S. Representative to the United Nations Agencies for Food and Agriculture

19.  The Honorable Jeffry Lane Flake, of Arizona, to be Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to the Republic of Turkey

20.  The Honorable Virginia E. Palmer, 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 Ghana

21.  Ms. Caryn R. McClelland, of California, a Career Member of the Senior Foreign Service, Class of Minster-Counselor, to be Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to Brunei Darussalam

22.  Ms. Claire A. Pierangelo, of California, 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 Madagascar, and to serve concurrently and without additional compensation as Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to the Union of Comoros 

23.  Captain C.B. Sullenberger III, of Texas, for the rank of Ambassador during his tenure of service as Representative of the United States of America on the Council of the International Civil Aviation Organization

24.  Dr. Cynthia Ann Telles, of California, to be Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to the Republic of Costa Rica

25.  The Honorable Tom Udall, of New Mexico, to be Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to New Zealand, and to serve concurrently and without additional compensation as ambassador extraordinary and plenipotentiary of the United States of America to the Independent State of Samoa

26.  Mr. Howard A. Van Vranken, of California, 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 Botswana

27.  Mr. David John Young, 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 Malawi 

28.  The Honorable Thomas R. Nides, of Minnesota, to be Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to the State of Israel

29.  The Honorable Laura S. H. Holgate, of Virginia, to be Representative of the United States of America to the International Atomic Energy Agency, with the rank of Ambassador, and to be Representative of the United States of America to the Vienna Office of the United Nations, with the rank of Ambassador

30.  Mr. Steven C. Bondy, of New Jersey, 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 Bahrain

31.  Mr. Jeffrey M. Hovenier, of Washington, 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 Kosovo

32.   Ms. Victoria Reggie Kennedy, of Massachusetts, to be Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to the Republic of Austria

33.  Mr. Michael J. Murphy, of New York, 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 Bosnia and Herzegovina

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