Thursday, July 30, 2009

SFRC Clears 16 More Ambassador-Nominees

On July 28, 2009, the following nominations were reported out of committee by Senator Kerry of the Committee on Foreign Relations. These nominees are mostly for African posts (non-controversial and all that), so I expect that majority of these would get confirmation before the Senate breaks on August 7 for the summer.

Also, I have not heard of any Senator complained about human rights in Saudi Arabia so General James Smith’s nomination is probably safe from that Senate hold and jam that has currently snared NEA-boss designate, Jeffrey Feltman (for an entirely different reason). Um, don’t worry Senator Sam Brownback and 20 of his Senate friends are too busy working on banning mermaids and centaurs right now (S.1435, I kid you not!). Still, it might get a little tricky for the two WHA nominees (Honduras and ethanol issues if I remember right) … so we’ll be watching how this develops…

Arturo A. Valenzuela, of the District of Columbia, to be an Assistant Secretary of State (Western Hemisphere Affairs), vice Thomas A. Shannon, Jr., resigned.

Thomas Alfred Shannon, Jr., of Virginia, 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 Federative Republic of Brazil.

Patricia A. Butenis, 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 Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, and to serve concurrently and without additional compensation as Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to the Republic of Maldives.

Charles Aaron Ray, 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 the Republic of Zimbabwe.

Gayleatha Beatrice Brown, 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 Burkina Faso.

Earl Michael Irving, of California, 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 Kingdom of Swaziland.

Pamela Jo Howell Slutz, of Texas, 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 Burundi.

Patricia Newton Moller, of Arkansas, 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 Guinea.

Jerry P. Lanier, of North Carolina, 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 Uganda.

Alfonso E. Lenhardt, of New York, to be Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to the United Republic of Tanzania.

Samuel Louis Kaplan, of Minnesota, to be Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to the Kingdom of Morocco.

James B. Smith, of New Hampshire, to be Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

Miguel Humberto Diaz, of Minnesota, to be Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to the Holy See

Fay Hartog-Levin, of Illinois, to be Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to the Kingdom of the Netherlands.

Stephen J. Rapp, of Iowa, to be Ambassador at Large for War Crimes Issues, vice John Clint Williamson, resigned.

Donald Henry Gips, of Colorado, to be Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to the Republic of South Africa.

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