Thursday, September 30, 2010

Senate confirms State Dept nominations EXCEPT Robert Ford, Frank Ricciardone, Norman Eisen and Matt Bryza, then adjourns for midterm campaigns

The US Senate adjourned late Wednesday and the House of Representatives quickly followed Thursday morning. On their way out the door, our representatives managed to pass a measure to continue to fund the federal government until Dec. 3. So there will be no lights out for a couple of months, at least. 

Raul Yzaguirre
, the nominee for  the Dominican Republic was released from the hold and was confirmed. The nominations of Robert Stephen Ford (for Syria), Frank Ricciardone (for Turkey), Norman Eisen (for Czech Republic) and Matthew Bryza (for Azerbaijan) did not get their confirmation votes in the Senate and continue to be stuck in the hold placed on their nominations by various Senators. They could get the nod after Congress returns in December, they could get recess appointments, they could all get renominated in the 112th Congress -- we don't know. But what is sure as day is that we won't have an ambassador in three possible flashpoint missions for a while lot longer.  But who cares, right?   

The Senate confirmed various executive nominations for the State Department, USAID and related agencies on September 29 (see below):

PN1221 *      DEPARTMENT OF STATE
Raul Yzaguirre, of Maryland, to be Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of
the United States of America to the Dominican Republic.

PN1944 *      DEPARTMENT OF STATE
Alexander A. Arvizu, 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 Albania.

PN1950 *      DEPARTMENT OF STATE
Duane E. Woerth, of Nebraska, 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.

PN1952        DEPARTMENT OF STATE
Robert P. Mikulak, of Virginia, for the rank of Ambassador during his tenure of
service as United States Representative to the Organization for the Prohibition of
Chemical Weapons.

PN1988        DEPARTMENT OF STATE
Kristie Anne Kenney, 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 Kingdom of Thailand.

PN1989        DEPARTMENT OF STATE
Jo Ellen Powell, 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 Islamic Republic of Mauritania.

PN1991        DEPARTMENT OF STATE
Mark M. Boulware, 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 Chad.

PN1992        DEPARTMENT OF STATE
Christopher J. McMullen, 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 Angola.

PN1993 *      DEPARTMENT OF STATE
Joseph A. Mussomeli, 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 Slovenia.

PN1994        DEPARTMENT OF STATE
Wanda L. Nesbitt, of Pennsylvania, 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 Namibia.

PN1995        DEPARTMENT OF STATE
Karen Brevard Stewart, of Florida, 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 Lao People's Democratic Republic.

PN2128        DEPARTMENT OF STATE
Cameron Munter, 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 Islamic Republic of Pakistan.

PN2129        DEPARTMENT OF STATE
Pamela Ann White, of Maine, 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 The Gambia.

PN2091        UNITED STATES AGENCY FOR INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT
Nancy E. Lindborg, of the District of Columbia, to be an Assistant Administrator
of the United States Agency for International Development.

PN2098        UNITED STATES AGENCY FOR INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT
Donald Kenneth Steinberg, of California, to be Deputy Administrator of the United
States Agency for International Development.

PN1770 *      EXPORT-IMPORT BANK OF THE UNITED STATES
Osvaldo Luis Gratacos Munet, of Puerto Rico, to be Inspector General,
Export-Import Bank.

PN1850 *      AFRICAN DEVELOPMENT FOUNDATION
Mimi E. Alemayehou, Executive Vice President of the Overseas Private Investment
Corporation, to be a Member of the Board of Directors of the African Development
Foundation for a term expiring September 22, 2015.

PN1851 *      AFRICAN DEVELOPMENT FOUNDATION
Johnnie Carson, an Assistant Secretary of State (African Affairs), to be a Member
of the Board of Directors of the African Development Foundation for a term
expiring September 27, 2015.

PN1852 *      AFRICAN DEVELOPMENT FOUNDATION
Edward W. Brehm, of Minnesota, to be a Member of the Board of Directors of the
African Development Foundation for a term expiring September 22, 2011.

Confirmations - September 29, 2010





    2 comments:

    Jim Bullock said...

    The nominee for Syria is Robert (not Stephen) Ford. Syria + Turkey + Czech Republic + Azerbaidjan = 4 (vice 3) important US missions, or is one of them not important? JLB

    Anonymous said...

    JLB -
    Thanks for the comment. I inadvertently used Ford's middle name, an oversight. I corrected the phrase you pointed out. I supposed all US missions are important or there would not be an embassy present. But three of these missions in my view (Czech Rep excluded) are possible flashpoint posts for one reason or another. Did not articulate that well in my original post.