Joe Biden has announced his intent to choose two new ambassadors while dozens of previous elections are still pending. Biden has picked United States Deputy Permanent Representative to the United Nations Richard Mills Jr. to serve as the Ambassador to the Federal Republic of Nigeria. The president also nominated Ann Marie Yastichock, the Elderly Deputy Assistant Administrator at USAID’s Bureau for Asia, to work as the ambassador to the Independent State of Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, and the Republic of Vanuatu.
The Biden regime has been noteworthy for the variety of vacant ambassadorial positions that have remained unoccupied throughout the president’s time in office.
As of this writing, the American Foreign Service Association lists 56 unfilled positions, including the ambassadors to the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Romania, Netherlands, Iceland, Italy, Cuba, Chile, and Afghanistan. Of these, Biden presently has nominees for 34 of the diplomatic roles.
There has been no United State’s Ambassador to India for the last 18 months– the lengthiest time the placement has actually been held vacant in virtually 30 years. Biden nominated Eric Garcetti, the mayor of Los Angeles, in July of 2021.
Kenneth Juster, the ambassador to India that was assigned by former President Donald Trump, left the office in January 2021.
Claims that Garcetti recognized an elderly aide’s participation in the unwanted sexual harassment of coworkers inevitably slowed his nomination, which is still pending.
“Garcetti is one of dozens of Biden administration nominees whose cases have been stuck with the US Senate for months,” reports the Hindustan Times. “Some, such as Ed Gonzalez, Biden’s choice to lead immigration and customs enforcement, have withdrawn their nomination due to the long delays. Gonzalez announced his withdrawal last month after his case was stalled for more than a year.”
Throughout 18 months in office, Biden has chosen 80 individuals for ambassadorial settings. Only 12 have been verified by the US senate.
United State Secretary of State Antony Blinken criticized the Senate for standing up the procedure and causing extensive vacancies in US Embassies in December.
“As of last week, only 16 percent of our ambassadors have been confirmed,” Blinken said, per PBS. “At this point in the last three administrations, the number was between 70 percent and 90 percent.”
Former Ambassador to Bulgaria Eric Rubin told the outlet that America needs “to have ambassadors representing our country, representing the president.”
“We have got a lot of diplomacy to do in this very messy world right now. And without an ambassador, we don’t have access to the senior leaders,” Rubin said during an interview. “We don’t have the coordinating function that an ambassador has to play. So we’re really tying both our hands behind our back.”
Among the Biden ambassadorial nominees that have been confirmed is the former ambassador to Japan Caroline Kennedy, that now serves as the ambassador to Australia. Kennedy was nominated on May 5, 2022, four months after her appointment.
H/T Timcast
