ICYMI: On Senate Floor, Shaheen Pushes to End GOP Partisan Brinkmanship Obstructing Key Ambassador Confirmations

**Shaheen delivered floor remarks last week calling on Republicans to stop their unprecedented obstruction around advancing key nominations, which jeopardizes U.S. national security** 

(Washington, DC) – U.S. Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), a senior member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and Chair of the Europe and Regional Security Cooperation Subcommittee, delivered remarks on the Senate floor yesterday calling for unanimous consent to advance seven pending ambassadorial nominations. She underscored that with 50 unconfirmed ambassadors, Republicans’ obstruction jeopardizes U.S. national security, including our ability to confront adversaries like Russia and China. Shaheen highlighted how this obstruction undermines the traditionally bipartisan commitment in the Senate to advance wholly qualified candidates to serve our country and advance U.S. foreign policy.

Shaheen began: “Earlier this week, Victoria Nuland, Under Secretary at the Department of State, testified that the United States’ foreign diplomacy is operating at quarter power, as a consequence of the numerous holds that have been placed on Ambassadorial appointments by just a few of our Republican colleagues.”

She continued by outlining what’s at stake for U.S. national security: “At a time when we know there are significant challenges taking place in Europe – particularly as Russia threatens to invade Ukraine – we have very little presence in Europe because of Ambassadorial vacancies. We should be working with the EU, NATO and our European allies to combat Russian aggression. But because of opposition from just a few of our Republican colleagues, we don’t have Ambassadors in most of these countries.”

Shaheen concluded by slamming Republicans for prioritizing political games over U.S. interests: “As I think about the challenges that are facing this country, I can't think of anything that is more harmful to our foreign policy than deliberately hampering this country's ability to advance American interests on the international stage.”

Her remarks can be viewed in full here.

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