US senior diplomat urges Senate to ratify ambassador News

The ratification rate for U.S. ambassadors has lagged behind previous administrations.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blink has called on senators to confirm it President Joe BidenHe opts for ambassadorial posts around the world, saying the slow process is hampering foreign policy and national security.

Speaking on his trip to Indonesia on Tuesday, Blinken noted that the rate of ambassadors confirmed by the Senate was far behind previous administrations.

As of last week, Blinken said Biden had confirmed that only 16 percent of those elected to head embassies around the world were confirmed. In the last three administrations, until 1993, this number was between 70 and 90 percent of those appointed.

“This is a big problem,” Blinken said at a news conference in Jakarta. “For the sake of our national security, the Senate must act.”

Under Senate rules, a single senator can block the quick confirmation of ambassadors, usually initiating a lengthy process of working around the opposition.

Republican Sen. Ted Cruz has so far blocked dozens of candidates who are considered undisputed, trying to pressure the Biden administration to re-enter the opposition. Nord Stream 2 pipeline, which will deliver natural gas from Russia to Germany.

Last week, only nine ambassadors were confirmed for office, including senior diplomats from Turkey, Mexico, Canada, New Zealand, Austria, Singapore, Kosovo, Israel and the United Nations.

The other 54 have been confirmed by the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and are awaiting final approval by the plenary. Biden appointed 77 ambassadors by December 6.

Members of both political parties have warned that the absence of formal ambassadors in vacant positions could jeopardize relations with other countries, with some governments refusing to work with business leaders who hold office in the meantime.

“Public diplomacy is neutralized when you don’t have an ambassador,” Senator Chris Murphy told The Washington Post in October. “When six months or a year pass without a US ambassador, [foreign governments] I conclude that the value of the relationship is a judgment. ”

Speaking on Tuesday, Blinken added: “In almost every challenge we face, including Russia, China, and non-state factors, we stand in the way of national security and the lack of a full foreign policy team.”