Tag Archives: SFRC Hearing

SFRC Confirmation Hearings 9/22/21: Nine Nominees For Ambassadorships, @StateDept, @USAID

September 21, 2021 By in Hearings, Nominations, SFRC, State Department, USAID Tags: , ,

 

The Senate is back in session and Wednesday is going to be a packed to the gills day with confirmation hearings via video conference for nine of President Biden’s nominees for ambassadorial posts as well as top jobs in Foggy Bottom and USAID.
Starting at 10:15 am, Sept 22:
Nides, Thomas R – The State of Israel – July 2021
Cohen, David L – Canada – August 2021
Telles, Cynthia Ann – Republic of Costa Rica- July 2021
Udall, Tom – New Zealand and the Independent State of Samoa – July 2021
State/DRL – Sarah Margon
Starting at 2:30 pm, Sept 22:
USAID – Atul Atmaram Gawande
Cronin, Claire D – Ireland – July 2021
Palmer, Virginia – Republic of Ghana – July 2021
Van Vranken, Howard A. Republic of Botswana- July 2021

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SFRC Confirmation Hearing: Marshall Billingslea to be Under Secretary for Civilian Security, Democracy, and Human Rights (J)

September 18, 2019 By in Hearings, Nominations, Political Appointees, Senators, SFRC, State Department, Trump Tags: , , , ,

 

On September 19, the Senate Foreign Relations Committee will have a confirmation hearing for  four Trump nominees including Marshall Billingslea to be the Under Secretary for Civilian Security, Democracy, and Human Rights (J) at the Department of State. This office oversees five bureaus and four offices.
Mr. Billingslea was originally nominated in 2018, and re-nominated in January 2019.

Via WH, August 21, 2018:

Marshall Billingslea of Virginia, to be Under Secretary for Civilian Security, Democracy, and Human Rights at the Department of State.

Mr. Billingslea currently serves as Assistant Secretary for Terrorist Financing of the Treasury Department. Previously, he worked for Deloitte as a Managing Director; the Department of Defense as Deputy Under Secretary of the Navy, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Special Operations/Low Intensity Conflict, and Deputy Assistant Secretary for Negotiations Policy; the NATO Headquarters in Brussels, Belgium, as Assistant Secretary General for Defense Investment; and the United States Senate Committee on Foreign Relations as a senior staff member in national security affairs. Mr. Billingslea is the recipient of the Secretary of Defense Medal for Outstanding Public Service, the Cross of Merit of the Minister of Defence of the Czech Republic, and the Order of the Cross of Terra Mariana of Estonia. Mr. Billingslea earned his B.A. from Dartmouth College and M.A. from the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University.

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UN Ambassador Nominee Kelly Craft Gets a Senate Grilling, But Why Is Mitch Still Smiling?

June 28, 2019 By in Ambassadors, Hearings, Huh? News, international organizations, Nominations, Political Appointees, SFRC, Trends, Trump, U.S. Missions, UN Tags: , , , , , ,

Help Fund the Blog | Diplopundit 2019 — 60-Day Campaign from June 5, 2019 – August 5, 2019

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SFRC Hearings: Goldstein, Gonzales, Johnson, Evans, Lawler #OBE

November 6, 2017 By in FSOs, Hearings, Nominations, Officially In, Political Appointees, SFRC Tags: , , , , , , , , ,

Posted: 12:18 am ET
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We missed the Nov 1 confirmation hearings at the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, so this is an OBE post. We are posting them below to easily retrieve the nominees’ prepared testimonies and provide a link to the video.  We have also added links to the Certificates of Competency for Chiefs of Mission. Per Section 304 of the Foreign Service Act of 1980, Certificates of Competency must be presented to the Senate Foreign Relations Committee for presidential nominees to be Chief of Mission that demonstrate the competence of [a] nominee to perform the duties of the position in which he or she is to serve. Unfortunately, there is no such requirements for top ranking nominees in the State Department.

Date: Wednesday, November 1, 2017
Time: 10:00 AM
Location: SD-419
Presiding: Senator Portman

Click here for the video of the confirmation hearing.

Mr. Irwin Steven Goldstein
Of New York, To Be Under Secretary Of State For Public Diplomacy
Download Testimony

Ms. Rebecca Eliza Gonzales
Gonzales, Rebecca Eliza – Kingdom of Lesotho – September 2017
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 Kingdom Of Lesotho |
Download Testimony

Ms. Lisa A. Johnson
Johnson Lisa A. – Republic of Namibia – October 2017
Of Washington, 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 Namibia
Download Testimony

Mr. James Randolph Evans
(certificate not available at state.gov as of 11/2/2017)
Of Georgia, To Be Ambassador Extraordinary And Plenipotentiary Of The United States Of America To Luxembourg
Download Testimony

Mr. Sean P. Lawler
of Maryland, To Be Chief Of Protocol, And To Have The Rank Of Ambassador During His Tenure Of Service
Download Testimony

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WED 9/27 SFRC AM Hearings: Fitzpatrick (Timor-Leste), Kritenbrink (Vietnam)

September 27, 2017 By in FSOs, Hearings, Nominations, SFRC Tags: , , , ,

Posted: 10:54 am PT
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Date: Wednesday, September 27, 2017
Time: 10:30 AM
Location: SD-419
Presiding: Senator Gardner

The prepared statements and live video of the hearings are available here.  Hyperlinked below are the Certificates of Competency for Nominees to be Chiefs of Mission per  Section 304 of the Foreign Service Act of 1980.

Nominations

Ms. Kathleen M. Fitzpatrick
Of The District Of Columbia, 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 Republic Of Timor-Leste
Fitzpatrick Kathleen M. Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste August 2017

Mr. Daniel J. Kritenbrink
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 Socialist Republic Of Vietnam
Kritenbrink, Daniel J. Kritenbrink – Socialist Republic of Vietnam – Comp Statement – August 2017
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9/19 SFRC Hearings: Jon Huntsman Jr. (Russia), Wess Mitchell (State/EUR)

September 19, 2017 By in Hearings, Nominations, Political Appointees, SFRC Tags: , , ,

Posted: 12:47 am ET
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The SFRC is holding two hearings today, one for Ambassador Huntsman’s nomination to be the next Ambassador to Russia, and the second, Wess Mitchell’s nomination to be Assistant Secretary of State for the EUR Bureau.

Date: Tuesday, September 19, 2017
Time: 10:00 AM
Location: SD-419
Presiding: Senator Corker

Panel One

The Honorable Jon M. Huntsman, Jr.
Of Utah, To Be Ambassador Extraordinary And Plenipotentiary Of The United States Of America To The Russian Federation
His Certificate of Demonstrated Competence per Foreign Service Act, Section 304(a)(4) is available here.

Panel Two

Mr. A. Wess Mitchell
Of Virginia, To Be An Assistant Secretary Of State (European And Eurasian Affairs)

The prepared statements and live video of the hearing will be available here.

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SFRC Confirmation Hearings: Ambassador Nominees Michael A. Raynor, Maria E. Brewer, and John P. Desrocher

July 28, 2017 By in FSOs, Hearings, Nominations, SFRC Tags: , , , , , ,

Posted: 3:12 am ET
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We missed this one but last Wednesday, the SFRC held a confirmation hearing on the nominations of three career diplomats to be ambassadors to Ethiopia, Sierra Leone, and Algeria.

Date: Wednesday, July 26, 2017
Time: 10:00 AM
Location: SD-419
Presiding: Senator Flake

The video is available to watch here.

Nominees

The Honorable Michael Arthur Raynor
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 Federal Democratic Republic Of Ethiopia
Download Testimony

Ms. Maria E. Brewer
Of Indiana, 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 Sierra Leone
Download Testimony

Mr. John P. Desrocher
Of New York, A Career Member Of The Senior Foreign Service, Class Of Minister-Counselor, To Be Ambassado Extraordinary And Plenipotentiary Of The United States Of America To The People’s Democratic Republic Of Algeria
Download Testimony

 

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July 20 SFRC Hearing: Kay Bailey Hutchison to be U.S. Ambassador to NATO

July 20, 2017 By in Hearings, international organizations, Nominations, Officially In, Political Appointees, SFRC, Trump Tags: , , , , ,

Posted: 1:22 am ET
Updated: 11:48 am PT
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The Senate Foreign Relations Committee (SFRC) is holding a confirmation hearing on the nomination of former Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison to be the next U.S. Ambassador to NATO.

Date: Thursday, July 20, 2017
Time: 09:30 AM
Location: SD-419
Presiding: Senator Corker

A live video of the hearing and the prepared testimony will be posted here when available.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Per Section 712 of the Department of State Authorities Act, Fiscal Year 2017, the State Department is required to post the Certificates of Competency online within seven days of transmittal to the Senate.  As of this writing, there is no report available online for Senator Hutchison.

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July 20 SFRC Hearing: Kathleen Troia McFarland to be U.S. Ambassador to Singapore

July 20, 2017 By in Hearings, Nominations, Officially In, Political Appointees, SFRC, Trump Tags: , , , , ,

Posted: 1:14 am ET
Updated: 11:50 am PT
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The Senate Foreign Relations Committee (SFRC) is holding a confirmation hearing on the nomination of K.T. McFarland to be U.S. Ambassador to Singapore.

Date: Thursday, July 20, 2017
Time: 09:30 AM
Location: SD-419
Presiding: Senator Corker

A live video of the hearing and the prepared testimony will be posted here when available.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Below is the Certificate of Demonstrated Competence report made available online by the State Department per Section 712 of the Department of State Authorities Act, Fiscal Year 2017:

SUBJECT: Ambassadorial Nomination: Certificate of Demonstrated Competence — Foreign Service Act, Section 304(a)(4)

POST: Republic of Singapore

CANDIDATE: Kathleen Troia McFarland

Kathleen Troia McFarland, a prominent national security analyst, television commentator, political nominee and former senior U.S. Government official, has served as the Deputy National Security Advisor in the National Security Council at the White House since the advent of the Trump Administration. Ms. McFarland has a strong background in foreign policy, government service and political engagement. She was a Candidate for the U.S. Senate in New York in 2006 and for the U.S. House of Representatives, 12th District of New York in 2005. Her demonstrated ability to lead large, complex government institutions, engage effectively in high-level political endeavors, tackle numerous challenges with great intellectual acumen and clearly articulate U.S. government policy make her an excellent candidate for U.S. Ambassador to Singapore.

Previously, Ms. McFarland was a freelance national security commentator on Fox News in New York City and the District of Columbia (2013-2016) and occasionally made public appearances as a guest on other television networks (2007-2013). She served as a staff member of the Senate Armed Services Committee (1991), on the staff of the National Security Council (1970-1976), both in Washington, District of Columbia, and as a Senior Speechwriter and Assistant to the Secretary and Deputy Secretary of Defense, Department of Defense, Arlington, Virginia (1982-1985). In the interims, she raised her family of five children.

Ms. McFarland earned a Ph.D. from Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts, a B.A./M.A. from the University of Oxford, Oxford, England and a B.A. from George Washington University, Washington, District of Columbia. She received a Distinguished Civilian Service Award from the Department of Defense. She is a Member of the Council on Foreign Relations.

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July 20 SFRC Hearing: Lewis M. Eisenberg to be U.S. Ambassador to Italy and San Marino

July 20, 2017 By in Hearings, Nominations, Officially In, Political Appointees, SFRC, Trump Tags: , , , , ,

Posted: 1:05 am ET
Updated: 11:49 am PT
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Today, the Senate Foreign Relations Committee (SFRC) is holding a confirmation hearing on the nomination of Lewis M. Eisenberg to be U.S. Ambassador to Italy and San Marino.

Date: Thursday, July 20, 2017
Time: 09:30 AM
Location: SD-419
Presiding: Senator Corker

A live video of the hearing and the prepared testimony will be posted here when available.

Below is the Certificate of Demonstrated Competence report made available online by the State Department per Section 712 of the Department of State Authorities Act, Fiscal Year 2017:

SUBJECT: Ambassadorial Nomination:  Certificate of Demonstrated Competence — Foreign Service Act, Section 304(a)(4)

POST: Italian Republic and the Republic of San Marino

CANDIDATE: Lewis M. Eisenberg

Lewis M. Eisenberg is a prominent American financier and investor. He is a co-founder and managing partner of Ironhill Investments in New York. From 1995-2001 Mr. Eisenberg was the Chairman of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, responsible for overseeing the region’s international airports and seaports, bridges, tunnels and the World Trade Center. He was named a Founding Board Member of the Lower Manhattan Development Corporation, formed after the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, and he chaired its Victims’ Families and Transportation Advisory Councils (2001-2003). Mr. Eisenberg is an Emeritus Member of Cornell University’s Johnson Graduate School of Management Advisory Council and Life Member of the Cornell University Council. Mr. Eisenberg’s demonstrated business acumen and engaged leadership in philanthropy as well as partnering with state and local governments on complex issues, make him well-qualified to serve as Ambassador to the Italian Republic.

Mr. Eisenberg was Senior Advisor for Kohlberg Kravis Roberts (2009-2015), Co-Chairman of Granite Capital International Group, both in New York (1990-2011), and spent 23 years at Goldman Sachs, where he served as General Partner and Co-head of the Equity Division. He has served on numerous boards over four decades, including ITC and Granum Communications LLC, as well as the Boards of St. Barnabas Health Care System, Monmouth Medical Center and New York Service for the Handicapped.

Mr. Eisenberg earned a B.A. from Dartmouth College, Hanover, New Hampshire in 1964 and an M.B.A. from Cornell University, Ithaca, New York in 1966.  He is the recipient of numerous awards and has been honored by the American Jewish Committee, the National Conference for Community and Justice, Monmouth University, Liberty Science Center, the Boys and Girls Clubs of Newark, New Jersey, and the New Jersey Alliance for Action.

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