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Congressional Daily Record
This section covers nominations, confirmations, or other executive branch business. It mentions committees such as Committee on Foreign Relations, members such as Jeanne Shaheen.
Official title: EXECUTIVE CALENDAR
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September 30, 2026
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Download official Senate Record PDFReturn to issue contextMrs. SHAHEEN. Mr. President, I come to the floor this evening to try to discharge 10 career ambassadorial nominees from the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations.
America's national security, we have seen a complete hallowing out of our diplomatic service. Even with wars in the Middle East, in Sudan, Ethiopia, in Ukraine, and a growing Ebola crisis and strikes against United States bases and diplomatic facilities, over 100 diplomatic posts remain empty. Meanwhile, China—who I think almost everybody in this Chamber would acknowledge is the United States' biggest competitor—has 170 Ambassadors in posts around the world.
career Ambassadors to the Senate for consideration, only 13 career Ambassadors have been confirmed under this
administration. We need Ambassadors on the ground to keep Americans safe, to be held accountable by the Senate when things go wrong.
We have a crisis of U.S. leadership across the world. Not only has the President failed to nominate career experts to represent Americans, but he has gone a step further: He has arbitrarily recalled more than 30 career Ambassadors from countries across Africa, from the Middle East, from the Pacific, from the Western Hemisphere. These are all regions where the PRC is engaging our partners as we retreat.
doesn't just happen in the Indo-Pacific, and it doesn't just happen here at home, and it doesn't just happen in Africa or Latin America; it happens in every corner of the globe.
alternatives to China's debt-trap diplomacy tactics, shoring up our alliances, and attracting international talent are why we need Ambassadors to represent the United States on the ground across the globe.
American citizens and American infrastructure in the Middle East. If the Trump administration is serious about confronting China, we cannot let the Chinese write the future of foreign policy. This would be a dereliction of duty.
talking about, we have 100 vacancies across the world. What we see here is where the United States has not filled ambassadorial posts. All this white, we don't have Ambassadors in those places. Look at China. They have Ambassadors in all those places.
This isn't a partisan issue. When our allies and adversaries alike see the United States represented abroad, we need to speak with one voice. Career Ambassadors are nonpartisan public servants, often with decades of experience in the regions where they serve.
Senate Foreign Relations Committee the nominations of 10 career ambassadorial nominees, and I am here to urge the Trump administration to take seriously our national security agenda.
Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that notwithstanding rule XXII, the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations be discharged from further consideration of PN1255-12, Peter Lord, Ambassador to Benin; PN1255-9, Keith Heffern, Ambassador to Gabon; PN1022-36, Daniel Travis, Ambassador to Sierra Leone; PN1022-39, Henry Wooster, Ambassador to Kenya; PN1201-4, Joshua Harris, Ambassador to Malaysia; PN1255-15, Nutan Patel, Ambassador to Cabo Verde; PN1255-7, Steven Gillen, Ambassador to Kyrgyz Republic; PN1255-8, Charles Goodman, Ambassador to Togo; PN1255-13, John McIntyre, Ambassador to Malawi; and PN1255-6, Natasha Franceschi, Ambassador to Nicaragua; and that the Senate proceed to their en bloc consideration and vote without intervening action or debate; that if confirmed, the motion to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table with no intervening action or debate and the President be immediately notified of the Senate's action.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The question is, Will the Senate advise and consent to the nominations of Peter Lord, 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 Republic of Benin; Keith Heffern, 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 Gabonese Republic; Daniel Travis, 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 Republic of Sierra Leone; Henry Wooster, 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 Kenya; Joshua Harris, 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 Malaysia; Nutan Patel, of California, to be Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to the Republic of Cabo Verde; Steven Gillen, of Virginia, 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 Kyrgyz Republic; Charles Goodman III, of Florida, 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 Togolese Republic; John McIntyre, 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 Malawi; Natasha Franceschi, of California, 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 Nicaragua, en bloc?
The nominations were confirmed en bloc.
Mrs. SHAHEEN. Mr. President, just to clarify since I wasn't clear on one of the names, PN1255-15, Nutan Patel, N-U-T-A-N P-A-T-E-L, Ambassador to Cabo Verde.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Duly noted.
Mrs. SHAHEEN. Mr. President, I just want to point out how important it is to get our career Ambassadors on the ground, and hopefully, the administration will offer more career Ambassadors as nominees to the Senate.
I yield the floor.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Texas.