Former Ambassadors urge swift confirmation of Joe Biden’s nominees

Akeem Alao

Over 30 former ambassadors have urged swift confirmation of Joe Biden’s nominees to Department of State and U.S. Mission to United Nations.

The call was made in a statement signed by the ambassadors on Tuesday January 12, 2021.

The former ambassadors urged the Senate to swiftly confirm Secretary of State-designate Antony Blinken and UN Ambassador-designate Linda Thomas-Greenfield.

According to the statement, Blinken is an experienced leader who will hit the ground running with crucial know-how and indispensable relationships with leaders around the world.

"Ambassador Thomas-Greenfield served for 35 years in the Foreign Service across four continents and is one of America’s most experienced diplomats. The group of former ambassadors wrote that both nominees are crisis-tested experts who will renew American leadership, rebuild our alliances and partnerships, and restore our credibility on the world’s stage," the statement reads.

"As former ambassadors, we are proud to affirm our strong support for the nominations of Mr. Antony Blinken as Secretary of State and Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield as U.S. Permanent Representative to the United Nations. Many of us have served with one or both of these exceptional nominees and can attest not only to their foreign policy capabilities but also to their strength of character.

"We urge the Senate to swiftly confirm these highly qualified and experienced officials so that they are ready to serve on day one of the Biden Administration," the statement says.

It adds, "Mr. Blinken and Ambassador Thomas-Greenfield’s combined decades of experience in foreign affairs and national security make them more than qualified for these vital roles.

"Their deep knowledge of State Department operations has prepared them for the essential job of revitalizing a workforce that has suffered from budget cuts, unexplained attacks by foreign adversaries, and even questions about their necessity to U.S. policymaking in recent years.

"They are crisis-tested experts who will renew American leadership, rebuild our alliances and partnerships, and restore our credibility on the world’s stage,"

"Mr. Blinken — having held top foreign affairs posts on Capitol Hill, in the White House, and as Deputy Secretary of State — is an experienced leader who will hit the ground running with crucial know-how and indispensable relationships with leaders around the world.

"He knows the State Department, understands the challenges it faces, and has a vision for both investing in its workforce and revitalizing American diplomacy.

"Ambassador Thomas-Greenfield, having served for 35 years in the Foreign Service across four continents, is one of America’s most experienced diplomats. She has tackled complex foreign policy challenges, including her service as the top State Department official in charge of Africa policy during the Ebola crisis. She also brings more than a decade of experience working on refugee and migration policy, including work on the frontlines of multilateral diplomacy during her service at the U.S. Mission to the UN in Geneva," it continues.

"Mr. Blinken and Ambassador Thomas-Greenfield are the leaders our country needs to meet the challenges of this century — not just the last one. That is why we’re urging the Senate to act as quickly as possible and confirm both nominees to begin the work of restoring American leadership and credibility," it concludes.