Qualifications
These two tweets from the Republican Party outline the qualifications of Heather Nauert to be U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations:
Before we review her resume in detail, here are the qualifications of her predecessors.
Nikki Haley served six years in the South Carolina House of representatives and was in the middle of serving her second term as Governor of South Carolina prior to her nomination to be our Ambassador to the UN.
Samantha Power worked as a foreign policy fellow in the office of then-Senator Barack Obama in 2005 and 2006. She was a foreign policy advisor for his 2008 presidential campaign but had to resign after she called Hilary Clinton a "monster." She was a member of Obama's National Security Council from 2009 through 2013. Then she was nominated and confirmed as the U.S. Ambassador to the UN.
Susan Rice was a member of President Clinton's National Security Council from 1993 to 1997. Then she was appointed as Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs, a position she held for more than three years. She worked at the Brookings Institute as a Senior Fellow on foreign policy issues until joining the 2008 Obama presidential campaign as a senior foreign policy advisor.
Zalmay Khalizad was the U.S. Ambassador to Afghanistan from Nov 2003 through June of 2005. He then became U.S. Ambassador to Iraq from June of 2005 until March of 2007. His resume in foreign policy issues dates back to 1979 when he was a Professor of Political Science at Columbia University's School of International and Political Affairs. He worked on foreign policy issues during the Carter, Reagan and Bush Sr, administrations.
John Bolton's resume is long and distinguished. Only a Democratic filibuster prevented him from being confirmed as the U.S. Ambassador to the UN, although he did serve in that role for 17 months through a recess appointment to the job.
John Danforth was elected to two terms as Attorney General of Missouri and then to three terms as U.S. Senator from Missouri before being nominated as U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations.
John Negroponte was the U.S. Ambassador to the UN from September of 2001 through June of 2004. Prior to that he'd been U.S. Ambassador to Honduras, Assistant Secretary of State for Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs, Deputy National Security Advisor, U.S. Ambassador to Mexico and U.S. Ambassador to the Philippines.
Richard Holbrooke was the Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs, U.S. Ambassador to Germany and Assistant Secretary of State for European and Canadian Affairs. He remains the only person in history to serve as Assistant Secretary of State for two different regions of the world.
The resumes of the predecessors of these men and women are equally distinguished.
* * *
Heather Nauert's career has been in journalism until April of 2017 when she was hired as U.S. State Department spokesperson. Since 3/13/2018 she has been the Acting Secretary of State for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs. That is a position that requires Senate confirmation, but it appears she was never nominated for that position.
She has all of one year and eight months of experience at the State Department. The fact that Trump is removing the position of U.S. Ambassador to the UN from his Cabinet doesn't reduce the need for a fully qualified and experienced individual to serve in that position.
Elliot Abrams spent eight years in high level State Department positions during the Reagan Administration. He was a Special Assistant to President George H. W. Bush and is now a senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations. When asked about Ms Nauert's qualifications to be our Ambassador to the UN, this is what he said:
"(Nauert) is very well-informed about any issue senators are likely to ask about, but what she's not experienced in is the political give-and-take she'll need to negotiate compromises at the UN."
Ms Nauert may be a fast study. But even as a non-Cabinet level position, the job she's been nominated to do requires more than months rather than years of related experience.
The Senate should reject her nomination.
.@realDonaldTrump’s nominee for UN Ambassador, Heather Nauert, has played a pivotal role in major diplomatic events, including:— GOP (@GOP) December 27, 2018
-Traveling to 26 countries
-Traveling with @SecPompeo on every State Department-led trip
-Providing vital support during the historic Singapore summit
.@realDonaldTrump’s nominee for UN Ambassador, Heather Nauert, has experience to lead, and has:— GOP (@GOP) December 28, 2018
-Served as Acting Undersecretary for Public Diplomacy & Public Affairs
-Served as Spokesperson for the Dept. of State
-Helped launch the 1st ministerial to Advance Religious Freedom
Before we review her resume in detail, here are the qualifications of her predecessors.
Nikki Haley served six years in the South Carolina House of representatives and was in the middle of serving her second term as Governor of South Carolina prior to her nomination to be our Ambassador to the UN.
Samantha Power worked as a foreign policy fellow in the office of then-Senator Barack Obama in 2005 and 2006. She was a foreign policy advisor for his 2008 presidential campaign but had to resign after she called Hilary Clinton a "monster." She was a member of Obama's National Security Council from 2009 through 2013. Then she was nominated and confirmed as the U.S. Ambassador to the UN.
Susan Rice was a member of President Clinton's National Security Council from 1993 to 1997. Then she was appointed as Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs, a position she held for more than three years. She worked at the Brookings Institute as a Senior Fellow on foreign policy issues until joining the 2008 Obama presidential campaign as a senior foreign policy advisor.
Zalmay Khalizad was the U.S. Ambassador to Afghanistan from Nov 2003 through June of 2005. He then became U.S. Ambassador to Iraq from June of 2005 until March of 2007. His resume in foreign policy issues dates back to 1979 when he was a Professor of Political Science at Columbia University's School of International and Political Affairs. He worked on foreign policy issues during the Carter, Reagan and Bush Sr, administrations.
John Bolton's resume is long and distinguished. Only a Democratic filibuster prevented him from being confirmed as the U.S. Ambassador to the UN, although he did serve in that role for 17 months through a recess appointment to the job.
John Danforth was elected to two terms as Attorney General of Missouri and then to three terms as U.S. Senator from Missouri before being nominated as U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations.
John Negroponte was the U.S. Ambassador to the UN from September of 2001 through June of 2004. Prior to that he'd been U.S. Ambassador to Honduras, Assistant Secretary of State for Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs, Deputy National Security Advisor, U.S. Ambassador to Mexico and U.S. Ambassador to the Philippines.
Richard Holbrooke was the Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs, U.S. Ambassador to Germany and Assistant Secretary of State for European and Canadian Affairs. He remains the only person in history to serve as Assistant Secretary of State for two different regions of the world.
The resumes of the predecessors of these men and women are equally distinguished.
* * *
Heather Nauert's career has been in journalism until April of 2017 when she was hired as U.S. State Department spokesperson. Since 3/13/2018 she has been the Acting Secretary of State for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs. That is a position that requires Senate confirmation, but it appears she was never nominated for that position.
She has all of one year and eight months of experience at the State Department. The fact that Trump is removing the position of U.S. Ambassador to the UN from his Cabinet doesn't reduce the need for a fully qualified and experienced individual to serve in that position.
Elliot Abrams spent eight years in high level State Department positions during the Reagan Administration. He was a Special Assistant to President George H. W. Bush and is now a senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations. When asked about Ms Nauert's qualifications to be our Ambassador to the UN, this is what he said:
"(Nauert) is very well-informed about any issue senators are likely to ask about, but what she's not experienced in is the political give-and-take she'll need to negotiate compromises at the UN."
Ms Nauert may be a fast study. But even as a non-Cabinet level position, the job she's been nominated to do requires more than months rather than years of related experience.
The Senate should reject her nomination.
posted by me at 5:25 AM
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