A leading Democrat Senator admitted Thursday that the slow pace of confirming President Trump’s nominees for key Ambassadorships is a “significant problem.”
The Hill reports:
A Democrat on the Foreign Relations Committee expressed frustration Thursday over the slow pace of confirmations for President Trump’s ambassador nominees, saying he would push Senate minority leader Charles Schumer (D –N.Y.) to bring them to the floor for a vote.
Speaking on the Hugh Hewitt radio show, Sen. Chris Coons (D-Md.) said it is a “significant problem” that the Senate has not confirmed ambassadors to 25 “critical nations,” including South Korea and South Africa. Coons also singled out Germany as a problem spot. Last September, Trump tapped former U.S. spokesman to the United Nations Richard Grenell to represent the U.S. there, but Grenell has still not had a confirmation vote.
“This one’s dragged on far too long,” Coons said. The Maryland Democrat promised Hewitt, who is friends with Grenell, that he’d push Schumer to vote on the matter.
“The vacancy in Germany has gone on just far too long,” Coons said. “And I’ll be glad to press for Grenell to get a vote, because we shouldn’t have a country as significant as Germany, we shouldn’t have any country without an ambassador, but that’s a major European power.”
“Even Dems are now admitting that its time to act on @realDonaldTrump‘s Ambassador nominees. They should start with @RichardGrenell and then vote on every other nominee sitting in Senate purgatory. #ConfirmGrenell, Andrew Surabian, former Special Assistant to President Trump,” tweeted.
On Wednesday, Adam Kredo of The Washington Free Beacon reported that Germany is not only upping its anti-Israel measures but also mulling efforts to sell chemical weapons technology to terror-sponsor Iran.
Alarmed by the report, Trump supporters have set out to get #ConfirmGrenell trending on Twitter.
Photo credit: ALX
Free Beacon reports:
U.S. officials are increasingly alarmed by a congressional block on President Donald Trump’s pick to be the next ambassador to Germany, a holdup that comes as Berlin pursues a host of anti-Israel measures and is growing closer to Iran, according to multiple administration insiders who spoke to the Washington Free Beacon.
As Democrats in Congress continue to hold the nomination of Richard Grenell, a veteran Republican diplomat who was tapped by Trump to serve as the next U.S. ambassador to Germany, the post remains vacant, sparking concerns the United States is ceding leverage amid sensitive discussions regarding the future of the landmark Iran nuclear deal.
The vacancy also has left the United States with little voice to combat a series of anti-Israel efforts being pursued by the German government. Trump administration insiders are becoming increasingly fed-up with the block on Grenell, telling the Free Beacon that U.S. diplomats currently helming the post have been bungling critical national security priorities, including the Iran portfolio and recent efforts by Germany to sell Tehran sensitive equipment used by the Bashar al-Assad regime in Syria to produce chemical weapons.
Jack Posobiec, independent journalist and author of the book ‘Citizens for Trump‘ kicked things off.
https://twitter.com/JackPosobiec/status/976501040488046593
“Let’s not forget that Jake Tapper spread fake news that @RichardGrenell may be a secret Russian agent,” Posobiec added.
https://twitter.com/JackPosobiec/status/976502366437609472
“POTUS has repeatedly called for the senate to confirm @RichardGrenell. What are you waiting for @SenateMajLdr? Call a vote; force @SenSchumer & @TheDemocrats to defend the indefensible,” GOP insider Arthur Schwartz tweeted.
https://twitter.com/ArthurSchwartz/status/976490235432460288
Leading grassroots conservative activist Scott Presler tweeted, “I’ve called @SenateMajLdr‘s office so many times that I memorized his number. Call Senator McConnell & ask him to allow a vote on the Senate floor to #ConfirmGrenell. 202-224-2541#WednesdayWisdom.”
I've called @SenateMajLdr's office so many times that I memorized his number.
Call Senator McConnell & ask him to allow a vote on the Senate floor to #ConfirmGrenell.
202-224-2541#WednesdayWisdom
— #ThePersistence (@ScottPresler) March 21, 2018
“As Democrats in Congress continue to hold up the nomination of @RichardGrenell (nominated in September of last year) the United States is ceding leverage amid discussions regarding the future of the Iran nuclear deal,” Nick Short of Security Studies Group tweeted.
https://twitter.com/PoliticalShort/status/976488220656414720
.@SenSchumer & @SenateMajLdr, enough is enough. The American people demand Congress move to #ConfirmGrenell as U.S. Amb. to Germany NOW. pic.twitter.com/oAmGI3GAtT
— Josh Caplan (@joshdcaplan) March 21, 2018
