us embassy morroco
© Bl HarbertThe U.S. Embassy in Morocco which is currently without an ambassador in residence.
President Trump is more than half-done with his first term, but in many countries, his foreign policy remains on the runway as Democrats force massive delays on ambassador confirmation votes. Now, Trump allies backed by veteran diplomats are urging a fight as key posts go unfilled.

Data reviewed by the Washington Examiner show delays longer than in recent administrations, with some nominees waiting since 2017 for a vote.

"They need to be there, in place, doing their jobs. Long delays in the appointments of ambassadors needlessly damage U.S. security," said Rep. Devin Nunes, R-Calif., the ranking member of the House intelligence committee.

Andy Surabian, a Republican strategist and former Trump White House official, said Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell should heighten the stakes.

"McConnell should today announce he is canceling August recess unless Democrats stop blocking ambassador nominees. Watch how quickly Democrats will fold," Surabian said. "It's two years into the [Trump] presidency. It's time for Republicans in the Senate to play hardball."

Although Democrats hold a minority of Senate seats, arcane rules allow them to force time-consuming individual votes on ambassadors, meaning McConnell, the Kentucky Republican, is forced to prioritize the ones he considers most important.

Historically, most ambassadors were confirmed in mere months in voice votes. Delays grew late in President Barack Obama's administration. Under Trump, many nominees have waited more than 500 days, topped by Doug Manchester, nominee to be envoy to the Bahamas, who has waited 785 days.

David Fischer has waited 586 days to be ambassador to Morocco, an Arab kingdom with unique links to Israel, as the administration prepares a Mideast peace plan. The previous four ambassadors to Morocco waited on average 94 days.

Kenneth George, nominee to be ambassador to Uruguay, one of the few nations to oppose Trump in an ongoing power struggle in Venezuela, has waited 457 days: almost a year longer than Obama's final ambassador to the country, who waited 128 days.

Joseph Cella, nominee to go to Fiji, and Leandro Rizzuto Jr, nominee for Barbados and six smaller Caribbean nations, have each waited 548 days. Donald Tapia, the nominee for Jamaica, and John Rakolta Jr., nominee for the United Arab Emirates, have each waited 415 days.

The lack of permanent ambassadors matters, said Princeton University professor Daniel Kurtzer, ambassador to Egypt under President Bill Clinton and ambassador to Israel under President George W. Bush.

"Ambassadors play an essential role in executing our foreign policy," Kurtzer said. "When the Senate delays confirmations, it hampers the work of our embassies and weakens our ability to achieve our policy goals. Simply put, it makes no sense."


Comment: If the goal is to hamstring Trump's foreign policy, it makes perfect sense.


Alexander Vershbow, U.S. ambassador to NATO under Clinton and ambassador to Russia and South Korea under Bush, said, "Senate delays reduce the effectiveness of our embassies abroad by depriving them of high-level leadership that can speak with authority to the governments and citizens of foreign nations."

"It also sends a more general message that the United States — not just the Trump administration, but the Congress — doesn't take diplomacy seriously any more," Vershbow said. "It further erodes the professionalism and morale of our Foreign Service."

Dennis Jett, ambassador to Peru and Mozambique under Clinton, said: "Being represented at a lower level for an extended period of time will often lessen the effectiveness of the embassy," noting, "someone with an 'acting' title may have less access to top policymakers and would probably have less of a personal relationship with them than an ambassador would normally have."

But Jett, the author of a book that skeptically analyzes ambassador selections, said each case is unique and that Trump's "incoherent" policies and in cases arguably unqualified nominees reduces his concern.

Several pending nominees declined to comment. But some have told associates they have been kept in the dark about what substantive objections, if any, senators have. Most haven't seen negative reporting, though long-waiting Manchester was criticized in a press report for his management style.

A Schumer spokesman didn't respond to requests for comment. A McConnell aide pointed to Democrats blocking uncontroversial nominations as the root cause. In a Senate floor speech Tuesday, McConnell cited a range of other positions being impacted.

This year, McConnell shortened nomination debate time from 30 hours to two, allowing quick votes after 50 senators support cloture. But unclogging the backlog has been slow. Last month, McConnell forced a vote on Ronald Johnson, who waited nearly nine months to be ambassador to El Salvador. But he didn't force debate on others.

Although Democrats are broadly culpable, Republicans may be responsible in some cases. Dropped nominees Francisco Palmieri to Honduras and Joseph Macmanus to Colombia were stalled by Republican Sens. Ted Cruz of Texas, Marco Rubio of Florida, and Mike Lee of Utah.

Rizutto, awaiting confirmation to Barbados, circulated negative snipes at Cruz during the 2016 presidential campaign. Cruz's office didn't immediately respond to a request for comment.
Steven Nelson joined the Washington Examiner as a White House reporter after five years at U.S. News & World Report. He attended the College of William and Mary and lives in Washington, D.C.