State Department officials warned the Senate on Friday that 43 important diplomatic positions remain unfilled as of December, putting U.S. national security at great risk.
Nominees must be confirmed by the Senate before the end of the current session, which could end as soon as next week, or be renominated by President Joe Biden. One important nominee the department has noted is Kurt Campbell, who has been tapped to serve as deputy secretary of state to Antony Blinken.
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“Since the beginning of this administration, the State Department has endured a relentless attack on career Foreign Service nominees, in particular,” the department said in a statement obtained by the New York Times. “Unprecedented, unrelated demands and often inaccurate perceptions have permitted adversaries like China and Russia to gain diplomatic ground.”
The department said confirming Campbell was important for the department’s “critical work” with defending Ukraine, countering Chinese competition, and working “toward peace in the Middle East.” Campbell is the top White House policy aide on Asia.
Victoria Nuland, the department’s undersecretary of state for political affairs, has been serving as the department’s acting deputy in Campbell’s stead.
The delays come as fighting rages on in Ukraine and Gaza. However, the Senate recently confirmed Israel Ambassador Jack Lew in the wake of the Israel-Hamas war in October.
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It is unlikely that all candidates will be confirmed because 27 nominees remain stuck in the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, including some who have remained in the committee since 2022. But some could be confirmed quickly next week.
Sens. J.D. Vance (R-OH), Ted Cruz (R-TX), and Rand Paul (R-KY) have all blocked State Department nominations, which only require one senator to stop. Paul announced his blocks in June, which he said would remain until the Biden administration gave him documents related to the origins of the coronavirus. Paul has said he believes the virus leaked from a Chinese laboratory.
