The greatest strength that you and our President have shown is in building our alliances in the Indo-Pacific.

We need to make sure Israel is successful. Hamas started this war.

Is there not also kind of an informal power that comes in the reverse if you do not have a confirmed nominee?

the Senate holds on ambassadorial nominees are harming our national interest.

And that is not just for the political appointees.

Is there not also kind of an informal power that comes in the reverse if you do not have a confirmed nominee?

Thanks, Chairman Sanders, thanks to the panel.

When Hamas attacked Israel on October 7, we did not have an ambassador in Egypt.

When the Houthis started to fire at U.S. and other ships in the Red Sea, we did not have an ambassador in Djibouti.

And that is not just for the political appointees.

We need our diplomats out and development experts out in the field showing up, actively engaged, representing the United States.

It seems like a big issue to me.

Holding up a nominee, particularly a career nominee for reasons unrelated to that individual's qualifications is something that needs to end.

Your confirmation gives those candidates a different level of standing.

the Senate holds on ambassadorial nominees are harming our national interest.

if we mattered to you, you would have someone here, right?

I'm going to be in Appalachian, Virginia tomorrow visiting the Allegheny Highlands Dental Center.

Other nations do that and they have much better health outcome than we do.