Al Franken: “that is too bad. There is no one else in this body who believes that Sam Heins shouldn't be Ambassador to Norway or that…”

“that is too bad. There is no one else in this body who believes that Sam Heins shouldn't be Ambassador to Norway or that we shouldn't be sending an ambassador to Norway, and/or that Azita Raji wouldn't be perfect to be Ambassador to Sweden. This is really a shame. It is another sad moment, frankly. Let me talk a little bit about Sam Heins. Sam is from Minnesota, home of more Norwegian Americans than any other State. I think we have more Swedish Americans, as well, than any other State. Norway is an important NATO ally, as Senator Klobuchar so ably put it. We coordinate on important security issues. We have important collaborations in Minnesota among our universities and in the private sector in this country on research projects, renewable energy, health care, and other areas. Confirming an ambassador to Norway--especially such a highly qualified ambassador--is especially important to the people in my State. More than 20 percent of Minnesotans trace their ancestry to Norway. There are more Norwegian Americans living in Minnesota than any other State. Sam Heins is a very distinguished Minnesotan who has worked on behalf of women's rights, human rights, and victims of torture. We have a center in Minnesota for victims of torture. It is a shining example of our State and of our country. Sam has been nominated to serve as our next Ambassador to Norway. He is being blocked, unfortunately, for reasons that are totally unrelated to his qualifications.…”