The White House on Tuesday resubmitted to Congress its list of about 100 stalled nominees requiring Senate confirmation, a necessary procedural action that highlights President Joe Biden’s struggles to secure valuable votes to install key personnel in his administration.
The list includes Barbara Leaf for assistant secretary of state for Near Eastern affairs, Steven Fagin for ambassador to Yemen, Tamara Coffman Wittes for assistant administrator overseeing the Middle East at the US Agency for International Development, and Deborah Lipstadt for special envoy to combat anti-Semitism.
It also includes two Muslim nominees: Mohsin Raza Syed for assistant secretary of transport and Dilwar Syed for deputy administrator of the Small Business Administration.
Senate Republicans — especially Ted Cruz of Texas — stalled the advancement of several national security nominees last year, forcing Democrats to spend valuable floor time to vote to install them in office.
While Mr Biden only nominated Mr Fagin to serve as Yemen ambassador in December, the resubmission of his nomination comes as Houthi rebels hijacked a UAE-flagged cargo ship off the port city of Hodeidah on Sunday, and as they continue to launch drone attacks against neighbouring Saudi Arabia.
The president nominated Ms Leaf to oversee US diplomacy in the Middle East in April, but Mr Cruz has stalled her nomination, citing dissatisfaction with her written letters to his office on Iran, Egypt and the Abraham Accords.
And James Risch, the top Republican on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, has delayed a confirmation hearing for Ms Wittes — a prerequisite for a floor vote — over a series of social media posts, including one critical of the Abraham Accords. Mr Biden nominated Ms Wittes for the post in July.
Republicans have also delayed the hearing for Ms Lipstadt, who was nominated in September, due to tweets that criticised members of their party.
