According to White House officials, the White House has been frantically trying to start the Senate confirmation procedure for President Joe Biden‘s choice for ambassador to Israel.
According to three people familiar with the plans, Jack Lew, a former Treasury secretary & White House chief of staff under the Obama administration, could now be confirmed by the Senate Foreign Relations Committee as early as October 18. Lew was put forward by Biden more than a month ago.
This week, the Senate is not in session. However, the White House officials expressed their optimism that senators from both parties would concur with the president that Lew needed to be confirmed as soon as possible given the conflict between Israel and Hamas.
Everyone is aware of its significance, according to a White House representative.
More than 1,200 individuals have perished in the fighting so far, more than 570 of them in Gaza and the West Bank, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry, and at least 700 in Israel, according to the military. Nine Americans have died in the fight, according to the Biden administration, and more are reportedly missing.
The Senate must “immediately” confirm Biden’s replacement after he returns, according to Tom Nides, a former ambassador to Israel.
“They must conclude the committee hearing. He must be on the floor. He’ll make a fantastic ambassador, and he must be present, added Nides. “Ambassadors are crucial at all times. They are much more crucial at times of crisis.
Several Democratic senators concur.
Politics shouldn’t be discussed right now. Sen. Chris Murphy of Connecticut said in a statement on Sunday that the Senate should expeditiously schedule committee hearings to speed up the confirmation of the remaining nominees and approve those still needing votes on the first day of the new session. Republicans and Democrats must cooperate to assist our ally Israel.
Sen. Chris Coons, a Democrat from Delaware, pointed out that the United States lacks ambassadors in a number of the region’s nations, and he claimed that partisan fighting that causes these vacancies “sends a dangerous signal & encourages adventurism by our adversaries.”
Coons recommended that the Senate expedite the confirmation process via committee and the floor.
The candidates for the positions of U.S. ambassador to Oman, Kuwait, and Coordinator for Counterterrorism at the State Department are all awaiting a vote on the Senate floor. The candidates for the positions of American ambassador to Israel and Egypt as well as USAID’s assistant administrator for the Middle East are awaiting committee hearings.
Additionally, the State Department Coordinator for Counterterrorism has not been confirmed for nearly two years, and there has not been a top USAID officer for the Middle East in nearly three years.
Republicans in the Senate will have a say in how long Lew’s confirmation would take, and Texas Senator Ted Cruz, whose opposition to previous Middle East nominees has caused delays, has expressed worries about Lew in particular.
However, officials from the White House stated that they think the Senate should be able to operate more normally and move quickly to schedule a hearing for Lew. Early the next week, the Senate is expected to return to Washington.
Lew is “eager” to start working, according to an official, and the White House hopes he receives bipartisan support for confirmation.
Under President Bill Clinton, Lew oversaw the Office of Management and Budget.
Lew worked to provide “crucial funding” for Israeli missile defense systems on several occasions, according to a White House official, in order to protect citizens from attacks. In that capacity, he assisted in the development of the memorandum on understanding at OMB on multiyear funding for Israel while working to sustain it during the Obama administration.
Lew also served as the deputy secretary of state for administration and resources, and he was credited with playing a “key role” in aiding Israel’s application to join the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, according to a White House representative.