S6240 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE December 2, 2014 Mr. MCCAIN. I ask unanimous con- around the world. The nomination of We’re not dealing with civil society mem- sent that I be allowed to address the Ms. is probably the most bers but paid political activists who are try- Senate on the pending nominations be- egregious example of that. ing to help foreign interests here. fore the Senate. is a close ally—in many re- Amazing. Orban, who has fueled em- The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without spects—but there is no doubt that since ployment with public works projects, objection, it is so ordered. taking office in 2010 the Hungarian said he wants to replace welfare soci- eties with a workfare state. But the f Prime Minister, Mr. Viktor Orban, has centralized power, has faced scrutiny main problem is that Mr. Orban is RESERVATION OF LEADER TIME due to actions that critics charge are cozying up to . He has The PRESIDING OFFICER. Under inconsistent with democratic prin- now entered into a nuclear deal, and he the previous order, the leadership time ciples and practices. His government is practicing the same kinds of anti- is reserved. has reduced the independence of Hun- democratic practices as what seems to f gary’s courts, pushed through con- be his role model—Vladimir Putin. troversial changes to the constitution, Mr. President, I ask unanimous con- EXECUTIVE SESSION and placed acute restrictions on non- sent that a letter to Mr. REID from the governmental organizations. In other 15 former presidents of the American Foreign Service Association be printed NOMINATION OF NOAH BRYSON words, this is a very important coun- try. This is a very important country in the RECORD. MAMET TO BE AMBASSADOR EX- There being no objection, the mate- TRAORDINARY AND PLENI- where bad things are going on. Ms. Bell’s experiences have been rial was ordered to be printed in the POTENTIARY OF THE UNITED RECORD, as follows: STATES OF AMERICA TO THE largely relegated to producing the tele- MARCH 6, 2014. ARGENTINE REPUBLIC vision ‘‘The Bold and the Beautiful.’’ Now, I am sure television DEAR SENATOR REID, Among the nominees for ambassadorships currently under consid- viewing is important in Hungary, but eration by the Senate, three have generated NOMINATION OF COLLEEN BRAD- the fact is this nominee is totally un- considerable public controversy: George LEY BELL TO BE AMBASSADOR qualified for this position in this coun- Tsunis (Norway), Colleen Bell (Hungary), and EXTRAORDINARY AND PLENI- try. Noah Mamet (Argentina). The nominations POTENTIARY OF THE UNITED Now, if it were, as I say, some Carib- of Mr. Tsunis and Ms. Bell have been for- STATES OF AMERICA TO HUN- bean country or some other, I would warded to the full Senate by the Senate For- GARY understand that. But here we are in a eign Relations Committee. relationship with a country where, ac- As former presidents of the American For- The PRESIDING OFFICER. Under eign Service Association, the professional as- cording to Bloomberg News, ‘‘Orban the previous order, the Senate will pro- sociation and trade union of career members says he seeks to end liberal democracy ceed to executive session to consider of the Foreign Service, we urge you to op- in Hungary. Hungarian Prime Minister the following nominations, which the pose granting Senate consent to these three Viktor Orban said he wants to abandon candidates. Although we have no reason to clerk will report. liberal democracy in favor of an doubt that the nominees are conscientious The legislative clerk read the nomi- ‘illiberal state,’ citing and Tur- and worthy Americans, the fact that they nations of Noah Bryson Mamet, of Cali- key as examples.’’ appear to have been chosen on the basis of fornia, to be Ambassador Extraor- By the way, we have an excellent their service in raising money for electoral campaigns, with minimal demonstrated dinary and Plenipotentiary of the DCM there in Hungary who has been of America to the Argen- qualifications for their posts, has subjected doing a great job. them to widespread public ridicule, not only tine Republic; and Colleen Bradley Ms. Bell has two qualifications. One Bell, of California, to be Ambassador in the U.S. but also abroad. As a result, their is she is a producer of a television soap effectiveness as U.S. representatives in their Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of opera. She has no experience in foreign host countries would be severely impaired the United States of America to Hun- policy or national security, no famili- from the start. Their nominations also con- gary. arity with the language, country, or vey a disrespectful message, that relations The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Sen- the region, has never been there, and with the host country are not significant ator from Arizona. lacks meaningful knowledge of history enough to demand a chief of mission with BELL NOMINATION relevant expertise. or economics. Her only significant These three nominations represent a con- Mr. MCCAIN. Mr. President, I don’t qualification is that she bundled, as tinuation of an increasingly unsavory and usually object to the appointments and the word is used, $800,000 to President unwise practice by both parties. In the words nominations by the administration to Obama in the last election, and as part of President Theodore Roosevelt, ‘‘The spoils various ambassadorial positions around of the California delegation to the 2012 or patronage theory is that public office is the world. I also understand there are Democratic convention, she bundled primarily designed for partisan plunder.’’ numbers of political supporters, finan- more than $2.1 million for President Sadly it has persisted, even after President cial supporters, and that this is char- Nixon’s acknowledged rewarding of ambassa- Obama’s reelection effort. dorial nominations to major campaign do- acteristic of Republican and Demo- I want to repeat again that I under- nors was exposed. Recognizing that the prac- cratic administrations alike. It has stand there are awards for political tice was inconsistent with democratic prin- never disturbed me when I have ob- support and it has grown with ‘‘bun- ciples, the U.S. Congress in the Foreign served nominees to a Caribbean coun- dling.’’ But when we send a person who Service Act of 1980 set the following guide- try or maybe to London or Paris or doesn’t know the language—has never lines: Berlin being rewarded for support both been to the country, has no familiarity SEC. 304. APPOINTMENT OF CHIEFS OF MISSION.— financial and otherwise. But now we in foreign policy or national security— (a)(1)An individual appointed or assigned are at a point where, according to the to a nation of this importance, then, to be a chief of mission should possess clear- Washington Post, modern Presidents my friends, we are making a serious ly demonstrated competence to perform the have generally followed a 70–30 rule on mistake. duties of a chief of mission, including, to the ambassadorial appointments—where 70 maximum extent practicable, a useful The Hungarian Prime Minister is knowledge of the principal language or dia- percent are career foreign service and distancing himself from the values lect of the country in which the individual is 30 percent are political appointees. shared by most European Union na- to serve, and knowledge and understanding President Obama has defied this his- tions. Orban said civil society orga- of the history, the culture, the economic and toric bipartisan political practice, and nizers receiving funding from abroad political institutions, and the interests of in his second term a shocking 53 per- needed to be ‘‘monitored,’’ as he con- that country and its people. cent of ambassadorial nominees have sidered those to be agents of foreign (2) Given the qualifications specified in been political. This brings his 2-term paragraph (1), positions as chief of mission powers. We are talking about the Inter- should normally be accorded to career mem- average to 37—far more than any ad- national Republican Institute, the Na- bers of the Service, though circumstances ministration in the past. What is very tional Democratic Institute, Freedom will warrant appointments from time to interesting is that some of these nomi- House, and others. time of qualified individuals who are not ca- nees are in very sensitive positions He said: reer members of the Service.

VerDate Sep 11 2014 03:24 Dec 03, 2014 Jkt 049060 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 4624 Sfmt 0634 E:\CR\FM\G02DE6.003 S02DEPT1 smartinez on DSK4TPTVN1PROD with SENATE December 2, 2014 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE S6241 (3) Contributions to political campaigns I yield the floor, and I suggest the ab- BELL NOMINATION should not be a factor in the appointment of sence of a quorum. The PRESIDING OFFICER. There is an individual as a chief of mission. The PRESIDING OFFICER. The now 2 minutes of debate equally di- (4) The President shall provide the Com- mittee on Foreign Relations of the Senate, clerk will call the roll. vided prior to the vote on the Bell with each nomination for an appointment as The legislative clerk proceeded to nomination. a chief of mission, a report on the dem- call the roll. Who yields time? onstrated competence of that nominee to Mr. MCCAIN. I ask unanimous con- The Senator from Arizona. perform the duties of the position in which sent that the order for the quorum call Mr. MCCAIN. We are about to vote on he or she is to serve. a totally unqualified individual to be (b)( 1) In order to assist the President in be rescinded. selecting qualified candidates for appoint- The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without Ambassador to a nation which is very ment or assignment as chiefs of mission, the objection, it is so ordered. important to our national security in- Secretary of State shall from time to time The question is, will the Senate ad- terests. Her qualifications are as the furnish the President with the names of ca- vise and consent to the nomination of producer of the television soap opera reer members of the Service who are quali- Noah Bryson Mamet, of California, to ‘‘The Bold and the Beautiful.’’ She con- fied to serve as chiefs of mission, together be Ambassador Extraordinary and tributed $800,000 to Obama in the last with pertinent information about such mem- election and bundled more than $2.1 bers. Plenipotentiary of the United States of (2) Each individual nominated by the America to the Argentine Republic? million for President Obama’s reelec- President to be a chief of mission, ambas- Mr. MCCAIN. I ask for the yeas and tion effort. sador at large, or minister shall, at the time nays. I am not against political appointees. of nomination, file with the Committee on The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there a I understand how the game is played, Foreign Relations of the Senate and the sufficient second? but here we are, a nation that is on the Speaker of the House of Representatives a There appears to be a sufficient sec- verge of ceding its sovereignty to a report of contributions made by such indi- neofacist dictator—getting in bed with vidual and by members of his or her imme- ond. diate family during the period beginning on The clerk will call the roll. Vladimir Putin—and we are going to the first day of the fourth calendar year pre- The legislative clerk called the roll. send the producer of ‘‘The Bold and the ceding the calendar year of the nomination Mr. DURBIN. I announce that the Beautiful’’ as our Ambassador. and ending on the date of the nomination. Senator from Ohio (Mr. BROWN), the I urge my colleagues to put a stop to The report shall be verified by the oath of Senator from Louisiana (Ms. LAN- this foolishness. I urge a ‘‘no’’ vote. the nominee, taken before any individual au- DRIEU), and the Senator from West Vir- The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Sen- thorized to administer oaths. The chairman ginia (Mr. ROCKEFELLER) are nec- ator from California. of the Committee on Foreign Relations of Mrs. BOXER. Mr. President, one the Senate shall have each such report print- essarily absent. ed in the Congressional Record. As used in Mr. CORNYN. The following Senators would think this is the first time any this paragraph, the term ‘‘contribution’’ has are necessarily absent: the Senator President ever nominated someone who the same meaning given such term by sec- from Oklahoma (Mr. COBURN), the Sen- is a political appointee. That is ridicu- tion 301(8) of the Federal Election Campaign ator from Mississippi (Mr. COCHRAN), lous. Just because somebody is a pro- Act of 1971 (2 U.S.C. 431(8)), and the term the Senator from Alaska (Ms. MUR- ducer of a very popular show doesn’t ‘‘immediate family’’ means the spouse of the KOWSKI), and the Senator from Kansas disqualify them. It is ridiculous. I nominee, and any child, parent, grandparent, could point out people who had the brother, or sister of the nominee and the (Mr. ROBERTS). spouses of any of them. The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. support of the Senator from Arizona During his 2008 election campaign, Presi- SCHATZ). Are there any other Senators who perhaps didn’t work at all. dent Obama recognized the appropriateness in the Chamber desiring to vote? So let’s be clear. This nominee is an of these guidelines, and promised to respect The result was announced—yeas 50, intelligent woman. She knows how to them. The time for the Senate to begin en- nays 43, as follows: be successful. She will do a good job. I forcing its own guidelines set forth in law for think she will do very well in this posi- [Rollcall Vote No. 293 Ex.] U.S. diplomatic chiefs of mission is now. The tion because I know her well. She nation cannot afford otherwise. YEAS—50 Sincerely, knows how to make friends. She is not Baldwin Harkin Pryor angry. Fifteen former presidents of the Amer- Begich Heitkamp Reed ican Foreign Service Association— Bennet Hirono Reid I yield the floor. Marshall Adair, Thomas Boyatt, Ken- Blumenthal Johnson (SD) Sanders The PRESIDING OFFICER. The neth Bleakley, Theodore Eliot, Booker Kaine Schatz question is, Will the Senate advise and Franklyn A Harris, William Harrop, Boxer Klobuchar Schumer consent to the nomination of Colleen Cantwell Leahy Dennis Hays, J. Anthony Holmes, Lars Shaheen to be Ambassador extraor- Cardin Levin Stabenow Hydle, Susan Johnson, Alphonse La Carper Manchin Tester dinary and plenipotentiary of the Porta, John Limbert, John Naland, Casey Markey Udall (CO) United States of America to Hungary? Lannon Walker, Theodore Wilkinson. Coons McCaskill Udall (NM) Mr. BARRASSO. I ask for the yeas Mr. MCCAIN. They say: Donnelly Menendez Durbin Merkley Walsh and nays. As former presidents of the American For- Feinstein Mikulski Warner The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there a eign Service Association, the professional as- Warren Franken Murphy sufficient second? sociation and trade union career members of Gillibrand Murray Whitehouse the Foreign Service, we urge you to oppose Hagan Nelson Wyden There appears to be a sufficient sec- granting Senate consent to these three can- ond. NAYS—43 didates . . . The clerk will call the roll. Alexander Flake McConnell The assistant legislative clerk called They mention George Tsunis to Nor- Ayotte Graham Moran way, Colleen Bell to Hungary, and Barrasso Grassley Paul the roll. Noah Mamet to Argentina. I think we Blunt Hatch Portman Mr. DURBIN. I announce that the should pay attention to these former Boozman Heinrich Risch Senator from Louisiana (Ms. LAN- Burr Heller Rubio DRIEU), and the Senator from West Vir- distinguished members of the diplo- Chambliss Hoeven Scott ginia (Mr. ROCKEFELLER) are nec- matic corps. Coats Inhofe Sessions Collins Isakson I urge my colleagues for once to vote Shelby essarily absent. Corker Johanns against a totally unsuitable nominee Thune Mr. CORNYN. The following Senators Cornyn Johnson (WI) Toomey to be Ambassador to a very critical Crapo King are necessarily absent: the Senator country in a struggle that is going to Cruz Kirk Vitter from Oklahoma (Mr. COBURN), the Sen- go on for a long time, as Colonel Vladi- Enzi Lee Wicker ator from Mississippi (Mr. COCHRAN), mir Putin tries to extend the reach of Fischer McCain the Senator from Alaska (Ms. MUR- Russia and restore the old Russian Em- NOT VOTING—7 KOWSKI), and the Senator from Kansas pire. We will be sending a message by Brown Landrieu Rockefeller (Mr. ROBERTS). this appointment that it really isn’t Coburn Murkowski The PRESIDING OFFCIER. Are there that important. I urge my colleagues Cochran Roberts any other Senators in the Chamber de- to cast a ‘‘no’’ vote. The nomination was confirmed. siring to vote?

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