This week, the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee approved President Joe Biden’s nomination of former U.S. Treasury Sec. Jack Lew to be the U.S. ambassador to Israel.
Lew cleared the committee on a 12-9 vote and is now headed to the full Senate. With Democrats in control of the chamber, the Senate is expected to approve the nomination.
U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., stressed his opposition to the nomination.
“America’s next ambassador to Israel must stand unequivocally with our strongest Middle East ally in the wake of barbaric attacks by Iranian-backed Hamas and Hezbollah terrorists. The United States must be represented by a person of utmost integrity, sound judgment, and a track record of excellence,” Rubio said. “After thorough review of Mr. Lew’s qualifications record, including his history of misleading and lying to members of Congress, I will not support his nomination for this critical post.”
U.S. Sen. Ben Cardin, D-Mary., who leads the committee, expressed his support of the nomination, noting that U.S. Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., backed Lew.
“I am pleased to see Jack Lew’s nomination advance through the Foreign Relations Committee today with bipartisan support. The urgency to confirm this highly-qualified nominee has never been greater. Israel is at war, and the United States needs an experienced, Senate-confirmed ambassador on the ground working hand in hand with our Israeli partners. The U.S. team at Mission Israel is the best in the field, but there is no substitute for a Senate-confirmed ambassador,” said Cardin.
“Jack Lew has the expertise, temperament, and established record of public service needed for this critical diplomatic post. He has the confidence of President Biden, who went to Israel on a historic trip in the early days of this conflict to show solidarity with our ally. Lew’s credibility across the international community is undeniable, and his in-depth knowledge about the region will play a critical role in strengthening the U.S.-Israel relationship moving forward,” Cardin added. “It’s a challenging time to step into this role, but he is the right person at the right time to rise to this challenge. It is imperative that he receive swift confirmation from the full Senate in another display of strong bipartisan support for Israel.
“I am also pleased the committee advanced the other critical nominees today, including an ambassador to Egypt at a time when we are working closely with the Egyptian government on the conflict in Israel. It is imperative we promptly confirm national security nominees in the Senate to protect and advance U.S. interests,” Cardin said in conclusion.
Earlier in the month. U.S. Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla., said he would vote against Lew.
