Energy Policy Modernization Act of 2015

Floor Speech

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Ms. KLOBUCHAR. Mr. President, I came to the Senate floor earlier this month to talk about the importance of moving forward on the nominations of the Ambassadors to two important allies to the United States of America, and that is Norway and Sweden. These are countries that have been our true friends through many wars. They have been our true friends economically--some of the top investors in America--and they have been countries that are good examples of democracy and good examples of countries that believe in human rights. Yet we have not been able to confirm an ambassador to either country.

I do want to, first of all, say that in the case of Sweden, it has been 462 days since the President nominated Azita Raji to be Ambassador, and in the case of Norway, it has been 853 days since that country has had a U.S. Ambassador. I will get to those details. In this case, the nominee is Sam Heins from the State of Minnesota, where, by the way, we have over 1 million people of Scandinavian descent--1.5 million people who do not understand why every major nation in Europe has an ambassador but not these two Scandinavian countries.

I thank Senator McConnell, the majority leader, and Senator Reid for their work in trying to advance these nominees to the floor. They have negotiated. Senator Corker and Senator Cardin are both supportive of these nominees.

I think it is important to note that this is not a typical story of delay. These nominees went through the committee without any objection. They were not controversial, nor are they controversial today. It is a fact that Senator Cruz has some issues that are completely unrelated to these nominees but also completely unrelated to Norway and Sweden. The issue is that while Senators do from time to time put temporary holds on nominees, this has gone on too long, and I am hopeful--in an article today in the Minneapolis Star Tribune about irked Scandinavians in our State, Senator Cruz's staff has said that they are engaged in good- faith discussions with other Senators and have made clear there have been no issues raised with these particular nominees in this story. I think that is very important, and we hope we are going to move forward.

27, 2016] Minnesotan Scandinavians Irked as Ted Cruz Blocks Ambassador Nominees (By Allison Sherry) Norway has been without an ambassador for more than 800 days and Sweden tops 400 days without a U.S. representative

Washington.--Presidential hopeful Sen. Ted Cruz is blocking a vote in the U.S. Senate to confirm the Norwegian and Swedish ambassador nominations.

The move by the Texas Republican has angered some members of Minnesota's sizable Scandinavian communities, as Norway has been without an ambassador for more than 800 days and Sweden tops 400 days without a U.S. representative.

Staffers from Cruz's office didn't say anything negative about the people appointed by President Obama to the posts, including Norway ambassador nominee Sam Heins from Minnesota. Cruz has continued to block the nominees as he has worked to build support for another initiative that is putting him at odds with the White House.

Cruz, who is critical of the Chinese government, has lobbied his Senate colleagues to rename a street in Washington, D.C., after a polarizing Chinese dissident--an idea that has been thwarted by fears of crippling diplomatic efforts between the two countries.

``Senator Cruz remains engaged in good-faith discussions with his colleagues regarding the holds he announced because of his serious concerns about the Obama administration's foreign policy,'' said Cruz spokesman Phil Novack.

The White House renewed its calls for a swift vote on the ambassador nominees.

``The president has nominated two unquestionably qualified individuals to be the U.S. ambassadors to Sweden and Norway,'' said White House press secretary Eric Schultz. ``We urge the Senate to act.''

Minnesotans closely watching the issue are angered by the delay, saying it is souring relations with two staunch U.S. allies.

``There's a crisis in a relationship between our two countries,'' said Bruce Karstadt, president and CEO of the Minneapolis-based American Swedish Institute. ``I don't really quite understand that any statement is being made other than we're ignoring you.''

Cruz's office says he remains in negotiations about lifting the procedural blocks on the nominations, citing a July 2015 letter to the Obama administration outlining concerns about the Iran nuclear deal as one of the reasons he is objecting to political appointments.

Since that letter, though, two political appointments-- state appointees to Barbados and the U.N. Economic Council-- have passed the Senate without Cruz's hold.

Temporary holds are relatively common and are also used by Democrats to protest administration policy. Earlier this week, for example, Massachusetts Democratic Sen. Edward Markey placed a hold on Obama's nominee to head the Food and Drug Administration unless the administration agrees to reform its process for approving painkiller medications.

Cruz's protests delaying votes on the Scandinavian ambassador nominations irks Democratic U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar, who points out that Minnesota is home to the second-largest number of Norwegians in the world, outside of Norway. The two nominees passed through the GOP-controlled Senate Foreign Relations Committee, so Klobuchar wants a vote on the Senate floor even if Cruz votes against them.

Klobuchar points out the business relationships between the countries and that Norway and Sweden have shouldered much of the burden of the European refugee crisis in recent years. ``It's no way to treat your friends,'' she said. ``The point is all these other European nations have ambassadors. Why would you put a hold on two of our best allies from having ambassadors?''

Democratic U.S. Sen. Al Franken said he also would increase pressure for a vote. ``We need to move on ambassador openings for both Norway--where there's a highly qualified Minnesota nominee who has yet to be confirmed--and Sweden,'' Franken said. ``I'm going to continue pressing to get these positions filled.''

Norway and Sweden are two of the largest investors in the U.S. economy. Norway is invested in more than 2,100 American companies, which amounts to about $175 billion. It also has about $94 billion in U.S. bonds and $5 billion worth of U.S. real estate. Meanwhile, the U.S. exports $9 billion in goods and services to Sweden, a country that supports about 330,000 American jobs annually, embassy officials said.

Leif Trana, a minister counselor at the Norwegian Embassy in Washington, pointed out that his country just committed to 52 fighter jets from Lockheed Martin--all of them made at a Lockheed plant in Cruz's home state of Texas.

``Norwegians have long had a great affinity for the United States,'' Trana said. ``After the E.U., this is our place where most Norwegians both travel to [and] study.''

The Norwegian post has been a beleaguered one for years.

President Obama first nominated businessman George Tsunis, a New York contributor who had raised more than $1 million in campaign cash for him. Tsunis quickly proved unqualified for the job. During an appearance before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Tsunis referred to Norway's prime minister as ``president'' and could not identify potential U.S. trade opportunities with Norway. One member of the Norwegian parliament was so offended by Tsunis that he demanded an apology from Obama.

Minnesota's delegation, led by the Democrats, urged Obama to withdraw the nomination. He did, and in May 2015 he nominated Heins, a Minnesota lawyer and human rights advocate. Heins, too, was a major contributor and bundler for the president's election campaigns.

For the Sweden post, Obama nominated Azita Raji, an Iranian-born former Wall Street executive. Her nomination has been mostly uncontroversial and passed out of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee last summer.

Jon Pederson, board chairman of the Minneapolis-based Norway House, said it's shameful to play politics with the ambassador posts.

``This position is important,'' Pederson said. ``Left unfilled like this is a slap in the face to Norway.''

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Ms. KLOBUCHAR. There are just a few quotes from people who are not in politics at all.

``There's a crisis in a relationship between our two countries,'' said Bruce Karstadt, president and CEO of the Minneapolis-based American Swedish Institute. ``I don't really quite understand that any statement is being made other than we're ignoring you.''

I will give another example. Leif Trana, a Minister Counselor at the Norwegian Embassy in Washington, pointed out that his country just committed to 52 fighter jets. I believe each one is over $200 million. Norway is purchasing these jets from Lockheed Martin, a U.S. company, and all of them are going to be made in a Lockheed Martin plant in the State of Texas. Imagine how many jobs this provides and that we would consider not sending an ambassador to a country that not only sees us as an ally--and is allied, by the way, in our issues we have in our conflict with Russia.

The Minister Counselor at the Norwegian Embassy goes on to say:

Norwegians have long had a great affinity for the United States. After the E.U., this is our place where most Norwegians travel to and study.

This is the last quote I will give you from this article today:

Jon Pederson, board chairman of the Minneapolis-based Norway House, said it's shameful to play politics with the ambassador posts. ``This position is important,'' Pederson said. ``Left unfilled like this is a slap in the face to Norway.''

Let's go through what has been going on--853 days in the case of Norway. The first nominee who was nominated, as explained in this article, did not go well. There were issues on both sides of the aisle. That person withdrew his name. That is part of the delay, and we will acknowledge that, but a big chunk of the recent delay is because there has been a hold--not at the committee level--that went through quickly with Senator Corker and Senator Cardin's guidance--but on the floor. In the case of Sweden, it has been a delay of 462 days for a noncontroversial nominee. At the same time, in the last few months, Ambassadors have been confirmed for 38 countries. Two of those were actually political appointees. They were not career, as the rumor is; two were considered political appointees. Barbados, Ecuador, Poland, and Thailand all have Ambassadors. There is an ambassador from the United States in France, of course. There is an ambassador in England, of course. There is an ambassador in Italy. There is an ambassador in Germany. There is an ambassador in Bulgaria but not in Sweden and Norway. We, in fact, have an ambassador in nearly every European nation but not in these two Scandinavian countries.

There have been no questions about the qualifications of these two nominees. I will put those qualification on the record, but I wanted to focus more on the actual countries, Norway and Sweden. They are incredibly important allies and trading partners. They deserve to be treated like other European nations. They deserve to have an ambassador from the United States of America, and it is time to get this done.

Diplomatic relations between the United States, Norway, and Sweden are almost 200 years old. For 200 years we have had Ambassadors in these countries. Holding a vote to confirm frontline Ambassadors hostage is not in the best interest of our country.

Let's start with Norway. Norway was a founding member of the NATO alliance, and its military has participated in operations with the United States in the Balkans and in Afghanistan. Norwegians work alongside Americans in standing up to Russia's provocations in Ukraine, in countering ISIS and the spread of violent extremism, and in strengthening regional cooperation in the Arctic. Norway has been especially strong on working to check Russian aggression against Ukraine.

Norway has also played an important role in the Syrian refugee crisis. Norway has a proud history of providing support to those fleeing conflict. It expects to take in as many as 25,000 refugees this year. It has already provided more than $6 million to Greece to help respond to the influx of refugees seeking a way to enter Europe.

All of us on both sides of the aisle have talked about the importance of a strong Europe during these trying times. Yet now we have no Ambassadors in two of the countries that are on the frontlines of combatting extremism and addressing the refugee crisis.

Sweden, like Norway, plays an important role in national security and on the international stage. Sweden is a strong partner and close friend of the United States, helping in our fight against ISIS, promoting democracy and human rights, and cooperating on global initiatives related to clean energy and the environment.

Sweden is a partner in NATO and is an active global leader, from its long-term investment in Afghanistan, to its role as an international peacemaker. Sweden has supported Ukraine against Russian aggression, has made significant contributions in Afghanistan, and has aided in the fight against terrorism in Syria, Iraq, Kosovo, and the current fight against ISIS.

Sweden is a member of the counter-ISIL coalition and is on the frontlines of the Syrian refugee crisis. More than 1,200 refugees seek asylum in Sweden every day, and Sweden accepts more refugees per capita than any other country in the EU. That is what is happening right now. They are accepting more refugees per capita than any other country in the EU. Yet we don't have an ambassador to that country. We have an ambassador to Germany. We certainly know they are playing a role in this refugee crisis. We have an ambassador, of course, to Greece. But we don't have an ambassador to this country.

The United States has collaborated with Sweden to strengthen human rights, democracy, and freedom in countries emerging from oppressive and autocratic regimes. Sweden's commitment to promoting human democracy, human rights, gender equality, and international development and sustainability make it a respected leader in international affairs.

Now let's look at economic partnerships.

I do hope my colleagues on the other side of the aisle who have all been very supportive of this will talk to Senator Cruz the next time they see him. I plan on asking for unanimous consent to get these nominees through repeatedly in the next month. I am hoping Senator Cruz will be here to explain this, and I am hoping we can find some agreement on this because, again, this is not a typical case where these nominees have been criticized or questioned, including by his own office. This is a case of simply some other issues that are not related to the nominees or to the countries, and these countries should not be held hostage.

Norway is an important economic partner. According to the American Chamber of Commerce, Norway represented the fifth fastest growing source of foreign direct investment in the United States between 2009 and 2013. Of course, visiting Senator Hoeven's and Senator Heitkamp's State of North Dakota, I have seen the investments in oil and in drilling in North Dakota from the Scandinavian countries because of their history in that industry.

Norway is the 12th largest source of foreign direct investment in the United States. Think about that. There are over 300 American companies with a presence in Norway, including 3M of Minnesota, Eli Lilly, General Electric, IBM, McDonald's, and others. By not having an ambassador to Norway, we are sending a message to some of the top investors in our own country. The Ambassadors in these countries, as we know, are our trading partners and help businesses in America do business in that country. While there are national security issues, there is also an economic purpose of having an ambassador.

In October, Norway reiterated its commitment to invest in American businesses by purchasing an additional 22 F-35s from Lockheed Martin. That is a total of 52 fighter jets Norway is committing to buy from Lockheed Martin. The first will arrive in 2018. This is the biggest investment Norway has ever made in the country's history, and they are investing in a company in our country, in the State of Texas. These are warplanes that will be built at Lockheed's facility in Fort Worth. I called attention to this fact. I know it is a cost of almost $200 million per plane. This country is investing in American jobs--$200 million per plane--and they are buying 22 more. You can do the math.

Lockheed Martin and other American companies that do business with Norway would like to see an ambassador there to help facilitate relations.

Now let's get to Sweden. Sweden, like Norway, is also one of the biggest investors in the United States. Sweden is actually the 11th largest direct investor in the United States, while Norway is 12th. I would think some people might be surprised by that fact that these two Scandinavian countries are that high on the list when you look in the world, but, in fact, it is true. They are the 11th and 12th investors in the United States. Sweden's foreign direct investment in the U.S. amounts to roughly $56 billion and creates nearly 330,700 U.S. jobs.

U.S. companies are the most represented foreign companies in Sweden. Swedish-Americans have contributed to the fabric of our great Nation and built successful companies such as Walgreens, Greyhound, and Nordstrom.

Economically, Sweden is highly dependent upon exports and is one of the most internationally integrated economies in the world. The United States is Sweden's fourth largest export market, with Swedish exports valued at an estimated $10.2 billion. Now, does this sound like a country where we just decide we are not going to have an ambassador, yet we give ambassadors to all these other nations all across the world? That just doesn't seem right.

Sweden is a significant export market for my State of Minnesota, with $131.5 million in sales through November of last year. Sweden, like Norway, deserves to have an ambassador.

Speaking of the Minnesota ties here, the economic and cultural influence of Norway and Sweden is strongly felt throughout the United States. I will say that Minnesota has a special one. In fact, one of the most notable attractions in Madison, MN, is a giant 25-foot-long fiberglass cod named ``Mr. Lou T. Fisk.'' That is a little Scandinavian joke here late in the afternoon. That is a lutefisk--``Mr. Lou T. Fisk.'' Anyone from Norway or Sweden knows that lutefisk is a traditional Norwegian food. Madison, MN, is so proud of its Nordic heritage that they once took Lou, the giant fish, on a national tour in the back of a truck. That was many, many years ago, but the fiberglass cod--the largest fiberglass cod in the world--is still displayed in our State.

We have about 100,000 people of Norwegian heritage in Minnesota, second only to Norway itself. We have 500,000 Swedish Minnesotans. Think of how many. That is a good chunk of our population. So we are very proud of our Nordic heritage.

That is my State. I think you could go around any State in the United States and there you would find proud Norwegians and Swedes. They may not always be the loudest voices, and maybe that is part of the problem. Maybe they have been too nice. But I can tell you that these two countries are the 11th and 12th biggest investors in the United States of America. One of them has been willing to buy 52 fighter planes valued at nearly $200 million each from our Nation.

They certainly deserve an ambassador. They have been very clear to me--the representatives of these companies--that they would like to see an ambassador. At some point this looks like a ``dis'' from our Nation--that we are ``dissing'' them because we allow every other Nation to have an ambassador.

We look forward to working with Senator Cruz. Again, I thank Senator McConnell and Senator Corker for their support. We haven't seen any other concerns that people have that have not been taken care of. So I am hopeful we can get Sam Heins and Azita Raji immediately confirmed.

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