Confirmation of Donna Ann Welton

Floor Speech

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Mr. CARDIN. Mr. President, I come to the floor today in strong support of the confirmation of Donna Ann Welton to be the United States Ambassador to the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste. This is a country that earned independence after centuries of colonial rule under the Dutch and, then, Indonesian Governments. Today, we still see senior figures coming to power in Indonesia that could drag up the Timor- Leste's painful past.

From helping our Peace Corps volunteers working in the country, to being a partner in Timor-Leste's energy transition, we need an Ambassador working in our Embassy that will support the democratic ambitions of Asia's youngest country.

Ms. Welton's experience and expertise means she is ready to hit the ground running. She recently served as Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary for Programs and Operations in the Bureau of Political- Military Affairs. Ms. Welton began her career with the United States Information Agency in the Republic of Korea and has served in Afghanistan and Finland. She is a career member of the Senior Foreign Service and someone who will stand up for human rights and advance good governance efforts in this important part of the world.

I am pleased that my colleagues voted to confirm Ms. Welton to be Ambassador to Timor-Leste.

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