Ambassadorial Appointments Need Reforming

The recent testimony of Ambassador Gordon Sondland in the U.S. House of Representatives Impeachment Inquiry into President Trump has reignited discussion over how Amb. Sondland was selected for the role, and whether he is fit for it. Amb. Sondland, a former Trump critic, was a hotelier and banker who made large financial contributions to then-candidate Trump's election campaign. After Trump became President, Sondland was appointed as an ambassador to the European Union. Amb Sondland lacked any prior diplomatic or public service experience, a topic brought up during his confirmation hearing by Sen. Elizabeth Warren but was nonetheless selected for the top diplomatic role with one of the most important and consequential organizations the U.S. engages with.

Political appointments to ambassadorial roles did not begin with President Trump nor is it the exclusive domain of Republicans. Presidents of both parties have used their ability to appoint political donors to ambassadorial roles for decades, and political appointees' share of total ambassadorial roles has grown. Not all political appointments for ambassadorial roles are bad, many such appointments have put in highly competent former military and government bureaucrats, elected officials with foreign affairs experience, and academics. Additionally, not every career diplomat turns out to be a stellar ambassador. It is, however, worrisome that so many Presidents exercise their appointment power to reward political loyalty rather than selecting the best person to advance American interest. The problem is not just the President, but also the Senate. The Senate has long rubber-stamped many political donors being appointed as ambassadors and rarely exercised their ability to deny appointments, usually when it is an appointment from the opposing party. The Senate needs to put better rules in place to prevent unqualified political donor appointments while keeping the door open to political appointments for qualified persons. The role of the American ambassadors is to represent and advance American interest, not to boost the egos of America's rich.