White House sends 21 nominations to Senate for ambassadors and federal posts

What happened

• The White House sent 21 nominations to the U.S. Senate.

What was nominated (names and posts, as listed in the release)

• Leslie Becera — Assistant Secretary of Transportation
• Justin Bytheway — Ambassador to the Kingdom of Tonga
• Marc Dillard — Ambassador to the Republic of Madagascar; to serve concurrently as Ambassador to the Union of the Comoros
• Michael Doyle — Member, Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission (term expiring April 27, 2031)
• William Flens — Ambassador to the Republic of Chad
• Natasha Franceschi — Ambassador to the Republic of Nicaragua
• Steven Gillen — Ambassador to the Kyrgyz Republic
• Charles Goodman III — Ambassador to the Togolese Republic
• Keith Heffern — Ambassador to the Gabonese Republic
• Dennis Kirk — Inspector General, Department of the Interior
• Mary Lazare — Assistant Secretary for Aging, Department of Health and Human Services
• Jessica Long — Ambassador to the Islamic Republic of Mauritania
• Peter Lord — Ambassador to the Republic of Benin
• John McIntyre — Ambassador to the Republic of Malawi
• Julia Nesheiwat — Ambassador-at-Large for the Arctic (new position)
• Nutan Patel — Ambassador to the Republic of Cabo Verde
• Michael Rigas — Member, Board of Directors, Export-Import Bank of the United States (to fill remainder of term expiring January 20, 2027)
• Michael Rigas — Member, Board of Directors, Export-Import Bank of the United States (reappointment; term expiring January 20, 2031)
• Danielle Thumann Severs — Member, Federal Communications Commission (term of five years from July 1, 2024)
• Robert Stebbins — Deputy Chief Executive Officer, U.S. International Development Finance Corporation
• Loren E. Sweatt — Member, National Mediation Board (reappointment; term expiring July 1, 2029)

By the numbers

• 21 total nominations transmitted
• Several nominations include explicit term end dates or are noted as reappointments

Why it matters

• Senate consideration and confirmation will decide who represents the U.S. abroad and who serves in key federal agency roles and boards.

What happens next

• The Senate will review these nominations and may hold hearings and confirmation votes according to its procedures.