Biden to nominate Rahm Emanuel to serve as ambassador to Japan
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“The alliance between the United States and Japan is the cornerstone of peace and prosperity in a free and open Indo-Pacific, and I would proudly represent our nation with one of our most critical global allies in one of the most critical geopolitical regions,” Emanuel said in a statement. “Our Ambassadors to Japan have a long history of distinguished public service from both parties and I am humbled to follow so many statesmen who have served in this role.”
President Biden Announces His Intent to Nominate Three Individuals to Serve as Ambassadors
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WASHINGTON – Today, President Joe Biden announced his intent to nominate the following three individuals to serve as U.S. ambassadors:
Michael Battle, Nominee for Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to the United Republic of Tanzania
R. Nicholas Burns, Nominee for Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to the People’s Republic of China
Rahm Emanuel, Nominee for Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to Japan
Michael Battle, Nominee for Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to the United Republic of Tanzania
Dr. Michael Battle had a distinguished career of public service spanning four decades as a diplomat, in academia, in the faith community and as a military chaplain. Battle was Executive Vice President/Provost at the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center in Cincinnati, Ohio. Prior to that, he served as a Senior Advisor to the Bureau of African Affairs at the U.S. Department of State for the U.S. Africa Leader’s Summit in 2014. He also was the United States Representative to the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa and the U.S. Ambassador to the African Union in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Earlier in his career Battle’s positions included service as the President of the Interdenominational Theological Center in Atlanta, Georgia and chair of The Robert W. Woodruff Library of The Atlanta University. Additionally, he served for 20 years as a Chaplain in the United States Army Reserve, retiring with the rank of Lieutenant Colonel in 1997. Battle received a Bachelor of Arts degree from Trinity College, a Master of Divinity degree from Duke University, and a Doctor of Ministry degree from Howard University.
R. Nicholas Burns, Nominee for Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to the People’s Republic of China
Ambassador (ret.) Nicholas Burns, a respected former career member of the Foreign Service, currently serves as Professor of the Practice of Diplomacy and International Relations at Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government. He is also Executive Director of the Aspen Strategy Group and Security Forum and Senior Counselor at the Cohen Group. During his State Department career, Burns served as Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs, Ambassador to NATO and to Greece, State Department Spokesman, and on the National Security Council staff on Soviet and Russian Affairs. As Under Secretary, he worked with the Chinese government on issues as diverse as Afghanistan, United Nations Sanctions against Iran, North Korea ,and U.S. policy in the Indo-Pacific. At the Aspen Strategy Group, he organized a policy dialogue with the Chinese government’s Central Party School. He has taught, written, and spoken on current U.S.-China relations. Burns earned his B.A. degree from Boston College and an M.A. from the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies. His numerous awards include a Presidential Distinguished Service Award and the Secretary of State’s Distinguished Service Award. He speaks fluent French and has familiarity with Arabic and Greek.
Rahm Emanuel, Nominee for Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to Japan
Rahm Emanuel, former Mayor of the City of Chicago and White House Chief of Staff to President Obama, has had a distinguished career in public service. As Mayor, he oversaw increased economic development that revitalized the city and helped solidify its status as a global hub of culture and commerce. He ensured Chicago was a leader on the global stage, hosting the 2012 NATO summit, leading the continent in foreign direct investment for six consecutive years, convening mayors worldwide to commit to the Chicago Climate Charter of 2017 and helping establish the Chicago Council on Global Affairs Mayors Forum on Global Cities. He previously served as Chief of Staff to President Obama, where he helped secure the passage of landmark legislation, including Dodd-Frank and the Affordable Care Act, and advised President Obama on all key national security decisions during the President’s first two years. From 2003 to 2009, Mr. Emanuel served in the U.S. House of Representatives where he held a number of leadership positions. Mr. Emanuel also served President Clinton as Assistant to the President for Political Affairs and Senior Advisor for Policy and Strategy. He is currently national chair of the Advisory Council of Youth Guidance’s Becoming a Man (BAM) mentoring program. He graduated with a B.A. from Sarah Lawrence College and an M.A. from Northwestern University.
Biden picks Rahm Emanuel as ambassador to Japan and Nicholas Burns as top envoy to China
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(CNN) President Joe Biden on Friday announced his intention to nominate Rahm Emanuel as ambassador to Japan and Nicholas Burns as ambassador to China.
The two top diplomatic positions have been in the works for months but made official only in a late-afternoon announcement by the White House during the middle of the biggest foreign policy crisis of the administration so far – the US withdrawal from Afghanistan amid a Taliban takeover.
Emanuel, who has drawn the ire of progressive Democrats, is a former mayor of Chicago, chief of staff to President Barack Obama, a senior adviser for President Bill Clinton and a member of Congress representing Illinois.
Emanuel was under consideration for a number of jobs within the Biden administration, including transportation secretary. But his long track record in Democratic politics is likely to be overshadowed by a series of controversies during his time as mayor of Chicago when he eventually faces during his confirmation hearing. The city’s crime rate and the police shooting of African-American teenager Laquan McDonald – a major reason he did not seek a third term as mayor – are questions he could face during Senate confirmation.
In 2015, Emanuel apologized for the circumstances surrounding the death of McDonald, including the fact it took 13 months before police dashboard camera video of the shooting became public and the officer who killed him was charged. Emanuel rejected calls for him to step down and denied that he was involved in keeping the video from being released.
Burns, a career diplomat and longtime foreign policy hand, has served presidents of both parties. If confirmed, he would assume one of the most critical ambassador posts in the administration, with the rise of China at the center of almost important policy discussions.
The White House on Friday also announced the nomination of Michael Battle to serve as ambassador to Tanzania.
Battle’s work has spanned diplomacy to theology in academia to the military. Notably, he was the US representative to the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa and the US ambassador to the African Union in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
These are the latest ambassador nominations from Biden, who has moved more slowly than nearly all recent presidents in choosing his envoys, all of whom face Senate confirmation.
And currently, despite Biden having been in office for more than six months, the only ambassador to a nation confirmed so far has been Ken Salazar’s post to be US ambassador to Mexico. He was confirmed a week ago.
The President went more than two months into his presidency without naming a single ambassador to send overseas. But in the last month alone, his nominations have included ambassadorial nominations to Equatorial Guinea, Swizerland, Argentina, Singapore, the Central African Republic, Spain, and Mozambique, among other ambassador-rank positions.
Despite the pace having picked up on nominations , there are still key vacancies among US ambassadorships. And while Biden has made nominations, the US does not have any confirmed ambassadors installed in key countries such as China, Canada, India, France or Israel.
This story has been updated with additional information.