Washington, D.C. Newsroom, May 17, 2025 / 08:30 am
Senate Democrats this week blocked the confirmation of Brian Burch, President Donald Trump’s nominee for U.S. ambassador to the Holy See, stalling the confirmation process ahead of Pope Leo XIV’s installation Mass on Sunday.
Making good on a pledge he first announced in February, on Tuesday Hawaii Sen. Brian Schatz placed a blanket hold on all State Department nominees. Schatz had previously announced he would place a blanket hold on that department’s nominees “until its illegal attempt to shutter the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) as an independent agency is reversed.”
The Senate must now vote on each of Trump’s ambassadorial nominees individually, including Burch, after Senate Democrats rejected an effort to expedite Burch’s confirmation by unanimous consent.
According to Missouri Sen. Eric Schmitt, a Catholic, there is a backlog of over 50 nominees currently waiting for Senate approval. Since Burch’s confirmation was denied unanimous consent, the vote on his nomination will likely be delayed for several more weeks.
“I never thought I’d see the day when Democrats would be willing to block the nominee for ambassador to the Holy See simply to score political points with their far-left radicals, but it seems they’re still searching for rock bottom,” Schmitt told CNA.
In the Senate, approval of nominations only requires a simple majority of 51 and Burch's nomination was previously advanced by the Foreign Relations Committee, with the committee's 12 Republicans voting in favor and 10 Democrats opposed.
“The Democrats’ political games are shameful, and the Senate should immediately vote on Brian Burch’s nomination to ensure the U.S. has a diplomatic presence at the Vatican as the new Roman Curia is installed,” Schmitt said on social media.
The office of Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-New York, did not respond to CNA’s request for comment.
This story was updated on May 17, 2025, at 8:30 a.m. with clarification on the Senate proceedings from Missouri Sen. Eric Schmitt.
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