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A2 UP FRONT
Thursday 1 augusT 2019
Senate confirms Kelly Craft as U.S. ambassador to U.N.

By MARY CLARE JALONICK els. "Never in our nation's history
Associated Press Craft said at the hearing have we nominated such
WASHINGTON (AP) — The that she acknowledges the an underqualified person
Senate has confirmed Kelly "vast amount of science" to this critical post," said
Craft to become the next regarding climate change Menendez.
U.S. envoy to the United and the role humans have Republicans, including her
Nations despite Demo- played. home-state senator, Major-
cratic concerns about her "If confirmed, I will be an ity Leader Mitch McCon-
inexperience and potential advocate for addressing nell, came to her defense.
conflicts of interest. climate change," she said. "During her tenure as am-
Craft, a longtime GOP The Democrats have also bassador to Canada,
activist from Kentucky, is expressed concerns about America's relationship with
currently U.S. ambassa- her time away from Can- our northern neighbor was
dor to Canada. She was ada during her tenure as tested," McConnell said in
confirmed 56-34, ending ambassador. Craft testi- a floor speech before the
a more than seven-month fied that all of her travel vote. "A number of chal-
vacancy in the key diplo- had been approved in ad- lenging policy hurdles
matic position. vance by the State Depart- threatened to trip up prog-
She and her husband, Joe In this Sept. 26, 2017, file photo, U.S. Ambassador to Canada ment, that much of it was ress on several important
Craft, have donated mil- Kelly Knight Craft stands during her swearing in ceremony in the work-related and that she issues, including trade ne-
Indian Treaty Room in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building
lions of dollars to Republi- on the White House grounds in Washington. and her husband had paid gotiations. But by all ac-
can political candidates, Associated Press for all personal trips. counts, Ambassador Craft's
and she will be first major A report issued by the top involvement led to greater
political donor to occupy the United Nations and its withdrew from consider- Democrat on the Senate cooperation."
the top U.N. post for any affiliated agencies. During ation. Haley stepped down Foreign Relations Commit- As ambassador, Craft
administration. Joe Craft is Haley's tenure, the admin- from the post in December. tee, New Jersey Sen. Bob played a role in facilitating
the chief executive of Al- istration withdrew from the Democrats criticized Craft Menendez, just before the the U.S.-Mexico-Canada
liance Resource Partners, U.N. Human Rights Council at the hearing for previ- vote called Craft "inexpe- trade agreement, Trump's
one of the largest coal pro- and the U.N. education- ous remarks she had made rienced," ''unknowledge- long-sought revamp of the
ducers in the country. al and scientific agency doubting the causes and able" and "outmatched." North American Free Trade
In her confirmation hear- for adopting positions it severity of climate change The report said Craft's "lack Agreement.
ing, Craft vowed to contin- deemed to be hostile to Is- and suggesting that cli- of diplomatic or substan- It was also a low point in
ue the efforts of Trump's first rael. mate change skeptics tive policy experience" relations between the two
ambassador to the U.N., Trump nominated Craft to have valid arguments. could threaten her ability counties. Last year, Trump
Nikki Haley, to push for re- replace Haley after his first They were also concerned to forcefully represent and called Canadian Prime
form at the world body and choice for the job, former about possible conflicts of defend U.S. national inter- Minister Justin Trudeau
to fight against anti-Israel State Department spokes- interest as she holds exten- ests against other powerful weak and dishonest, words
resolutions and actions by woman Heather Nauert, sive investments in fossil fu- nations. that shocked Canadians.q