Tom Barrett's Luxembourg ambassador nomination is set for a Tuesday Senate committee hearing
Mary SpicuzzaMilwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett's move to Luxembourg could be moving forward.
On Tuesday, Barrett's nomination as ambassador to Luxembourg will get a Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing.
Barrett was picked by President Joe Biden to serve as ambassador to Luxembourg in August. If Barrett's nomination is advanced by the committee and approved by the full U.S. Senate, it would be a capstone to more than three decades of public service, dating back to 1984 when Barrett was first elected to the state Assembly.
Dozens of nominees are awaiting confirmation. Republicans, led by Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, have required most of Biden’s State Department nominees to go through an extensive and time-consuming process.
Cruz, as well as U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson of Wisconsin, serve on the Foreign Relations Committee.
Earlier this week, the Senate confirmed two prominent anti-Trump Republicans to serve in the Biden administration, with former Sen. Jeff Flake of Arizona approved to serve as ambassador to Turkey and Cindy McCain, wife of the late Sen. John McCain, approved to serve as ambassador to the United Nations Agencies for Food and Agriculture.
When Barrett departs, Ald. Cavalier Johnson, as council president, would become acting mayor.
While filling the vacancy, Johnson could continue to serve as council president but could not vote during that period. He would serve as acting mayor "until a successor shall be elected for the residue of the unexpired term," the charter states.
The Common Council is required by state statute to set a date of a special election "as promptly as possible, unless the vacancy occurs within 120 days of the expiration of the mayor's term of office."
Contact Mary Spicuzza at (414) 224-2324 or mary.spicuzza@jrn.com. Follow her on Twitter at @MSpicuzzaMJS.