U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee approves Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett's ambassadorship nomination

Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett's nomination to become ambassador to Luxembourg was approved Wednesday by the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee. 

"As we now wait for the nomination to be taken up by the full Senate, I look forward to the opportunity to serve our country abroad," Barrett said in a statement. "My hope is there is no further delay in the process and our city can begin its own process to fill the office of mayor, without incurring unnecessary costs at the expense of taxpayers."

Barrett was nominated to the position by President Joe Biden in August and last month was in Washington D.C. to take questions from the committee.

At that hearing, he highlighted Wisconsin's ties to Luxembourg, saying the state is home to many people whose families emigrated from the small European country.

Barrett's was one of more than a dozen nominations on the committee's agenda Wednesday.

"I believe they are all well qualified and deserving of their nominations," said Sen. Bob Menendez, D-New Jersey, who chairs the committee.

Like other nominees Wednesday, Barrett was not present for the five-minute committee meeting and did not speak.

It is not clear when his nomination could be taken up for a vote by the full Senate.

U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, has been blocking Biden's nominees to ambassadorships across the world as he tries to force the administration to reimpose sanctions on a natural gas pipeline project from Russia to Europe.

Dozens of nominees are awaiting confirmation, and discussions are taking place in the Senate to try to find a way forward, CNN and Politico have reported.

After Barrett departs, Common Council President Cavalier Johnson will become acting mayor until a special election can be held to fill the remainder of Barrett's term, which ends in 2024.

Johnson is one of seven candidates — including Milwaukee County Sheriff Earnell Lucas, Ald. Marina Dimitrijevic and former Ald. Bob Donovan — who have said they plan to run for the permanent position.

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."

All eyes are on Dec. 28, the latest date the Common Council could order a mayoral election to take place in conjunction with the spring election cycle. The spring primary is scheduled for Feb. 15 and the spring general election is April 5.

"I have my fingers crossed and if (the nomination) passes Wednesday, obviously the clock is ticking," Barrett told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel before the hearing this week. "I still would love to be able to schedule the special election to fill the mayor's job prior to or on Dec. 28, but time is getting short."

The hopes that Barrett could be confirmed by Dec. 28 have as much to do with cost as with timing.

Holding a primary and special election completely separate from the scheduled election cycle would conservatively be expected to cost about $700,000, Milwaukee Election Commission Executive Director Claire Woodall-Vogg said.

There is a possibility that the timing of Barrett's departure could allow the mayoral primary to be held on the April 5 spring election date, but that still leaves the city with costs for the subsequent election to choose the winner.

"I hope for the 28th because it provides an opportunity for the city to not have to pay for an election. ... But I don't know if the United States Senate is considering the financial impacts on the City of Milwaukee," Johnson said.

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Contact Alison Dirr at 414-224-2383 or adirr@jrn.com. Follow her on Twitter @AlisonDirr.