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Linda Thomas-Greenfield
Linda Thomas-Greenfield was the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations for the Biden administration from 2021 to 2025. She was confirmed on February 23, 2021, by a vote of 78-20. Click here to learn more about her confirmation process.
Thomas-Greenfield spent more than three decades with the U.S. Foreign Service, including as the ambassador to Liberia and in posts in four different continents.[1]
Biography
Thomas-Greenfield received a B.A. from Louisiana State University and an M.A. from the University of Wisconsin. She worked at the U.S. Foreign Service for 35 years, where she held an ambassadorship in Liberia from 2008 to 2012 and positions in Switzerland, Pakistan, Kenya, The Gambia, Nigeria, and Jamaica. From 2012 to 2013, she was the director general of the Foreign Service and director of human resources.[1]
Following her public service, Thomas-Greenfield worked at the Africa Practice for the strategic commercial diplomacy firm Albright Stonebridge Group. She was also a fellow at the Institute for the Study of Diplomacy, joining the organization in 2017.[1]
Career
Below is an abbreviate outline of Thomas-Greenfield's professional career:[2]
- 1982-2017: U.S. Foreign Service
- 2012-2013: Director general of the Foreign Service
- 2008-2012: Ambassadorship to Liberia
- 2006-2008: Principal deputy assistant secretary, Bureau of African Affairs
- 2004-2006: Deputy assistant secretary, Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration
Nomination for U.S. ambassador to the United Nations
- See also: Joe Biden presidential transition and Confirmation process for Linda Thomas-Greenfield for ambassador to the United Nations
| Joe Biden's Cabinet | ||
|---|---|---|
| Candidate: Linda Thomas-Greenfield | ||
| Position: Ambassador to the United Nations | ||
 | Announced: | November 23, 2020 |
| Hearing: | January 27, 2021 |
| Committee: | Foreign Relations |
| Reported: | Favorable (18-4) |
| Confirmed: | February 23, 2021 |
| Vote: | 78-20 |
The Biden Transition announced on November 23, 2020, that Thomas-Greenfield would be nominated for U.S. ambassador the United Nations.[1]
Jeffrey Feltman, a former United Nations undersecretary, said of Thomas-Greenfield, "She leavened her diplomatic approach with real human empathy and warmth. I think she will be perfect for restoring U.S. leadership at the U.N. and sort of rebooting the U.N. and our multilateral alliances for meeting today's challenges."[3]
Greenfield-Thomas said during her confirmation hearing, "When America shows up—when we are consistent and persistent—when we exert our influence in accordance with our values—the United Nations can be an indispensable institution for advancing peace, security, and our collective well-being. If instead we walk away from the table, and allow others to fill the void, the global community suffers—and so do American interests."[4]
The Senate Foreign Relations Committee held Thomas-Greenfield's confirmation hearing on January 27, 2021. The Senate confirmed her on February 23, 2021, by a vote of 78-20.[5]
| Summary of Senate vote on Linda Thomas-Greenfield's nomination for ambassador to the United Nations (February 23, 2021) | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Votes for | Votes against | Not voting |
 Democrats |
48 | 0 | 0 |
 Republicans |
28 | 20 | 2 |
 Independents |
2 | 0 | 0 |
| Totals | 78 | 20 | 2 |
Click on the following table to view the full roll call.
| Senate vote on Linda Thomas-Greenfield's nomination for ambassador to the United Nations (February 23, 2021) | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | Richard Shelby | Republican |
No |
| Alabama | Tommy Tuberville | Republican |
No |
| Alaska | Lisa Murkowski | Republican |
Yes |
| Alaska | Dan Sullivan | Republican |
Yes |
| Arizona | Kyrsten Sinema | Democrat |
Yes |
| Arizona | Mark Kelly | Democrat |
Yes |
| Arkansas | John Boozman | Republican |
Yes |
| Arkansas | Tom Cotton | Republican |
No |
| California | Dianne Feinstein | Democrat |
Yes |
| California | Alex Padilla | Democrat |
Yes |
| Colorado | Michael F. Bennet | Democrat |
Yes |
| Colorado | John Hickenlooper | Democrat |
Yes |
| Connecticut | Richard Blumenthal | Democrat |
Yes |
| Connecticut | Chris Murphy | Democrat |
Yes |
| Delaware | Tom Carper | Democrat |
Yes |
| Delaware | Chris Coons | Democrat |
Yes |
| Florida | Rick Scott | Republican |
No |
| Florida | Marco Rubio | Republican |
No |
| Georgia | Jon Ossoff | Democrat |
Yes |
| Georgia | Raphael Warnock | Democrat |
Yes |
| Hawaii | Mazie Hirono | Democrat |
Yes |
| Hawaii | Brian Schatz | Democrat |
Yes |
| Idaho | Mike Crapo | Republican |
Yes |
| Idaho | James E. Risch | Republican |
Yes |
| Illinois | Dick Durbin | Democrat |
Yes |
| Illinois | Tammy Duckworth | Democrat |
Yes |
| Indiana | Mike Braun | Republican |
No |
| Indiana | Todd Young | Republican |
Yes |
| Iowa | Chuck Grassley | Republican |
No |
| Iowa | Joni Ernst | Republican |
No |
| Kansas | Roger Marshall | Republican |
No |
| Kansas | Jerry Moran | Republican |
Yes |
| Kentucky | Mitch McConnell | Republican |
Yes |
| Kentucky | Rand Paul | Republican |
Not voting |
| Louisiana | Bill Cassidy | Republican |
Yes |
| Louisiana | John Kennedy | Republican |
Yes |
| Maine | Susan Collins | Republican |
Yes |
| Maine | Angus King | Independent |
Yes |
| Maryland | Benjamin L. Cardin | Democrat |
Yes |
| Maryland | Chris Van Hollen | Democrat |
Yes |
| Massachusetts | Elizabeth Warren | Democrat |
Yes |
| Massachusetts | Ed Markey | Democrat |
Yes |
| Michigan | Debbie Stabenow | Democrat |
Yes |
| Michigan | Gary Peters | Democrat |
Yes |
| Minnesota | Amy Klobuchar | Democrat |
Yes |
| Minnesota | Tina Smith | Democrat |
Yes |
| Mississippi | Roger Wicker | Republican |
Yes |
| Mississippi | Cindy Hyde-Smith | Republican |
Yes |
| Missouri | Josh Hawley | Republican |
No |
| Missouri | Roy Blunt | Republican |
Yes |
| Montana | Steve Daines | Republican |
No |
| Montana | Jon Tester | Democrat |
Yes |
| Nebraska | Deb Fischer | Republican |
Yes |
| Nebraska | Ben Sasse | Republican |
No |
| Nevada | Jacky Rosen | Democrat |
Yes |
| Nevada | Catherine Cortez Masto | Democrat |
Yes |
| New Hampshire | Jeanne Shaheen | Democrat |
Yes |
| New Hampshire | Maggie Hassan | Democrat |
Yes |
| New Jersey | Robert Menendez | Democrat |
Yes |
| New Jersey | Cory Booker | Democrat |
Yes |
| New Mexico | Ben Ray Luján | Democrat |
Yes |
| New Mexico | Martin Heinrich | Democrat |
Yes |
| New York | Charles E. Schumer | Democrat |
Yes |
| New York | Kirsten Gillibrand | Democrat |
Yes |
| North Carolina | Richard Burr | Republican |
Yes |
| North Carolina | Thom Tillis | Republican |
Yes |
| North Dakota | John Hoeven | Republican |
No |
| North Dakota | Kevin Cramer | Republican |
No |
| Ohio | Rob Portman | Republican |
Yes |
| Ohio | Sherrod Brown | Democrat |
Yes |
| Oklahoma | James M. Inhofe | Republican |
Yes |
| Oklahoma | James Lankford | Republican |
No |
| Oregon | Ron Wyden | Democrat |
Yes |
| Oregon | Jeff Merkley | Democrat |
Yes |
| Pennsylvania | Pat Toomey | Republican |
Not voting |
| Pennsylvania | Robert P. Casey | Democrat |
Yes |
| Rhode Island | Jack Reed | Democrat |
Yes |
| Rhode Island | Sheldon Whitehouse | Democrat |
Yes |
| South Carolina | Lindsey Graham | Republican |
Yes |
| South Carolina | Tim Scott | Republican |
No |
| South Dakota | John Thune | Republican |
Yes |
| South Dakota | Mike Rounds | Republican |
Yes |
| Tennessee | Bill Hagerty | Republican |
No |
| Tennessee | Marsha Blackburn | Republican |
No |
| Texas | John Cornyn | Republican |
Yes |
| Texas | Ted Cruz | Republican |
No |
| Utah | Mitt Romney | Republican |
Yes |
| Utah | Mike Lee | Republican |
Yes |
| Vermont | Patrick Leahy | Democrat |
Yes |
| Vermont | Bernie Sanders | Independent |
Yes |
| Virginia | Mark R. Warner | Democrat |
Yes |
| Virginia | Tim Kaine | Democrat |
Yes |
| Washington | Maria Cantwell | Democrat |
Yes |
| Washington | Patty Murray | Democrat |
Yes |
| West Virginia | Shelley Moore Capito | Republican |
Yes |
| West Virginia | Joe Manchin | Democrat |
Yes |
| Wisconsin | Ron Johnson | Republican |
Yes |
| Wisconsin | Tammy Baldwin | Democrat |
Yes |
| Wyoming | John Barrasso | Republican |
No |
| Wyoming | Cynthia Lummis | Republican |
Yes |
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Biden-Harris Transition, "President-Elect Biden Announces Key Members of Foreign Policy and National Security Team," November 23, 2020
- ↑ U.S. Department of State, "Linda Thomas-Greenfield," accessed February 10, 2021
- ↑ Voice of America, "Biden Taps Veteran US Diplomat Linda Thomas-Greenfield as UN Ambassador ," November 23, 2020
- ↑ Senate Foreign Relations Committee, "Thomas-Greenfield Testimony," January 27, 2021
- ↑ Senate.gov, " On the Nomination (Confirmation: Linda Thomas-Greenfield, of Louisiana, to be the Representative of the United States of America to the United Nations and the Representative of the United States of America in the Security Council of the United Nations)," February 23, 2021
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Rich Mills |
U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations 2021-2025 |
Succeeded by Dorothy Shea |
| ||||||||
