STA, 8 January 2019 - The new US ambassador to Slovenia, Lynda Blanchard, ought to have started her posting a while ago, but her arrival, along with the posting of many other candidates, has been held up by procedural obstacles related to the election of the new US Congress.
Because the Senate did not confirm her appointment by the end of last year, her candidacy was automatically returned to the White House in accordance with the rules of procedure. The White House must now formally submit her candidacy once again.
The US Senate's Committee on Foreign Relations confirmed Blanchard in September 2018 without a glitch, but even though she has to go through the appointment procedure again, a new hearing is not required: in such cases, candidacies are often fast-tracked through the Senate.
But even if this formality is completed, Blanchard's posting could still be delayed by the ongoing shutdown of the US government due to President Donald Trump's dispute with the Democrats over funding for the wall on the border with Mexico.
The State Department is among the federal agencies affected by the shutdown and does not have the funding to function normally. Until regular funding is secured, it only performs urgent tasks.
The last US ambassador to Slovenia, Brent Hartley, completed his term in Ljubljana in July 2018. The US Embassy has since been headed by charge d'affaires Gautam Rana.
Mr Gautam Rana, whose details can be seen here. Photo: si.usembassy.gov
Related: The Summer Economics Institute Builds Links Between Slovenian and American Students
