A good choice for the Iran deal negotiations
Michael Jansen The author, a well-respected observer of Middle East affairs, has three books on the Arab-Israeli conflict. The author, a well-respected observer of Middle East affairs, has three books on the Arab-Israeli conflict.
02 Feb 2021 Bagher Ghalibaf (right) and the head of the Iranian Atomic Organization, Ali Akbar Salehi (left), visit the Fordo nuclear power plant. AFP Peacemakers have won the first skirmish in the Biden administration’s battle to re-enter the six-party 2015 deal with Iran for sanctions relief in exchange for limitations on its nuclear programme. Despite opposition from Congressional hawks and pro-Israel warriors, the man to be appointed lead the effort is Robert Malley, a former Obama era official who played a major role in the negotiations on the deal. Fortunately, Malley does not have to have Senate confirmation to take up the post
- January 27, 2021, 10:31 AM
The Senate Commerce Committee Wednesday morning approved 21-3 Peter Pete Buttigieg to become the next U.S. transportation secretary, clearing the nomination for full Senate approval. His nomination received strong bipartisan support with Roger Wicker (R-Mississippi), who continued to preside as chairman for the meeting, calling Buttigieg “impressive” and his Democrat counterpart in line to become chair, Sen. Maria Cantwell (D-Washington), saying she enthusiastically endorsed the nomination.
Cantwell also stressed the importance of getting a transportation secretary in place, given the challenges the sector has faced during the Covid-19 pandemic and the need to work on transportation issues in the next Covid-19 relief package. She added that she plans on discussing with President Biden and Buttigieg, once he takes the secretary role, how they could prioritize vaccines for transportation workers who move food, citing reports about the challenges
Commerce Secretary nominee Gina Raimondo vows to take politics out of census By Sarah Ewall-Wice
Updated on: January 26, 2021 / 2:40 PM / CBS News
Rhode Island Governor Gina Raimondo, nominated by President Biden to be commerce secretary, appeared remotely before the Senate Commerce Committee Tuesday to talk about what her priorities would be in the job and was asked about how she d handle some of the controversial issues under her purview.
Early in the hearing, Raimondo fielded a question about the 2020 Census, which President Trump has tried to use to affect the way congressional seats are divided among states. Raimondo told senators that she would treat the census differently.
- January 21, 2021, 11:40 AM
Senate Commerce Committee leaders Thursday welcomed Peter Pete Buttigieg, President Joe Biden’s nominee to become the next Transportation Secretary, with chairman Roger Wicker (R-Mississippi) opening his confirmation hearing saying he was quite certain of full Senate approval.
Wicker, who continued to chair the committee in absence of a final power-sharing agreement between the Republican and Democrat leaders, praised the selection of the former South Bend, Indiana mayor and U.S. Navy Reserve intelligence officer for the post, saying he has “impressive credentials” with “valuable perspective” from a local level. He also credited the former secretary, Elaine Chao, for her “professional and principled manner” in the way she directed the department.
What was a properly-sourced rumour last night by the major news networks in the US, was in fact confirmed through the socials of President-Elect Joe Biden.
Maltese-American Pete Buttigieg has been nominated by President-Elect Biden as Secretary of Transportation, making this the first time that a Maltese-American will be occupying a major role in any US Presidential Cabinet. Apart from this, Pete Buttigieg, if confirmed, would make history as the first openly gay person to lead a Cabinet’s department in the nation’s history.
As Mayor of South Bend, Indiana, Pete secured $200 million in private investment in downtown South Bend, sparking citywide job growth and facilitating innovative public-private partnerships to improve the city’s transportation, and he also launched a “Smart Streets” initiative that brought new life to what was once called a dying city revitalizing the city, redesigning the streets, and spurring major economic investment.