US Ambassador to Azerbaijan Matt Bryza Nomination Vote Postponed

The Senate Foreign Relations Committee postponed a vote on US Ambassador to Azerbaijan-designate Matthew Bryza until after the Senate August recess, in response to a ‘hold-over’ request by Senator Barbara Boxer (D-CA), reported the Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA).

The decision to delay a vote on the Bryza nomination was announced, on September 3, by Committee Chair John Kerry (D-MA) during a business meeting originally scheduled to consider this matter. More than 30 other ambassadorial nominations were approved by unanimous consent.

“The hold-over requested today by Senator Boxer provides needed additional time for a closer look into a flawed nomination,” said ANCA Executive Director Aram Hamparian.

Politico.com, which has been covering the Bryza nomination issue since May of last year, broke the story of the one-month delay earlier today, noting “Senate Foreign Relations Committee aide Frederick Jones told Politico’s Laura Rozen today that ‘there has been a request to hold over nominee Matt Bryza, so the Committee will not consider his nomination until after recess.'” Rozen, in her blog, “On Foreign Policy,” reported that: “Hill sources say Sens. Barbara Boxer (D-Ca.) and Robert Menendez (D-N.J.) had expressed concerns about the nomination.”