Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett is one step closer to serving as U.S. ambassador to Luxembourg. On Wednesday, the Senate Foreign Relations Committee approved President Joe Biden's nomination of Barrett to the European post.
Barrett told WUWM that he's very pleased.
"The goal now is to get the full Senate to take it up. It still remains my hope, and I realize time is very short," Barrett said. "If we could have the confirmation occur in the next week, that would allow us to have the election to fill the mayor's job to coincide with the spring election, which could save taxpayers up to three-fourths of a million dollars. So there's a real financial incentive to get things done for the city of Milwaukee."
National media have reported that Texas Republican Senator Ted Cruz is blocking dozens of ambassadorship nominees in hopes of getting the president to re-impose sanctions on a natural gas pipeline project from Europe to Russia.
Barrett said he's hoping for a deal.
"That is the remaining few days, the Senate will be in, that they'll be able to work out a compromise and allow non-controversial nominees to move through. And there's been no controversy so far, and I'd like to keep it that way!" said Barrett.
If Barrett leaves, Common Council President Cavalier Johnson would become acting mayor until there's a special election to fill the remaining three years of Barrett's term. Johnson and six others say they'd run for the job.
