Republican Ohio Senator J.D. Vance accused the Biden administration of “moralizing and lecturing” other countries in a floor speech opposing a new diplomatic nominee late Wednesday.
Vance, alongside a number of other Republicans, objected to the nomination of Stephanie Sanders Sullivan to be Washington’s new representative to the African Union. The lawmakers who objected accused Sullivan of pushing a “woke” ideology during her career as a diplomat in Africa.
The Ohio freshman said the Biden administration is prioritizing progressive ideology in its diplomacy, while China, the United States’ chief geopolitical rival, is making major investments in foreign infrastructure and humanitarian assistance.
WATCH: Senator @JDVance1 on the Dems’ woke foreign policy approach
“We have built a foreign policy of hectoring, moralizing and lecturing countries that don’t want anything to do with it. The Chinese have a foreign policy of building roads and bridges and feeding poor people.” pic.twitter.com/bkYRG4W6J0
— Senator Vance Press Office (@SenVancePress) April 20, 2023
“We have built a foreign policy of hectoring, and moralizing, and lecturing countries that don’t want anything to do with it. The Chinese have a foreign policy of building roads, and bridges and feeding poor people,” Vance said. “I think that we should pursue a foreign policy, a diplomacy, of respect, and a foreign policy that is not rooted in moralizing, it’s rooted in the national interest of this country.”
“Because Ambassador Sullivan is at the lead of moralizing instead of pursuing America’s national interest, I object,” he continued.
Republicans opposed to Sullivan’s nomination cited her prioritization of “LGBTQI+” issues, her use of the term “systemic racism” and her promotion of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives. (RELATED: Harris Travels To Africa In Attempt To Deepen US Relations)
“With the pandemic ever present and the current sensitivities surrounding the human rights of LGBTQI+ persons in Ghana, many may have wondered whether a diplomatic mission Pride event should occur. Our answer at the U.S. Embassy is a resounding yes,” Sullivan said in a 2021 statement while serving as the U.S. ambassador to Ghana. “It’s the policy of the United States to pursue an end to violence and discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity.”
Sullivan served in that role from Jan. 2019, when she was nominated by former President Donald Trump, until Jan. 2022. She previously held the position of deputy assistant secretary for African Affairs during the Trump administration and ambassador to the Republic of the Congo during the Obama administration.