Branstad meets with senators handling his confirmation

DES MOINES - Gov. Terry Branstad said Friday he had productive meetings with members of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee during this week's trip to Washington, D.C. However, he doesn't expect a hearing on his confirmation to be the next U.S. ambassador to China to take place until next month at the earliest.

Branstad said he met with committee chairman Sen. Bob Corker, R-Tenn., and ranking member, Sen. Ben Cardin, D-Md., as well as other committee members and Iowa Republican Sens. Chuck Grassley and Joni Ernst, and he plans a return trip the last week in April after the two-week Easter recess. At that time, he'll meet with more members of the committee who will consider his appointment by President Donald Trump to be America's top diplomat in China.

'I had a lot of good meetings with senators,” Branstad said Friday during his first public event since his trip. He said he has completed the paperwork phase of the process and now he is 'learning as much as I can about the China issues, and there are many.”

The governor said he also met with Sonny Perdue, Trump's secretary of agriculture nominee, who has cleared the committee process but awaits Senate confirmation pending an April 24 vote.

'It's getting kind of frustrating, I think, for a lot of people. This process has been very slow,” Branstad said of this year's Senate action. 'They've now just confirmed Neil Gorsuch to the Supreme Court and that took up a significant amount of time.

'But this has been the most, I guess, disruptive process that we've ever seen in terms of appointments. Confirmations usually don't take nearly this long. But, unfortunately, I think the Democrats have decided that they're going to just basically attack everybody. I hope that by the time I get there that will have worn out and that won't be case,” he said.

'They ask tough questions and there are a number of issues. But I'm hopeful that I can generate bipartisan support. Time will tell,” he added.

Grassley said he expects Branstad's confirmation to 'go well.”

'He's personable, professional and has the proven leadership and policy skills to serve in such an important diplomatic position. As members of the Foreign Relations Committee get to know him, they'll appreciate his trustworthiness, his work ethic and his ability to get the job done for the United States as he has for Iowa for a record number of years,” Grassley added.

Ernst said Branstad would make an excellent ambassador and hopes the Senate moves him through the confirmation process 'as soon as possible.”

'Our relationship with China is very important - from agricultural trade to national security - so I look forward to the Senate moving on his nomination soon,” she said.

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