Daines Chairs Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Discusses Revitalizing American Diplomacy & Furthering National Security

• April 30, 2026

WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senator Steve Daines chaired a Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing. He spoke with Darrell Owens, nominee to be U.S. Representative to the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe and Representative George Holding, nominee to be United States Director of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development. He also spoke with William Trachman, nominee to be Ambassador to Tanzania, and Juan Rodriguez, nominee to be Ambassador to Guatemala.

Watch Daines' opening remarks HERE and the full hearing HERE.

Daines' opening remarks:

I want to thank our nominees today for joining us and for your willingness to serve our great country. It is because of people like you that we are able to further our national security and our national interests. And I extend my sincere thanks to you and your families. And I see many of the families here joining you right behind you. President Trump and Secretary Rubio are working tirelessly to further American national interests to make the world safer and more prosperous for Americans and to reform and revitalize U.S. diplomacy. Their efforts around the world have produced incredible results, bringing peace to war-torn regions like the South Caucasus. I got to see that firsthand, seeing Azerbaijan and Armenia brokering a peace deal, something that had basically a hot war for 35 years, but not today. They've been stemming the tide of deadly fentanyl entering our country, putting our adversaries on the back foot, furthering U.S. business interests and investment abroad, as well as foreign investment in the United States. They should be commended for their hard work. Under their leadership, America is back on the world stage. If confirmed, all four of you will become part of that effort to further the U.S. national interest. While the countries and institutions at which you will represent the United States are both geographically and functionally diverse, and just looking at where you all are headed, once confirmed, it's demonstrated right here with this panel that you will all be a very important part of the State Department's team, and your efforts are critical to the President's initiatives. Again, I'd like to thank each of you personally, as well as your families, speaking as somebody who has lived abroad for a number of years when I was in the private sector. Thank you for your willingness to serve. And I very much look forward to your testimonies.

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