WASHINGTON — Former Georgia state Rep. Calvin Smyre’s nomination to serve as ambassador to the Bahamas was sent back to President Joe Biden by the U.S. Senate on Wednesday, meaning Smyre once again has failed to be confirmed.
Now, the president must decide if he wants to nominate Smyre to the post for a third time. The send-back means that for Smyre to get the post, he would have to start the Senate confirmation process over again since lawmakers didn’t move forward on approving him this calendar year.
Biden originally selected Smyre to serve as ambassador to the Dominican Republic in November 2021 but later switched the nomination to the Bahamas. However, the two-year congressional term ended in January 2023 without Smyre being confirmed by the Senate.
The president reappointed Smyre to the post that same month, but his nomination lingered once again without action. His name was on a list of more than 50 nominations the Senate rejected Wednesday as one of it’s last actions before adjourning for the year.
At least one other person with Georgia ties was also on that list.
Roy Minter Jr. was Biden’s nominee to serve as U.S. Marshal for the Southern District of Georgia. Minter was serving as chief of Savannah police at the time of his appointment in 2022, but he resigned to focus on the anticipated post.
The White House has not yet said whether Smyre, Minter or any of the others on the list will be reappointed.
Smyre has spent the past several months focusing on a different Biden-appointed post, although one that did not require Senate confirmation.
He is one of the United States’ five delegates to the United Nations General Assembly. The yearlong role requires frequent trips to U.N. headquarters in New York City.
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