BREAKING: Biden nominates former Sen. Joe Donnelly as his US ambassador to Vatican
Donnelly, a devout Catholic, would be US ambassador to the Holy See.
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President Joe Biden will nominate former Indiana Sen. Joe Donnelly as the US ambassador to the Vatican, the White House said Friday.
“I am truly honored to be nominated to this role by President Biden, a man of faith and a friend,” Donnelly said in a statement. “If confirmed, I look forward to working with the Holy See on a wide variety of issues, including human rights, religious freedom, immigration, climate change, peace, and poverty.”
During the 2020 election, Donnelly served as a co-chair of Catholics for Biden and wrote an Indianapolis Star op-ed defending Biden’s faith.
Indiana Democratic Party Chairman Mike Schmuhl, who managed Donnelly’s 2010 congressional campaign, celebrated the nod in a statement.
“Senator Joe Donnelly is a man of character, integrity, and faith, and his fundamental belief in the values we cherish as Hoosiers and Americans will make Joe a great fit to serve as Ambassador to the Holy See at the Vatican,” Schmuhl said in a statement to IMPORTANTVILLE.
“Indiana Democrats couldn't be prouder of Joe, who has time and again looked after those who needed a helping hand while providing a common-sense voice in our politics. In the U.S. House and U.S. Senate, Joe was always there for Hoosiers and worked to save Indiana’s auto industry and thousands of jobs during the recession, protect a Hoosier’s right to affordable health care, and our veterans when they returned home. Through it all, Joe always believed in bipartisanship and comradery that’s so rare to find today, and he has the respect and admiration of his former colleagues in Congress and from Hoosiers across Indiana -- no matter the political affiliation.
“On a personal level, Joe gave me my first job in politics and I was quickly amazed by his work ethic, his sense of fairness, and how he treated everyone he met -- from a constituent needing assistance to someone who would never vote for him -- with dignity and respect. He and Jill have become family to so many who continue to look to them for guidance and continue to work on causes that make our country and world a better place.
“Indiana Democrats are proud he has this remarkable opportunity to show some Hoosier Hospitality to one of the most sacred and cherished places in our world.”