Washington DC, March 8, 2019 – President Donald Trump intends to nominate John Linder, a former congressman from Georgia, as US ambassador to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), the White House said on Friday.
Linder served as a U.S. representative for Georgia’s 7th congressional district from 2003 to 2011. He was previously the representative for Georgia’s 11th congressional district from 1997 to 2002, and he represented Georgia’s 4th congressional district from 1993 to 1996.
The 76-year-old Republican used to be a member of the House Committee on Homeland Security, where he chaired the Subcommittee on Prevention of Nuclear and Biological Attack, the statement said.
“John has been a public servant, a passionate advocate for tax reform and a good friend of mine for many years. In addition to his military service in the U.S. Air Force, John’s 18 years in the U.S. House of Representatives will benefit him greatly if confirmed for this new role. As an early member of the House Homeland Security Committee, John has experience working on challenging security issues including prevention of nuclear and biological weapons proliferation. He was also a key advocate of expanding our trade relationships with allies in the Asia-Pacific region, supporting Vietnam’s accession to the World Trade Organization as a member of the House Ways and Means Committee. I congratulate John on his nomination and look forward to voting on his confirmation in the U.S. Senate,” said Senator Johny Isakson in a release statement on the White House appointment.
Linder's nomination needs to be confirmed by the Senate.
The US ambassadorship to ASEAN has been vacant since January 2017.
