i ask that it be in order to make the same request with respect to calendar number 329, mary catherine phee, a career member of the senior foreign service to be a member of the board of directors of the african development foundation for a term expiring september 27, 2026. the presiding officer: is there objection? mr. cruz: mr. president. the presiding officer: the senator from texas. mr. cruz: reserving the right to object. i would note one of the efforts that the state department has endeavored to do to try to force these nominations through is planning a whole series of articles and papers which they somehow believe would pressure me. the most amausting of -- amusing of which was an article in i believe "politico" if i remember correctly that began ominously the mansions in europe where ambassadors reside are sadly empty due to this one senator's objections. i will confess my heart is not broken that some rich democratic donor is not whining and dining people in a grand ambassadorial mansion. i'm sure that's an enormous crisis in georgetown. what i think is a crisis is making putin stro