The US House of Senate has confirmed Michael A. McCarty, of Virginia, a career member of the Senior Foreign Service, Class of Minister-Counselor, to be Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to the Republic of Liberia. Ambassador McCarthy was confirmed after undergoing intensive scrutiny from members of the US Congress.
Ambassador McCarthy, who was appointed by President Donald Trump a few months ago, was finally confirmed by Senate’s Voice Vote on Wednesday, November 18, 2020.
After his nomination by the State Department, Ambassador McCarthy was received in the Senate and referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations on June 2, 2020, with the committee holding hearings on August 6, 2020. On September 22, 2020, the Committee on Foreign Relations ordered to be reported favorably, which was done by Senator Risch without printed report on the same day.
On the same September 22, 2020, Ambassador McCarthy was placed on the Senate Executive Calendar, Calendar No. 884, and was finally considered and confirmed on November 18, 2020.
McCarthy joined the Foreign Service in 1990. He is currently a career member of the United States Foreign Service, Class of Minister-Counselor. He was the Area Management Officer of the East Africa Division of the State Department’s Office of Overseas Buildings and Operations, and a Country Desk Officer in the Office of West African Affairs in the Bureau of African Affairs. From 2010 to 2013, he served as the Management Officer at the United States Consulate General in Frankfurt, Germany, serving from 2007 to 2010 as a Management Officer at the United States Embassy in New Delhi, India and he served in the US Embassy in Asmara, Eritrea from 2004 to 2007.
From 2015 to 2017, he was Office Director for the Office of Retirement in the Bureau of Human Resources at the State Department. From 2013 to 2015, he served as the Deputy Chief of Mission for Embassy Juba in South Sudan. He had other postings in Uruguay, Sri Lanka and Thailand. He lastly served as US Consulate General in Johannesburg, South Africa, before his nomination by President Trump to serve in Liberia.
According to information, Ambassador McCarthy has been sent to Liberia to alleviate, if not end, the culture of impunity and rampant corruption in Liberia.