March 10, 2016

Brown Statement on Banking Committee's Approval of Treasury Nominee for Counterterrorism Post

WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH) – ranking member of the U.S. Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs – released the following statement after the committee approved Adam J. Szubin’s nomination to be the U.S. Treasury Department’s Under Secretary for Terrorism and Financial Crimes. Szubin’s nomination now goes to the full Senate for a confirmation vote.

“Adam Szubin has proven to be a tough and effective enforcer of U.S. sanctions and terrorism financing laws against countries like Syria, Iran, and North Korea, as well as against terrorist organizations, narco-traffickers, and money launderers,” Brown said. “The simple fact is that the Senate should have unanimously confirmed Mr. Szubin last spring instead of keeping him in limbo for almost an entire year. Mr. Szubin is well qualified for this important position and the full Senate should confirm him without further delay. I hope the committee will now act on the many other nominations that are still pending before it.”

Szubin, who is currently serving in the counterterrorism post at Treasury in an acting capacity, was nominated on April 20, 2015. During Szubin’s confirmation hearing before the Banking Committee in September, Brown noted that Szubin’s mentor, Bush Under Secretary Stuart Levey, was confirmed by the Senate just three weeks after his nomination came to this committee. Mr. Szubin’s immediate predecessor took the committee just two and a half months to consider.

Szubin has served in both Republican and Democratic administrations in senior positions related to economic sanctions and countering terrorist financing. He served as Counsel to the Deputy Attorney General and was a Trial Attorney on the Terrorism Litigation Task Force, receiving the Justice Department’s Special Commendation award for his work countering terrorism. From 2006 to 2015 he directed Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control.

The Anti-Defamation League in November urged the Banking Committee to approve Szubin’s nomination, saying, “His leadership has made the Treasury Finance Intelligence effort one of the most potent and effective tools against the funding of terror and the isolation of rogue regimes.” The Anti-Defamation League’s September letter to Banking Committee Chairman Richard Shelby (R-AL) and Brown calling on the committee to approve Szubin can be read online here.

Szubin also has strong support from the American Jewish Committee and United Against Nuclear Iran, a bipartisan advocacy group that campaigned against the Iran nuclear deal reached in July.

Senate Banking is the lone committee in the Senate that did not vote on any of the President’s nominees in 2015.

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