ANNAPOLIS – Former Maryland House of Delegates minority leader and two- time candidate for governor Ellen Sauerbrey is awaiting Senate confirmation to a United Nations ambassadorship post, the White House confirmed Tuesday.
Hearings could come as soon as next week on her proposed appointment as the U.S. representative on the Commission on the Status of Women, a part of the U.N. Economic and Social Counsel.
The Bush administration named Sauerbrey, a Baltimore County Republican, the U.S. representative on the commission in June, however, she must be confirmed by the Senate to become the ambassador.
Sauerbrey declined to comment for this story, and she has purposely been keeping a low profile in the gubernatorial and legislative races this year until the Senate makes a decision.
The Commission on the Status of Women studies women’s rights worldwide and makes recommendations to promote those rights in political, economic, social, civil and educational fields. The commission’s goal is “to promote implementation of the principle that men and women shall have equal rights.”
The position is part time, which will allow Sauerbrey to spend most of her time in Maryland. The 47th session for the Commission on the Status of Women will be held in New York City in March 2003.
Sauerbrey spoke earlier this year at the 46th session about the situation of women and children in Afghanistan.
Sauerbrey served in the House of Delegates from 1978-94 and was named minority leader 1986. She ran unsuccessfully against Democratic Gov. Parris Glendening in 1994 and 1998, losing by only 5,993 votes in the ’98 election.
She is an advocate crime victims’ rights and was the first-ever recipient of the National Federation of Republican Women’s Margaret Chase Smith Award. The former delegate was host of a talk show on WBAL after her unsuccessful bids for the governor’s office and has written columns in the Washington Post, the Washington Times and the Baltimore Sun. – 30 – CNS-9-24-02