Biden names Vicki Kennedy as his US Ambassador to Austria

President Joe Biden has nominated Vicki Kennedy, the widow of Senator Edward Kennedy, to be his Ambassador in Austria. 

Biden previously described Edward Kennedy as a "big brother" and delivered a eulogy following Kennedy's death in 2009. The President is once again demonstrating loyalty to his long-time friends by nominating Kennedy's widow Vicki to be his Ambassador in Austria.

Vicki Kennedy is President and co-founder of the Edward M. Kennedy Institute for the United States Senate, a non-partisan non-profit that educates the public about the US Senate and inspires leadership. 

She is also Senior Counsel in the corporate and securities practice group at Greenberg Traurig LLP, in Boston, Massachusetts, and Washington, D.C. 

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August 25, 2008: Vicki and Ted Kennedy at the Democratic National Convention. (Getty Images)

The announcement comes not long after Biden's nomination of Claire Cronin as US Ambassador to Ireland has been formally lodged with the Senate.

Elsewhere, Axios reports that Biden also plans to nominate Caroline Kennedy to be his Ambassador in Australia. Caroline Kennedy, the daughter of former President John F. Kennedy, has previously served as US Ambassador to Japan. 

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January 20, 2011: Caroline Kennedy thanks Vice President Joseph Biden after he spoke during an event to honor her father's inauguration. (Getty Images)

Biden has additionally nominated former Comcast lobbyist David Cohen to be his Ambassador in Canada. Cohen spent five years as chief of staff to Philadelphia mayor Ed Rendell in the 1990s and hosted the first fundraiser of Biden's 2020 election campaign.

The President also nominated South Carolina lawyer Jamie Harpootlian to be his Ambassador in Slovenia as part of Wednesday's announcements. Harpootlian, who was a major donor during Biden's successful bid for the presidency, served as a hearing officer on the 9/11 Victim Compensation Fund. 

She raised $115,000 for Biden's campaign in a May 2019 fundraiser along with her husband Dick Harpootlian, a state senator representing Richland, South Carolina. The Harpootlians were vocal supporters of Biden in the lead-up to the 2020 presidential election. 

All ambassadorial nominations must now be confirmed by the US Senate.