Douglas Jones, nominated by outgoing US President Joe Biden in July of last year to be the new ambassador to Bosnia and Herzegovina, will not assume the role. His nomination, which had been awaiting a Senate plenary vote since the committee hearing in September, has been "returned" to the President of the United States. According to Senate rules, any nominations not confirmed before the start of a new Senate session are returned to the President, according to a Senate statement.

Nominations that have been neither confirmed nor rejected by the Senate at the time the Senate adjourns sine die or for a period of more than 30 days are returned to the President pursuant to Senate Rule XXXI, clause 6. Pro forma sessions held during a recess of the Senate count as days in session and can prevent what would otherwise be a greater than 30-day recess that would trigger the return of nominations under the rule. The use of pro forma sessions in modern Senate practice means that the need to suspend Rule XXXI usually only occurs at the end of the 1st session of a Congress, according to the Congressional Research Service.

Douglas Jones pledges strong support for Bosnia’s stability if confirmed as U.S. Ambassador

This procedural outcome means that the current American ambassador to Bosnia and Herzegovina, Michael Murphy, who has been in Sarajevo since February 2022, will be succeeded by a diplomat picked by Donald Trump.

Biden nominates Douglas Jones for next US Ambassador to BiH

During his first term, Trump appointed Eric Nelson as ambassador, who served from February 2019 to February 2022. In a recent interview, Nelson expressed that he does not foresee significant changes in US policy toward Bosnia and Herzegovina, regardless of the new administration or ambassador.

Since his election victory, Donald Trump has announced several ambassadorial nominations, including one for Croatia. However, he has yet to name a candidate for the Sarajevo post.