( CNN ) -- Calling attention to a logjam of stalled diplomatic nominations in the Senate , Secretary of State John Kerry said the delay is harming U.S. national security . In direct public commentary on an issue crossing politics and diplomacy , Kerry called for swift approval of the nominees , many of whom are career diplomats . Some were selected for difficult jobs in global hotspots . `` Make no mistake : Vacancies in so many world capitals send a dangerous message to allies and adversaries alike about America 's engagement , '' Kerry said in an opinion piece for Politico on Tuesday . `` This perception makes it much more difficult to do the nonpartisan work at the heart of U.S. foreign policy â€ ” defending the security of our nation , promoting our values and helping our businesses compete to create American jobs back home , '' he added . Fifty-three State Department nominees await confirmation . Nearly two thirds are uncontroversial career diplomats who are caught up in a partisan standoff that has nothing to do with them or the jobs they 've been tapped to undertake . Democrats lead the chamber and accuse Republicans of delaying confirmation votes as payback for new rules aimed at making it easier to break Republican filibusters on nominations . Republicans require separate votes for each nominee , rather than the customary practice of allowing votes on multiple names at once . White House spokesman Josh Earnest urged Senate Republicans to , `` stop playing political games and let these individuals get to work on behalf of the American people . '' But Republicans blame the other side . In an interview with CNN 's Jake Tapper , Sen . Rob Portman of Ohio said the GOP has no choice but to take the slow approach . `` The leaderships on the Democratic side of the aisle has chosen , for the first time ever , at least in modern history , to say , 'You know , Republicans are not going to have a voice in these nominees , ' '' Portman said of the rules change . Now , Kerry is urging members of both parties to cooperate and act swiftly . Some 40 countries are awaiting permanent ambassadors , including Qatar and Kuwait , Gulf allies whose cooperation is critical to the fight against extremists in Iraq . Embassies in Honduras and Guatemala are also waiting for new ambassadors at a time when unaccompanied minors from Central America are surging across the southern border , creating what the White House calls a humanitarian crisis . And in Africa , nearly a quarter of U.S. missions are awaiting permanent ambassadors . Those include Cameroon and Niger , where the State Department insists the lack of American leadership has hampered efforts to recover hundreds of schoolgirls abducted by the Boko Haram extremist group in neighboring Nigeria this year . `` Ambassadors are there for a reason , '' Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs Linda Thomas-Greenfield told CNN . `` They speak for the President . They speak for the administration . Not having those voices on the ground has made a difference in our ability to convey the messages we need to convey to these governments . '' Obama to nominate first U.S. ambassador to Somalia in more than two decades .
Dozens of nominees held up by partisan politics in the Senate . Many are career diplomats , not political patrons who often get ambassador jobs . Kerry says some are destined for hotspots where U.S. leadership is needed .