Press Releases

Today, Congressman Bill Huizenga (MI-02) released the following statement after President Trump announced his intent to nominate Peter Hoekstra to serve as Ambassador to the Kingdom of the Netherlands:

“I want to congratulate my colleague, mentor, and friend Pete Hoekstra on his nomination to become our nation's Ambassador to the Kingdom of the Netherlands,” said Congressman Huizenga. “Pete's heritage, deep-rooted ties to the Dutch community in West Michigan, and combination of public service and private sector experience make him uniquely qualified to serve as Ambassador to the Netherlands. I cannot think of a better person to further strengthen the relationship between the United States and the Netherlands than Pete Hoekstra.”

Background:

Pete Hoekstra served in the United States Congress for 18 years, representing Michigan's 2nd Congressional District from 1993 to 2011. During his time in Congress, Mr. Hoekstra served as the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence from 2004 to 2007 and as the Ranking Republican on the Committee until 2011. Mr. Hoekstra also served as Co-Chair of the Dutch Caucus, and specialized in the public policy areas of national security, education, manufacturing, and the Great Lakes. Before his election to Congress, Mr. Hoekstra worked at Zeeland, Michigan-based office furniture manufacturer Herman Miller, Inc. for 15 years, during a period when that company's revenues grew approximately 800 percent. At Herman Miller, Mr. Hoekstra worked in product development, product management and dealer development and he rose through the ranks to become Vice President of Marketing. Mr. Hoekstra currently serves on the board of Gentex, based in Zeeland, Michigan.

In December, Reps. Huizenga and Upton led a letter to the Trump Transition Team urging the nomination of Hoekstra.

Announcement from the White House:

Peter Hoekstra, of Michigan, to be Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to the Kingdom of the Netherlands. Mr. Hoekstra is a prominent politician and business executive who served as a member of Congress from 1993-2011, representing Michigan’s 2nd Congressional District. He was the Chairman of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence from 2004 to 2007 and then the ranking Republican on the Committee until 2011. Mr. Hoekstra continues to be active on public policy issues and in business affairs as a consultant, researcher, and writer. He was a distinguished fellow at the Heritage Foundation and a Shillman Senior Fellow at the Investigative Project on Terrorism. He earned a BA at Hope College and an MBA at the University of Michigan.