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President Barack Obama has nominated U.S. Rep. Barbara Lee, D-Oakland, as a representative to the 68th session of the United Nations General Assembly, Lee's office announced today. 

The session begins later this month and will conclude in December, said Carrie Adams, a spokeswoman for Lee's office. 

Lee's current term in the House, which ends at the end of 2014, will not be affected by the nomination, Adams said. Lee has served as a representative for the East Bay since 1998. 

"This nomination comes at a time when tensions in our world are at a fever-pitch," Lee said in a statement. "I believe now more than ever that the United States must fully engage the United Nations and the international community to ensure a safer and more peaceful world." 

Lee's tenure in the House has been characterized by her anti-war stances, and she recently announced her opposition to the president's plan to pursue military action in Syria in response to allegations of use of chemical weapons by the current Syrian regime.