GOP digs in on blocking Biden diplomatic picks
By Laura Kelly - 11/08/21 12:13 PM EST
Republicans are putting up an intense series of roadblocks to confirmation for President Biden’s diplomatic nominees, issuing maximalist demands and raising objections to both policies and personalities.
More than 10 months into Biden's administration, the Senate has confirmed only seven of his ambassadorial picks, while more than 50 nominees for the State Department and U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) are awaiting votes, many of them held up by GOP objections.
Democrats have issued stark warnings against the Republican moves.
“Republicans who are holding up these nominees are endangering our national security, making it harder for our country to respond to threats at home and abroad,” Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) said on the Senate floor Tuesday night, ahead of objections levied by Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) against the quick confirmation of at least eight nominees.
Hawley, Sen. Ted Cruz (Texas) and other GOP senators are exercising their ability to place a “hold” on a nominee or demand a vote on the record, moves that can force Democrats to drag out the confirmation process, sometimes for days, and eat up critical Senate floor time that the majority needs for legislative priorities.
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https://thehill.com/policy/international/580339-gop-digs-in-on-blocking-biden-diplomatic-picks
