For months, Sens. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) and Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) have stood in the best way of swift confirmations of dozens of largely non-controversial nominees to key foreign-policy positions within the Biden administration. Their blockade, which forces Schumer to make use of invaluable ground time to course of every nominee, has drawn ire not simply Democrats, however from European allies and a few Republicans.
The Senate’s gradual tempo on diplomatic nominations has been hanging. The chamber has confirmed simply 9 of Biden’s nominees for international ambassadorships, and simply one-third of all national-security positions for which Biden has submitted a nominee. At this level in Donald Trump’s presidency, the Senate had already confirmed 40 international ambassadors and two-thirds of national-security positions.
Within the meantime, the already sky-high partisan tensions within the higher chamber are worsening.
“They must bear the burden,” Menendez mentioned of Republicans. “One thing will occur on the earth and so they’ll remorse holding up an envoy.”
Sen. Chris Coons (D-Del.), an in depth Biden ally within the higher chamber who ceaselessly fields telephone calls from anxious nominees, mentioned Schumer ought to make it painful for Republicans by scheduling inconvenient session occasions.
“We’ve dozens and dozens of nations world wide the place there are companions and allies of ours who’re beneath stress from authoritarian regimes the place we do not need a confirmed ambassador,” Coons mentioned in a short interview. “We’re simply harming our nation’s pursuits and our nationwide safety by not confirming these nominees.”
The Senate may take into account a package deal of diplomatic nominees as early as subsequent week. However the chamber already has a packed calendar of vital laws, together with the annual protection coverage invoice and the debt ceiling. On prime of that, Schumer has mentioned he needs to go Biden’s social spending laws earlier than Christmas.
Cruz and Hawley stay unmoved by Schumer’s threats to maintain the chamber in session by means of the vacations. Hawley, who’s forcing roll-call votes on a number of foreign-policy nominees over the chaotic withdrawal from Afghanistan, mentioned this week he’s ready to face in the best way for “so long as it takes,” a vow that some noticed as a nod to his potential presidential ambitions.
“If I’m nonetheless on the ground doing this in 2023, so be it, 2024, so be it, till any person is held accountable,” Hawley mentioned of the Afghanistan pullout. “Till there may be accountability, I’m going to ask that the Senate do the easy process of its job, which is to truly vote on these nominees.”
This previous week, the Senate held votes on nominees for positions within the Justice Division, the Nationwide Mediation Board and the Federal Communications Fee; and the chamber was not in session on Friday. Hawley mentioned it was wasted time.
“If these had been such urgent priorities,” Hawley mentioned, “why wasn’t Schumer voting on these per week in the past or two weeks in the past or 5 weeks in the past? As a result of he’s incompetent, that’s why.”
Republicans insist that holding roll-call votes on these nominees shouldn’t be controversial. However up to now, the Senate has confirmed a lot of them by unanimous consent to keep away from burning invaluable ground time. And the constraints of a 50-50 Senate are complicating issues for Schumer, who has typically been compelled to carry votes merely to discharge a nominee from a committee.
Democrats tried a number of occasions to substantiate some foreign-policy nominees whereas the Senate was voting on different nominations this week.
When Sen. Rick Scott (R-Fla.) sought unanimous consent on a decision expressing assist for Chinese language tennis star Peng Shuai, Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin requested him to change his request to incorporate confirming Biden’s nominee for ambassador to China, Nicholas Burns.
Scott objected over what he mentioned was Burns’ weak file on China, and mentioned senators ought to be placed on the file with a ground vote. (Democrats mentioned Burns’ nomination is on the prime of their checklist for this month’s doable package deal of foreign-policy nominees on the ground.)
The identical day, Sen. Ben Cardin (D-Md.) tried to substantiate a tranche of nominees for the Overseas Service, State Division and U.S. Company for Worldwide Growth — a few of which have been languishing on the Senate ground for months. Hawley objected.
Later, Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.) moved to substantiate a number of ambassadorships, together with for the European Union. Throughout her ground speech, Shaheen known as out Cruz, who was sitting on the GOP facet of the chamber: “That is the impression of what’s occurring as the results of your holds, Sen. Cruz. We will’t put our nationwide safety within the palms of the individuals who don’t have the standing of ambassadors.”
Regardless of the holdup on the ground, the Overseas Relations Committee has continued to approve diplomatic nominations with bipartisan assist. The panel is scheduled to carry affirmation hearings subsequent week for Biden’s nominees to function ambassadors to India, Germany and Pakistan.
