Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., confirmed frustration with Democrats on Tuesday after a affirmation vote for President Trump’s decide for CIA director in John Ratcliffe, who has bipartisan help, was blocked.
Talking on the Senate flooring after the vote was blocked by Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., Thune mentioned the Senate can stay in session all weekend to substantiate Trump’s picks if progress continues to be delayed.
“Do we wish a vote on these people on Tuesday or vote on them on Friday, Saturday and Sunday? As a result of that is what we will do. This may be straightforward or this may be laborious,” Thune mentioned. “That is about America’s national security interests, and we’re stalling, in order that’s not going to occur.”
NEW GOP SENATOR TEARS INTO DEMS ‘SEEKING TO DELAY’ PETE HEGSETH DOD CONFIRMATION
Senate Majority Chief John Thune, R-S.D., was pissed off with Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., after he blocked a affirmation vote for John Ratcliffe as CIA director on Tuesday. (Reuters)
Ratcliffe was authorized by the Senate Intelligence Committee by a bipartisan vote of 14 to three. Due to that, Thune mentioned the vote to substantiate him “should not be laborious.”
“Democrats and Republicans, in a really large bipartisan trend, agree that he’s very certified for this job,” Thune mentioned, including that he is not positive what stalling accomplishes.
When blocking the vote, Murphy mentioned many Democrats have “severe considerations” about Ratcliffe’s skill to work as CIA director as a result of he “repeatedly politicized intelligence” throughout his eight months as Nationwide Intelligence director in 2020.
“I do not assume it is an excessive amount of to ask to ensure that we’ve got a full, actual debate that lasts two days on the Senate flooring,” Murphy mentioned on Tuesday.
Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., mentioned there wanted to be two extra days of debate earlier than John Ratcliffe may very well be confirmed as CIA director due to Democrats’ “severe considerations.” (Valerie Plesch/Bloomberg through Getty Photographs)
CONFIRMATION DELAYS STACK UP FOR TRUMP NOMINEES AS PAPERWORK LAGS IN FEDERAL OFFICES
Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., who leads the Senate Intelligence Committee, mentioned the delay is for “no good cause” and is just an try “to pull out all of those nominations to play procedural video games.”
Cotton famous that whereas the Democrats acted in comparable trend in 2017 with Trump’s first administration and the Republicans in 2021 with Biden’s picks, that this did not occur throughout affirmation votes previous to the previous two elections.
“We must always particularly get again to that apply when it’s a extremely achieved, well-qualified nominee of integrity, like John Ratcliffe,” Cotton mentioned. “Now we will spin our wheels for 2 days. However, as I mentioned, do not make plans for the weekend. Have no dinner dates scheduled beginning on Thursday night time as a result of we will get these nominees carried out the simple, collegial means. Or apparently the laborious means.”
John Ratcliffe served as director of Nationwide Intelligence for eight months throughout President Trump’s first administration. (Getty Photographs)
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
Solely one among Trump’s Cupboard nominees has been confirmed to date, and that was former Florida senator Marco Rubio as Secretary of State. He was confirmed on Monday by a unanimous vote.
A number of nominees have superior out of committee votes whereas others nonetheless await affirmation hearings.
Source link