WASHINGTON — Secretary of State Antony Blinken will send a letter to senators Monday urging them to confirm more than 60 State Department nominees who have been blocked by Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., while he seeks information from the administration on the origins of Covid-19, a State Department official told NBC News.
Last month, Paul placed a hold on all State Department nominees from clearing Senate confirmation, citing his longstanding request that the department release additional information on the origins of Covid and related government funded research.
Sixty-two diplomatic nominees are awaiting Senate confirmation, including 38 nominated for ambassador positions, according to the official. All but three of the ambassadorial nominees are career foreign service workers, and some of their appointments have languished in the the Senate for more than 18 months, the official said.
In a statement to NBC News, State Department spokesperson Matt Miller said the agency has cooperated “extensively” with Paul’s demands by providing him with “documents and other information,” but that the senator “continues to block all State Department nominees.”
He added that without ambassadors in place, U.S. adversaries “fill the void” of U.S. leadership abroad, saying Paul is hamstringing the confirmation process over unrelated policy disputes.
“[I]n too many places around the world, we don’t have an ambassador today because Senator Paul is blocking confirmation for reasons that have nothing to do with the nominee’s qualifications,” Miller said.
Paul’s office did not immediately respond to NBC News’ request for comment.
In addition to his letter to the Senate, Blinken will make remarks to the State Department press Monday afternoon “to underscore why nongermane holds from Senators are hurting national security,” and urge the confirmation of agency nominees “with alacrity,” the official said.
Source: | This article originally belongs to Nbcnews.com
