WASHINGTON — Senate Foreign Relations Chairman Bob Menendez issued a scathing rebuke of Sen. Rand Paul’s move to block more than 60 State Department nominees as Paul seeks information from the Biden administration about Covid-19’s origins.
The statement, first obtained by NBC News, does not specifically mention Paul, R-Ky., by name, but calls the “blatant refusal by one member” to advance nominees “unacceptable.”
Menendez, D-N.J., says Paul’s move “puts our country’s national security and global influence in peril.”
“I call on the members of this body engaged in blanket refusals to confirm nominees to stop playing games with our national security. It only undermines our national security and our ability to compete with the PRC,” Menendez said in the statement, using the abbreviation for the People’s Republic of China.
July 17, 202302:26
Paul has blocked State Department nominees in an effort to “access COVID-19 documents being held by various government agencies that are under the jurisdiction of the foreign relations committee,” a Paul spokesperson previously told NBC.
The spokesperson said that Paul would oppose nominees unless Menendez “stopped obstructing oversight efforts.”
In his statement, Menendez said that strengthening the U.S.’s “diplomatic posture across the globe, remaining competitive against the PRC, and disrupting Beijing’s growing diplomatic advantage are all goals that should share widespread bipartisan support across the Senate.”
Earlier this week, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the confirmation delays are “undermining our national security.”
He said of the 62 nominees currently in the nomination process, 38 have completed all other steps and are awaiting Senate confirmation, and 35 of those 38 are career Foreign Service officers, some of whose nominations have languished in the Senate for more than 18 months.
“I respect and value its critical oversight role. It’s crucial ensuring that we have highly qualified individuals representing the United States around the world. But that’s not what is happening here,” Blinken said on Monday. “No one is questioning the qualifications of these career diplomats. They’re being blocked for leverage on other unrelated issues. It’s irresponsible, and it’s doing harm to our national security.”
Blinken added that his team has worked “extensively” with Paul.
“We’ve provided documents and other information that he’s requested. But unfortunately, he continues to block all of our nominees,” Blinken said.
Julia Jester contributed.
Source: | This article originally belongs to Nbcnews.com
