State Department nominees held up in Senate committee.
Secretary of State Antony Blinken wrote a letter about the hold on the nomination process for diplomats that has been instituted by Senator Rand Paul of Kentucky.
The Department of State currently has 62 nominees waiting to proceed through the Senate, including 38 nominations to ambassador positions. However, in the committees that initially approve the nominations for a full Senate vote, a single senator can block the continuation of this process for a number of reasons. Senator Paul used this option last month to pressure the State Department to release more information about the origins of COVID-19.
Secretary Blinken wrote a letter urging the Senate to “swiftly confirm State Department nominees on the floor.” He stated, “If you are holding one or more nominees, I respectfully ask that you reconsider or work with the Department to find a reasonable and expedited path forward.”
“Our foreign policy and national security interests are depending on it,” Secretary Blinken added.
As the Lord Leads, Pray with Us…
- For Secretary Blinken as he urges the Senate to move ahead with the confirmation process.
- For Senator Paul and his colleagues who want further information from the State Department.
- For the Senate majority and minority leaders as they oversee proceedings in the upper chamber of Congress.
Sources: Reuters, NBC News
