Hawley says he will keep the State Department and Defense candidate unless Blinken and Austin resign for leaving Afghanistan

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The Missouri Republican told CNN that his positions will apply to any civilian candidate at the deputy and secretary levels, as well as at the ambassadors.

The move would force Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer to take time-consuming procedural steps to move forward on many uncontroversial candidates. And with little time to speak, it might be enough to delay indefinitely any number of candidates who would normally be confirmed quickly by voice vote.

In statements Tuesday prior to the Senate floor, Hawley also demanded the resignation of President Joe Biden’s national security adviser Jake Sullivan, who argued that “the failure of these people, the failure of this administration, the it has cost the lives of Americans and left American civilians an enemy. ”

“There has to be accountability and then there has to be a fresh start,” he said.

CNN has contacted the White House for comment. The senator’s threat is likely to cause concern to the Biden administration, which has already been slow to announce some key candidates and has not yet confirmed ambassadors installed in key countries such as China, India, France or Israel.

Senate Foreign Secretary Bob Menendez mocked Hawley’s plans Tuesday, accusing his fellow senator of jeopardizing U.S. national security.

“This would undermine the national security of the United States and its interests,” said Menendez, a New Jersey Democrat. “That would be a brilliant idea on behalf of Senator Hawley.”

But Hawley pushed back the idea that his move would jeopardize national security efforts, and told CNN that his concern was, among other things, with the 13 U.S. service members killed in a terrorist attack in Afghanistan last month as troops rushed to evacuate Americans and the vulnerable. Afghans.

“I’m worried that hundreds of American civilians will fall behind the enemy lines and still be there. And I’m worried that the president of the United States will say that it was an extraordinary success … I can’t think of any other example in United States history when a commander-in-chief has celebrated this catastrophe as a success, “the senator said. “I should resign.”

Among the people who could get caught up in Hawley’s plans are Scott Miller, an LGBTQ rights activist and philanthropist whom Biden appointed last month to be the next U.S. ambassador to Switzerland, and Rahm Emanuel, Biden’s selection as to ambassador to Japan.
The threat could also complicate Melissa Dalton’s confirmation processes, Biden’s election as Deputy Secretary of National Defense and Global Security Affairs in the Department of Defense, and a number of other candidates for the State Department, including David Cohen as U.S. Ambassador to Canada, Karen Donfried will be the Deputy Secretary of European and Eurasian Affairs and Anne Witkowsky will be the Deputy Secretary of Conflict and Stabilization Operations.

The Senate on Monday confirmed three State Department nominees: Donald Lu as Deputy Secretary of South Asian Affairs, Brett Holmgren as Deputy Secretary of Intelligence and Research, and Brian Nichols as Deputy Secretary of State. ‘western hemisphere.

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