Democrat Hawaii Sen. Brian Schatz has blocked more than 300 President Donald Trump’s candidates from the Swift confirmation vote despite previously criticising efforts to halt nominations during the Biden administration.
Schatz’s lockdown on hundreds of Trump candidates and at least nine bipartisan diplomatic bills are expanding opposition tactics against the Trump administration to appease left-wing bases. Schatz, a member of the Senate Democratic leader, criticized Sen. Tommy Twoberville, a Republican Sen., for criticizing the Senate’s responsibility for “advice and consent” as “obstructing” and “anti-national” promotion of military officials. (Related: Tim Waltz is still trying to explain how badly his party failed in 2024)
Schatz has expanded his hold on Trump’s candidates, including individuals tapped to serve 12 agencies, including Anthony Desposit, a former New York Republican lawmaker whom Trump appointed Asiosios of the Labor Bureau. It has been reported.
“Their lawlessness is escalating and deliberately destroying the economy, so I don’t think anything should be made easy in the future,” Schatz told Axios on Monday. Previously a Hawaii Democrat announcement Comprehensive retention of State Department candidates following the Trump administration’s decision to shut down the US Agency for International Development (USAID).
However, Schatz vehemently opposed the use of Tuberville blanket holds for military promotions under the Biden administration, Discussion The decision to stall the nominations of Alabama Republicans in 2023 was a “power abuse” and a “stunt” that failed to achieve its desired effect.
Tuberville’s military promotion lasted almost a year as pressured the Department of Defense to end a taxpayer-funded abortion travel policy under former President Joe Biden. Trump administration’s Secretary of Defense Pete Hegses is particularly prominent. reverse The Pentagon’s abortion policy in January is a long-standing provision that prohibits taxpayers’ money using with minimal exceptions in order to comply with the Hyde Amendment.
In a July 2023 speech on the Senate floor, Schatz suggested that he would never cover a wide range of candidates and laws. In his speech, he argued that blanket holds were a clear abuse of the senator’s authority to suspend Senate operations, primarily through unanimous consent.
By withholding consent from more than 300 Trump candidates, Schatz will enforce Senate GOP leadership and use valuable floor time to handle each candidate individually.
“Every senator has enormous power,” Schatz said in his speech. “Maybe this week I could block the defense bill if I wanted, but I won’t. Because you’re not a maniac, because you understand that when you win someone through your voters with this kind of power, you have to be very careful about how you exercise it.”
For the past nine months, Tuberville has placed politics in our safety and abused military families. As I said in July, if he has any policy disagreements, let’s discuss them. But we should not be punished by military personnel who are dedicated to protecting our nation. https://t.co/jpqxyswd3c
– Senator Brian Schatz (@senbrianschatz) November 14, 2023
“So, in my 11 years [in the Senate]I blocked one or two things, and when I block something, people know I’m serious,” added Schatz. [Tuberville’s holds] It’s about breaking the basic understanding of gaining each other with a considerable amount of authority. But in exchange, you need to use that power wisely. ”
The lockdown of all State Department candidates Schatz is threatening to leave hundreds of national security adjacent positions in Limbo. Hawaii Democrats have previously criticized the Tuberville holdings, which are allegedly undermining US national security. Tuberville argued that the comprehensive hold of military promotions had no impact on military preparations.
Tuber Building I wrote it In the Washington Post’s June 2023 opinion, his retention is “only the top-level people – the generals and flag officers. Those who actually fight are not affected at all.”
“The fact that Senator Tuberville holds hundreds of military promotions is hurting our national security,” Schatz said. I wrote it On X in November 2023.
Schatz, who is on the Senate Foreign Affairs Committee, holds at least nine bipartisan foreign affairs bills. One of the bills is a resolution that denies China for destroying Hong Kong’s democracy and the rule of law following the democratic protests that swept the island in 2019, according to Axios.
Senate Republicans have vowed to continue handling Trump’s national security candidates despite attempts by Schatz and other Senate Democrats to slow the pace of confirmation.
“The expansion measures by the Democratic senators will not stop us from ensuring that President Trump’s national security candidates are introduced as soon as possible,” Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman James Riche told the Daily Callenor News Foundation on Monday.
A Schatz spokesman did not immediately reply to a Daily Caller News Foundation request for comment.
All content created by the Daily Caller News Foundation is an independent, nonpartisan newswire service that is free to use for legitimate news publishers that can provide large audiences. All republished articles must include logos, reporter signatures and DCNF affiliation. For questions regarding our guidelines or partnerships with us, please contact licensing@dailycallernewsfoundation.org.
