Sun Jun 21, 2009 at 23:37:55 PM PDT
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| X-posted at California Represent!
Way back in April, I wrote a post about Sen. Jon Kyl's plan to place a hold on Ellen Tauscher's confirmation to the position of Under Secretary of State for Arms Control and International Security.
Well, it looks like Kyl's threat was far from idle. That hold was placed sometime last week, although there seems to be a lot of confusion as to whether Kyl put a hold on just Tauscher and one other nominee or whether it's a blanket hold on all State Department nominees. The precise reason for the hold seems unclear as well.
Here's what The Cable is reporting about Kyl's action:
A Congressional source says that Sen. Jon Kyl (R-AZ) put a hold on all State Department nominees earlier this week because he is not satisifed with the information he has been receiving from the administration on the progress of arms control negotiations with Russia. [...]
Flip it... |
| babaloo :: Kyl Has Placed Hold On Tauscher Confirmation |
Senate Foreign Relations Committe staffers claimed to be in the dark about any blanket hold. They noted that some nominees had been confirmed just this week. [...]
They said only two nominees were put on hold from going to a unanimous consent Senate floor vote: Rep. Ellen Tauscher, the nominee for under secretary of state for arms control and international security, and Kurt Campbell, the nominee to be assistant secretary of state for East Asian and Pacific Affairs.
But a second Hill source who did not want to be identified said it was his understanding that all State nominees were currently on hold by Kyl, and that the chairman of the SFRC, Sen. John Kerry (D-MA), the State Department, and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) were trying to resolve the matter. A third Hill source also said it was his understanding all State nominees were currently under a blanket hold from Kyl.
The State Department said it couldn't immediately provide an answer.
So that's one explanation for the hold.
Of course, back in April, the reason being given was a little different:
Tauscher has made it very clear she is skeptical of the Groundbased Midcourse anti-missile system and wants to see much more system testing done. Kyl is one of the system's biggest boosters on the Hill.
But now, in addition to the two reasons that have been floated by Kyl's office, The Cable mentions a third, different possibility for why the hold on Tauscher's nomination could be extended as part of a larger Republican strategy:
Meantime, another source says Republicans are threatening to put appointments for the entire administration on hold due to their ire over the scheduling of Obama's Supreme Court justice nominee Sonia Sotomayor for a July hearing.
And as I'm sure you know, until that hold is removed, there's no official Congressional race in CA-10. Get ready for a lot more candidate forums. Sigh. |
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