The New York Times reports that Republican U.S. Senator Ted Cruz is delaying the confirmation of 59 candidates for the U.S. Department of State in an attempt to secure new sanctions against Nord Stream 2. The New York Times reports
“A bitter battle with Texas Senator Ted Cruz over the Russian pipeline has caused a staffing crisis, according to Biden administration officials. Cruz is delaying the confirmation of dozens of nominees at the State Department, including 59 possible ambassadors”, – the publication wrote.
Senator Robert Menendez said such actions are truly undermining the national security of the United States. According to the politician, he has never seen anything like this in his 30 years of foreign policy work.
Cruz’s delayed vote on U.S. State Department nominees is allowed by a procedure in the Senate by which any member of the upper chamber can postpone consideration of a bill or a vote on an issue. Initially, it was used to allow senators to become more familiar with a particular bill, but it was later used to delay consideration of various issues.