Appointment of Mayorkas: the Senate breaks the obstruction of the candidate for internal security

by



[ad_1]

Now that the nomination has successfully cleared this procedural hurdle, a final confirmation vote is on track for Monday night.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer pushed for Mayorkas to be confirmed quickly, but Republicans argued the candidate had not been properly vetted on immigration issues and called for an additional hearing on his appointment.

Mayorkas is the first Biden candidate to meet a Republican filibuster, which comes as the Department of Homeland Security grapples with the coronavirus pandemic, national security concerns and immigration.

DHS issued a threat bulletin on Wednesday due to the potential for continued violence in the wake of the presidential inauguration, including concerns that domestic extremists could be emboldened by the attack on the U.S. Capitol earlier this month.

The department has not had a Senate-confirmed leader since Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen was ousted in the spring of 2019.

The vote was 55-42.

Several Republican senators have crossed party lines to vote with Democrats in favor of breaking the filibuster, including the senses. Mitt Romney, Susan Collins, Lisa Murkowski, Rob Portman and Shelley Moore Capito.

Candidate Biden’s first GOP filibuster

The use of filibuster – to block nominations or legislation – has long been a favored tool of the minority party, something Democrats have often done when they tried to derail and delay the Republican agenda under the government. then President Donald Trump. While several of Biden’s candidates have been confirmed and moved at a slower pace than some of the Cabinet picks of his predecessors, Republicans had yet to threaten a candidate with filibustering until Wednesday. Mayorkas is now the first.

The Senate Homeland Security Committee on Tuesday voted to advance Mayorkas’ nomination and held a hearing on the candidate’s qualifications to head the department.

But some Republicans want a hearing of Mayorkas before the Senate Judiciary Committee, in addition to his hearing before the Internal Security Committee.

Several GOP senators, led by Texas Senator John Cornyn, called for an additional hearing, citing Mayorkas’ role in overseeing many of the Biden administration’s immigration policies.

<< The Judicial Committee is competent for matters relating to immigration and nationality ... For this reason, all members of the Committee should have the possibility to hear directly from Mr. Mayorkas and to discuss publicly with him of its plans concerning the immigration components and functions of the Ministry, ”indicated a letter from the senators making their request.

Cornyn told reporters on Wednesday that “there are a number of issues” with the nomination of the Mayorkas.

Illinois Senator Dick Durbin, who is expected to chair the Judiciary Committee, told CNN: “I don’t see why this is necessary” and called the hearing request “totally political”.

“It is indefensible. We refuse the leadership of the Department of Homeland Security,” Durbin added.

CNN’s Geneva Sands contributed to this report.

[ad_2]

Source link