GOP delays Senate vote on defense nominee

The tally was 58-40, with almost every Republican voting no, falling short of the 60 needed to pass a motion to stop debate and allow a vote by the full Senate on confirming the former Republican senator.

The result delayed, but did not end, Hagel's hopes of becoming the civilian chief at the Pentagon.

Democrats were furious at the delay, which they characterized as the first time in history that the procedural tactic known as a filibuster had been used to block a defense nominee, something disputed by Republicans.

“I'm going to go call Chuck Hagel when I finish here and say I'm sorry, I'm sorry this has happened,” Senate majority leader Democrat Harry Reid said on the Senate floor after the vote.

Charging the opposition party with trying to score political points against Obama's White House, Democrats said Republicans were putting the country at risk by delaying the filling of a major security post.

“My expectation and hope is that Chuck Hagel, who richly deserves to get a vote on the floor of the Senate, will be confirmed as our defense secretary,” Obama said in an Internet question-and-answer session hosted by Google+. “It's just unfortunate that this kind of politics intrudes at a time when I'm still presiding over a war in Afghanistan.”

Republicans insisted they were not using a filibuster and not trying to kill the nomination, which has faced bitter opposition since Obama picked Hagel on Jan. 7.

John Cornyn, the second-ranking Republican in the Senate, said that Republicans just wanted more time and more information from Hagel.

“This is not any attempt to kill this nomination. This is not a filibuster,” he said, during several minutes of heated debate on the Senate floor after the vote.

Reid set another vote on the motion for Feb. 26, after a weeklong recess. Republicans said they expected the motion would pass then, after they have had more time to consider the nomination.

With Democrats controlling 55 votes in the 100-seat Senate, Hagel's nomination is expected to win the simple majority of 51 votes needed for his confirmation as the civilian leader at the Pentagon, once such a vote is allowed.

Benghazi and Iraq

If confirmed, Hagel, 66, a decorated Vietnam War veteran, would replace 74-year-old Leon Panetta, who has said he will remain in his post until his successor is in place but is longing to retire to his California walnut farm.

Thursday's vote meant Panetta faces at least two more weeks before saying goodbye to Washington.

Pentagon spokesman George Little said in a statement that Panetta would continue to serve as defense secretary and attend a NATO meeting in Brussels next week.

Republicans had been in negotiations with the White House on a compromise under which at least a handful of Republicans would agree to let the confirmation go ahead if the procedural vote were delayed until after next week's recess.

One major sticking point was the Obama administration's refusal to release more information about the deadly September attacks on U.S. facilities in Benghazi, Libya.

Hagel broke from his party as a senator by opposing former President George W. Bush's handling of the Iraq War, angering many Republicans. Some Republicans have also raised questions about whether Hagel is sufficiently supportive of Israel, tough enough on Iran or capable of leading the Pentagon.

His performance at his confirmation hearing before the Senate Armed Services Committee also drew harsh criticism. Even some Democrats have said he appeared unprepared and at times hesitant in the face of aggressive questioning.

SHARE CLOSE
Blogger		Google+
Live Journal		Plurk
Stumble Upon

Tweet

	PREVIOUS ARTICLE
	French firm in horsemeat scandal denies fraud

NEXT ARTICLE
Crippled cruise docks at Alabama terminal

Write a Comment

Terms

Enter your comments - 3000 characters max

Type in image code

 Receive China Post promos
 Respond to this email

Submit