Senate Democrats threaten to play hardball, refusing to meet Cruz half way

Facing yet another legislative defeat, Senate Democrats are threatening to use hardball tactics against a blockade by Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Tx.) that has left dozens of Biden administration nominees in limbo.

Cruz’s objection has prevented a Senate vote on nominees for positions across the State Department, the Treasury Department and the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) – including more than 50 names nominated for ambassadorships, The Hill reported. 

But negotiations between Democrats and the Texas senator seem to have reached a stalemate as they try to craft a deal that would trade votes on some of Biden’s ambassador nominees for a vote on sanctions related to the construction of the Russian Nord Stream 2 pipeline.

If no such deal is reached, Democrats have threatened to keep the Senate in session heading into Christmas. 

“Democrats are working to clear as much of the backlog as possible by consent. If we cannot make much progress, we may need to stay and hold votes on nominees this weekend and next week until we do,” said Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer.

Cruz has been holding up Biden’s State Department nominees for months over a push to get a vote on, or implementation of, Nord Stream 2 pipeline sanctions. This move has angered the administration and Senate Democrats, who have warned that leaving top embassy posts vacant undermines the ability to defend U.S. interests abroad. But Cruz maintains he has been flexible. 

“I have a reasonable and good faith offer on the table to lift a number of holds,” Cruz said. “I have demonstrated that I am more than willing to negotiate in good faith on this. Schumer has the ability to confirm a substantial chunk of nominees. He could do so today, if he simply accepted the deal.”  

But Senate Democrats are not ready to budge. 

Schumer, reiterating a demand made by Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Bob Menendez, said that Cruz had to drop all of his holds on nominees from the State Department, Treasury Department and USAID in order for an agreement to be reached.

Cruz and Schumer initially agreed to allow for a vote on Nord Stream 2 sanctions as an amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act in exchange for Cruz lifting holds on seven nominees. Cruz has now offered to lift holds on 16 nominees, according to Republican senators, in exchange for a vote. 

“It seems like he’s very flexible on the list. He gets a vote on Nord Stream 2. I don’t know why this is as hard as it is,” said Sen. John Thune, the Senate’s No. 2 Republican.