At a time when our country needs a strong, qualified Secretary of State…all for the sake of opposing Trump!
According to White House Director of Legislative Affairs Marc Short said Monday that Democrats are being pressured by liberal groups to vote against Mike Pompeo’s confirmation for secretary of state.
“The reason for the opposition is the Moveon.org and the Bernie Sandinistas have littered Democratic offices. They’ll tell us that in private, but then in public they’ll go out and say something else,” Mr. Short said on CNN.
Mr. Pompeo currently heads the Central Intelligence Agency but was nominated by President Trump to take over at the State Department after former Secretary Rex W. Tillerson was fired. Despite going through a confirmation process for his CIA role, Mr. Pompeo faces another Senate confirmation vote for his new role this week.
“They know that he is a uniquely qualified person,” Mr. Short said.
Democrats on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and Republican Sen. Rand Paul have already said they will not support a recommendation to the full Senate. Says The Washington Times
BUT due to efforts to get re-elected Vulnerable red-state Democrats come to Pompeo’s rescue:
Sen. Joe Donnelly on Monday became the third Democrat to announce support for Mike Pompeo to become the next secretary of state, assuring Pompeo’s confirmation as early as this week.
Donnelly, of Indiana, said in a statement that Pompeo “is capable of advancing U.S. interests and leading the State Department.”
Sens. Heidi Heitkamp, D-N.D., and Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., announced they will also vote for Pompeo.
After meeting with Mike Pompeo, discussing his foreign policy perspectives, & considering his distinguished time as CIA Director & his exemplary career in public service, I will vote to confirm Mike Pompeo to be our next Secretary of State.
— Senator Joe Manchin (@Sen_JoeManchin) April 23, 2018
All three represent “red” states that voted for Donald Trump in 2016 and all are fighting for re-election in 2018. Many analysts have rated the races in all three states as “toss up,” so the senators’ decision to support Pompeo could help sway voters’ decisions. Trump won Indiana with nearly 57 percent of the vote.
Pompeo, who is currently the CIA director, will nonetheless have difficulty winning the approval of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee thanks to opposition from Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky.
The panel will vote on Pompeo’s nomination late Monday afternoon, and with 11 Republicans and 10 Democrats, Paul’s “no” vote will mean Pompeo fails unless a committee Democrat agrees to vote “yes,” and so far, no Democrat has stepped forward.
Sen. John Cornyn, the majority whip, told the Washington Examiner Pompeo’s nomination will move to the floor likely this week no matter what the committee outcome.
Senate rules do not require committee approval in order for a nominee to be placed on the floor for a vote. In this case, the committee is expected to report the nomination with a negative recommendation.
Republicans control just 50 votes in the Senate, since Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., is unable to work due to his ongoing cancer treatments. Paul’s “no” vote on the floor would give doom Pompeo’s nomination, but the addition of three Democrats ensures Pompeo will clear Congress with the required simple majority. According to the Washington Examiner.
And in a turn of events Sen. Rand Paul Changes ‘No’ to ‘Yes,’ Will Vote to Confirm Pompeo as Secretary of State.
Several Monday conversations with President Donald Trump, a meeting with CIA Director Mike Pompeo, and reassurances about Afghanistan led Sen. Rand Paul to announce Monday evening that he would vote to support Pompeo as the next Secretary of State.
Paul recounted his decision process on Twitter as the Senate Foreign Relations Committee prepared to vote on the Pompeo confirmation. The senator spoke with President Trump several times during the day and met with Pompeo.
I just finished speaking to @realDonaldTrump, after speaking to him several times today. I also met with and spoke to Director Pompeo.
— Senator Rand Paul (@RandPaul) April 23, 2018
“After calling continuously for weeks for Director Pompeo to support President Trump’s belief that the Iraq war was a mistake, and that it is time to leave Afghanistan, today I received confirmation the Director Pompeo agrees with @realDonaldTrump,” wrote Paul.
“President Trump believes that Iraq was a mistake, that regime change has destabilized the region, and that we must end our involvement with Afghanistan,” he continued. “Having received assurances from President Trump and Director Pompeo that he agrees with the President on these important issues, I have decided to support his nomination to be our next Secretary of State.”
Having received assurances from President Trump and Director Pompeo that he agrees with the President on these important issues, I have decided to support his nomination to be our next Secretary of State.
— Senator Rand Paul (@RandPaul) April 23, 2018
Leading to Mike Pompeo being recommended by Senate panel for secretary of state, barely avoiding committee rebuke
Mike Pompeo, President Trump’s pick for secretary of state, barely avoided a rare rebuke Monday from the Senate Foreign Relations Committee after unexpected last-minute drama.
The panel had deadlocked on a party-line vote after Georgia Republican Sen. Johnny Isakson, who had been expected to vote for Pompeo, missed the committee meeting because of a funeral.
But the committee then voted favorably on his nomination after Delaware Democratic Sen. Chris Coons, who opposes Pompeo, agreed to vote “present” instead of “no” because of Isakson’s situation. The final tally was 11 to 9 with 1 present. Isakson was allowed to vote by proxy in this particular case.
Widget not in any sidebars
Despite the committee drama, Pompeo still appears poised to secure the necessary 51 votes for confirmation from the entire Senate, with three red-state Democrats also saying they will support him.
Senate panel fails to clear Pompeo nomination
President Trump’s pick to be the next secretary of state still appears on track for confirmation by the full Senate; Rich Edson reports from Capitol Hill.
Mike Pompeo, President Trump’s pick for secretary of state, barely avoided a rare rebuke Monday from the Senate Foreign Relations Committee after unexpected last-minute drama.
The panel had deadlocked on a party-line vote after Georgia Republican Sen. Johnny Isakson, who had been expected to vote for Pompeo, missed the committee meeting because of a funeral.
But the committee then voted favorably on his nomination after Delaware Democratic Sen. Chris Coons, who opposes Pompeo, agreed to vote “present” instead of “no” because of Isakson’s situation. The final tally was 11 to 9 with 1 present. Isakson was allowed to vote by proxy in this particular case.
Despite the committee drama, Pompeo still appears poised to secure the necessary 51 votes for confirmation from the entire Senate, with three red-state Democrats also saying they will support him.
John Kerry: 94-3
Hillary Clinton: 94-2
Condi Rice: 85-13
Colin Powell: Unanimous Voice Vote
What does history tell us? Members of both parties have long believed that U.S. national security is too important to play politics with Secretary of State nominees.#ConfirmPompeo— Kayleigh McEnany 45 Archived (@PressSec45) April 19, 2018
Indiana Democratic Sen. Joe Donnelly was the latest Democrat to announce his support, saying Monday on Twitter that Pompeo is “capable of advancing U.S. interests and leading the State Department.”
He follows Democratic Sens. Joe Manchin of West Virginia and Heidi Heitkamp of North Dakota, who both are facing tough reelection battles, in backing Pompeo.
“After meeting with Mike Pompeo, discussing his foreign policy perspectives, and considering his distinguished time as CIA Director and his career in public service, I will vote to confirm Mike Pompeo to be our next Secretary of State,” Manchin said Monday.
There had been uncertainty ahead of Monday’s committee vote. After signaling they could oppose Pompeo in committee, Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul and Arizona Sen. Jeff Flake both announced Monday they would vote for him.
Paul said he offered his support to Pompeo after being assured by the president that Pompeo would promote Trump’s foreign policy views.
Pompeo is a former Republican congressman from Kansas who has been serving as director of the CIA. All Democrats on the panel said they would vote against him.
MIKE POMPEO WINS SUPPORT FROM KEY DEMOCRATS, DESPITE FACING ROCKY COMMITTEE VOTE
Meanwhile, President Trump celebrated the developments.
“I heard Rand Paul went yes.. he’s a good man,” the president told reporters. “I said he’d never let us down. He’s a good man.”
Earlier, the president lashed out at the “obstructionists” who oppose Pompeo, calling for more Republicans to be elected to the Senate.
https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/988405962624118785
“Hard to believe Obstructionists May vote against Mike Pompeo for Secretary of State,” the president tweeted Monday. “The Dems will not approve hundreds of good people, including the Ambassador to Germany. They are maxing out the time on approval process for all, never happened before. Need more Republicans!”
Trump has already entrusted Pompeo with high-level diplomacy, sending him to North Korea over Easter weekend to meet with the rogue nation’s leader, Kim Jong Un, according to the White House.
Trump said on social media “a good relationship was formed” during the meeting, and the two men reportedly discussed the release of three Americans being held in the Asian nation.
But Democratic New Jersey Sen. Bob Menendez, the foreign relations committee’s ranking member, has accused Pompeo of a lack of transparency over the North Korea visit.
“I don’t expect diplomacy to be negotiated out in the open, but I do expect for someone who is the nominee to be secretary of state, when he speaks with committee leadership and is asked specific questions about North Korea, to share some insights about such a visit,” Menendez recently said.
While he was confirmed to lead the CIA with a 66-32 vote last year, Pompeo has faced new challenges in the Senate, with lawmakers decrying a “lack of diplomacy” they say is needed to act as the nation’s top diplomat.
Pompeo needs 51 votes to be confirmed by the full Senate to succeed Rex Tillerson, who was ousted in March.
So far, at least four Democrats who voted to confirm Pompeo as CIA director have indicated they will not do so for secretary of state: Sen. Dianne Feinstein of California, Tim Kaine of Virginia, Brian Schatz of Hawaii and Jeanne Shaheen of New Hampshire.
Author: Michael
Handsome Devil..... and Smart too.
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