Senate Republicans are looking to block or at least delay President Joe Biden’s nomination as ambassador to Israel as the Jewish state’s violent conflict with Hamas terrorists continues.
Former Treasury Secretary Jack Lew will be questioned Wednesday by lawmakers on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee ahead of his confirmation hearing.
But several top senators on the panel say they are concerned about Lew’s involvement in the Iran nuclear deal during the Obama administration, claiming he lied to Congress about the agreement.
Sen. Marco Rubio is the Republican member of the panel and said in a Fox News interview that he has “real concerns” that Lew has a history of “misleading and lying to Congress, in terms of some of the financial arrangements that were made.” . under the Obama administration.”
Lew needs just 51 votes to be confirmed – and fortunately for the Democrats, they have exactly that many members in the majority, although three members are independent and working with the Democrats.
Republicans threaten to delay President Joe Biden’s pick, Jack Lew (pictured) as the next ambassador to Israel, despite the Jewish nation’s conflict with Hamas terrorists
But first, Lew’s nomination must be referred to the Senate for a vote by the Foreign Relations panel. At the very least, a single senator can delay the process.
Despite Republican recognition that it is important to urgently confirm a new ambassador given the conflict in the region, there is still resistance to Lew’s appointment to that post.
Senate Minority Whip John Thune told CNN on Monday that there is “a lot of resistance” to Lew’s nomination.
President Joe Biden is in Israel on Wednesday as he tries to quell rising fears of international conflict after Hamas terrorists launched a multi-front attack on Israel last week.
On Saturday, October 7, the Palestinian terrorist group in Gaza brutally murdered and kidnapped unsuspecting civilians in Israel. That first day of the conflict resulted in the largest day of Jewish slaughter since the Holocaust.
On Monday, Israeli authorities confirmed that at least 1,400 people had been killed and 3,400 others injured.
White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said Tuesday that 31 Americans are now known to have been killed in Israel and at least 15 are missing and believed to be being held hostage by Hamas terrorists. In addition, up to 600 US citizens are believed to be among the hundreds of thousands of people still trapped in Gaza.
The Palestinian Health Ministry says 3,000 people have been killed and more than 12,500 injured in Israeli counterattacks.
Republican members of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee are concerned about Biden’s involvement in the Iran nuclear deal during the Obama administration — and claim he misled Congress about the deal
Republicans say Iran was behind encouraging Hamas to strike, claiming the country directly financed the attacks — particularly from the incoming $6 billion allocated for the release of five Americans held in Tehran.
Sen. Pete Ricketts (R-Neb.) sits on the Foreign Relations panel and said he has “serious concerns” about Lew and his involvement in the Iran nuclear deal, a sign he may oppose the nomination.
“We need to get his ear, but I have some very serious concerns about him and his involvement in the Iran nuclear deal, a deal that in my view involves giving Iran nuclear weapons,” Ricketts told CNN.
Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) has attacked Lew as an “Iranian sympathizer who has nothing to do with being our ambassador.”
He is among lawmakers in favor of blocking the expedited confirmation of Biden’s pick.
The Senate Foreign Relations Committee confirmation hearing comes as the White House told lawmakers, and four sources told the Associated Press, that it is considering a request for between $90 billion and $100 billion for the wars in Israel and Ukraine – and for Taiwan, because the country faces threats. from China.
The request to Congress would cover a year, noted another person familiar with the Biden administration’s expected request.
Lew, Treasury secretary under former President Barack Obama, was nominated by Biden last month after Tom Nides left his ambassadorship in July.
Democrats say Lew’s wealth of government experience makes him the right person to fill the post at an important time in the U.S.-Israeli relationship. Lew also served as Obama’s chief of staff and White House budget director under both Obama and President Bill Clinton.
Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Ben Cardin (D-Md.) said Lew is “an excellent, qualified individual.”
He noted the urgency of getting a confirmed ambassador on the ground to help Israel navigate the war, work toward the release of hostages held by Hamas and deal with growing concerns about tensions on the northern border with Hezbollah.
Cardin said it is also important to “keep normalization talks alive,” which could improve diplomatic relations between Israel and the region’s Arab countries.