Team -
We wanted to bump Senator Murphy’s email below asking for you to join him in demanding Ted Cruz stop blocking President Biden’s State Department nominees.
Over the weekend, The New York Times took notice with this headline:
"Empty Desk at the State Department, courtesy of Ted Cruz"
Only one of Biden’s ambassadors has been confirmed and assumed their position in a foreign capital. It’s time for Ted Cruz to stop playing games with our national security to score political points with the far-right.
Add your name: Tell Ted Cruz to stop blocking all State Department nominations. These childish antics are dangerous and cannot continue any longer.
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- Team Chris Murphy
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From: U.S. Senator Chris Murphy
Date: September 24, 2021
Friends -
In the first eight months of 2021, the Senate only confirmed 10 State Department officials. Dozens of the most senior diplomatic posts remain vacant.
Never before has a president entered the fall of his first year with so few State Department officials in place.
And there is one infuriating and absurd reason for this: Ted Cruz.
For months, Ted Cruz has been blocking the passage of scores of State Department nominees. His reason is petty, and his tactic is unprecedented.
By blocking every nominee simply because of his hatred of President Biden, Ted Cruz is limiting the United States’ ability to be fully engaged in the fight to advance human rights, protect marginalized people, and promote democracy. As long as Cruz keeps this up, America will fight with our hands tied behind our back while armed conflicts rage on, abusers target women with violence abroad, and global poverty and famines worsen.
This is dangerous, it’s beneath us, and I’m fed up. So it’s time to put the spotlight and public pressure on Ted Cruz, and I need your help.
Will you join me to demand Ted Cruz stop blocking State Department nominees? He cannot be allowed to quietly sabotage U.S. national security and our ability to protect the most vulnerable and advance human rights.
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My Democratic colleagues and I have confronted Ted Cruz on this already. After a recent late-night vote, I tried to force Cruz to explain himself on the Senate floor. For an hour, we asked for consent to move to a debate on each and every national security nominee he was holding up.
He refused every request.
Now, he cannot stop these nominations entirely. His tactic is preventing an expedited vote, which has been the standard operating procedure for every past administration. Senate rules eventually allow us to vote, which we were finally able to do on a few nominees yesterday. But without Cruz’s consent, President Biden will never get his full national security team in place.
With crises in Afghanistan, Africa, the Middle East and Central America demanding more attention than ever from the United States, our nation's security is being dangerously compromised by Cruz’s assault on the State Department.
It is unprecedented, and we must demand an end to this childishness.
Add your name: Tell Ted Cruz to stop blocking all State Department nominations. These nominations must be allowed to proceed at the same pace afforded every previous administration.
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This unprecedented partisan gamesmanship is dangerous for our nation and the world.
Every best wish,
Chris Murphy
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