Empty Desks at the State Department, Courtesy of Ted Cruz
WASHINGTON The arrival of a new U.S. ambassador to Mexico is usually a routine event. But for the Biden administration, it was a notable victory.
With the Senates Aug. 11 confirmation vote, former Sen. Ken Salazar of Colorado became the first Biden ambassador to arrive in a foreign capital. And, as of now, the last.
A bitter fight with Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, over a Russian gas pipeline has created what Biden officials call a personnel crisis, with Cruz delaying dozens of State Department nominees, including 59 would-be ambassadors, and vowing to block dozens more.
Democrats call Cruzs actions an abuse of the nomination process and the latest example of Washingtons eroding political norms. They also say he is endangering national security at a time when only about one-quarter of key national security positions have been filled.
https://www.yahoo.com/news/empty-desks-state-department-courtesy-150520403.html