Rand Paul of Kentucky, opposed the committee may have few other options when it convenes as soon as next week.
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At the same time, progressives are lighting up phone lines ahead of a crucial vote Monday at the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, where Pompeo faces nearly unified opposition from Democrats.
Pompeo’s long and troubling history on the torture issue also didn’t seem to sway the 15 Democrats who voted to confirm him to lead the CIA – the agency most associated with using torture.
Paul said Wednesday that he doesn’t think Pompeo “shares the same vision of the president on foreign policy”, noting that Trump has repeatedly said the Iraq War was a mistake and that it is time to end the USA involvement in Afghanistan. “I’m open to meeting right now and we’ll see what happens in the meeting”, he said, adding that no date has been set.
Heitkamp is the first Democrat to announce she will support Pompeo.
Senator Jeff Flake, an Arizona Republican and another member of the committee, said he had yet to make up his mind. I’m very concerned that he’d be a yes-man for President Trump.
On the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, one Republican, Sen.
Cotton frankly acknowledged that Pompeo may not have the votes to win a recommendation from the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.
Other vulnerable Democratic senators include Sens. He mentioned Joe Donnelly of Indiana, Heidi Heitkamp of North Dakota and Joe Manchin of West Virginia.
“I hope that the members on the opposite aspect of the aisle that haven’t but stated how they’ll vote will take into consideration the circumstances that we’re in as we speak and really feel like that they’ll assist a extremely certified Secretary of State…”, Corker went on.
“Democrats like Heitkamp think that voting for Trump picks will give them cred as far as winning over Trump voters”. But he said there were still steps to get the nomination to the Senate floor, where he said he expects enough Democratic votes for passage.
Still, Udall said, he is not convinced Pompeo would demonstrate much independence in the Trump administration. Indeed, nine of the committee’s 10 Democrats have already declared their opposition to Pompeo – including two, Tim Kaine (D-Va.) and Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), who voted for him to lead the Central Intelligence Agency. Senator Shaheen’s announcement opposing confirmation of Mr. Pompeo as Secretary of State is good news.
Some moderate Democrats, as well as independent Sen. All 49 Democrats will have to heavily weigh the benefit of denying a nominee they disagree with against leaving the USA without its top diplomat. Indeed, Sen. Benjamin L. Cardin (D-Md.) said that Pompeo “has a clear record of public service to his nation – in uniform, in Congress, and as the director of the CIA.” Sen. Doug Jones, a Democrat from Alabama.
Senate Democrats have stalled almost every Trump nominee in government, but their growing opposition to Mike Pompeo as Secretary of State suggests they don’t want the President to have even his top national security officials. Jon Tester of Montana.
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The White House is pressuring Senate Democrats to back Mike Pompeo as secretary of state, arguing that failing to do so would undercut talks with North Korea after his recent meeting with Kim Jong Un.
