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Senate Republicans Block Vote on Chuck Hagel Nomination…For Now

Feb. 14, 2013 5:09pm Jason Howerton

Senate Republicans Mounting Filibuster Against Defense Nominee Chuck Hagel

WASHINGTON, DC – FEBRUARY 07: U.S. President Barack Obama’s nominee for secretary of defense and former U.S. Senator Chuck Hagel (R-NE) arrives for a meeting with U.S. Senate Appropriations Committee Chairman Barbara Mikulski (D-MD) February 7, 2013 on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC. The Senate Armed Services Committee has delayed its vote on the confirmation for Hagel because the committee’s review of the nomination is not yet complete. Credit: Getty Images

UPDATE: WASHINGTON (AP) — Republicans have, for now, blocked Chuck Hagel’s nomination to become defense secretary.

The Senate came up two votes short of the 60 needed to move Hagel’s nomination forward as lawmakers prepare to leave town for a week’s break. Democrats hold a 55-45 edge in the Senate.

Republicans had been blocking the confirmation of their former colleague and Vietnam veteran until they received information from the White House on President Barack Obama’s actions during the attack on the U.S. diplomatic mission in Benghazi, Libya.

The White House responded to that request earlier Thursday, saying Obama spoke with Libyans a day after the attack.

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WASHINGTON (AP) — Struggling to break an impasse, Senate Democrats set a test vote Thursday on whether to advance Chuck Hagel’s nomination as defense secretary after Republicans blocked speedy confirmation of their former colleague and Vietnam combat veteran.

Hours of behind-the-scenes talks yielded the decision by Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, but no clear sign of whether President Barack Obama’s nominee would receive the 60 votes required to move the Senate to a final vote on whether to confirm him. Democratic officials said the vote was scheduled with only a handful of votes needed to clear the threshold.

Sen. John McCain of Arizona led the opposition to Hagel’s confirmation, but he said he would not object to the test vote, called cloture.

The remaining “yes” votes remain elusive, even after the White House responded to McCain’s demand for information unrelated to Hagel. McCain and Sens. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina and Kelly Ayotte of New Hampshire said they would delay the vote until they got a more detailed accounting of Obama’s actions on the night of the attack on the U.S. diplomatic mission in Benghazi, Libya, where Ambassador Chris Stevens and three other Americans were killed. Republicans have sought to portray Obama as being out of touch during the raid and demanded to know whether Obama spoke to any Libyan official during the Sept. 11 assault.

The Republicans’ demand has had the effect of a filibuster.

Senate Armed Services Committee members, Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., left, and Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C. confer on Capitol Hill in Washington, Thursday, Feb. 14, 2013, at the start of the committee’s hearing on the appointments of military leaders. The two Republicans have been vocal in their opposition to the nomination of Chuck Hagel to be the next secretary of defense. While Democrats hold a 55-45 edge in the Senate and have the numbers to confirm Hagel on a majority vote, they need the support of five Republicans to clear the way for an up-or-down vote on him. Credit: AP

The White House responded Thursday by saying former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton called Libyan President Mohamed Magariaf on Obama’s behalf on Sept. 11 to coordinate additional support to protect Americans in Libya, White House counsel Kathryn Ruemmler wrote the senators. Obama spoke to Magariaf on the evening of Sept. 12, she said.

The Obama administration also had disclosed the calls at the time they were made.

A White House official said Thursday that if there had been a need to push the Libyans to do something, Obama would have called, but the official said the Libyans were trying to do the right thing and were being as helpful as possible. Moreover, the official, discussing internal communications only on the condition of anonymity, said the earlier call with Clinton had gone well.

Reid said it was “shocking” and “tragic” that the GOP would attempt to block Hagel’s nomination at a time when the U.S. military is engaged in so many places around the world. “Not a single nominee for secretary of defense ever in the history of our country has been filibustered,” he said in a speech on the Senate floor.

Reid said Republicans notified him Wednesday night they would withhold the votes needed to advance Hagel’s nomination. Reid said he considered that a “full-scale filibuster” because the Republican strategy would prevent Hagel’s nomination from getting the required 60 votes.

Republicans are seeking “extraneous requests” for information that will never be satisfied, Reid said. “The pattern has been clear for months: as soon as President Obama’s administration responds to one request, Republicans devise another, more outlandish request,” Reid said.

A full Senate vote on Hagel, a former two-term Republican senator from Nebraska and twice-wounded Vietnam veteran, was expected to be held Friday after Reid filed a motion to limit debate. While Democrats hold a 55-45 edge in the Senate and have the numbers to confirm Hagel on a majority vote, they need the support of five Republicans to clear the way for a majority vote.

Two Republicans – Sens. Thad Cochran of Mississippi and Mike Johanns of Nebraska – have announced their support for Hagel. A third, Sen. Susan Collins of Maine, has said she will vote against Hagel’s confirmation, but would not join in a filibuster to block a final vote.

Graham said Wednesday that he would vote against ending debate on Hagel’s nomination.

“There seems to not be much interest to hold this president accountable for a national security breakdown that led to the first ambassador being killed in the line of duty in over 30 years,” Graham said. “No, the debate on Chuck Hagel is not over. It has not been serious. We don’t have the information we need. And I’m going to fight the idea of jamming somebody through until we get answers about what the president did personally when it came to the Benghazi debacle.”

McCain declined to say whether he would try to delay Hagel’s confirmation if Obama did not provide an answer. “My position right now is I want an answer to the question,” he said.

The nomination of John Brennan as CIA director is also being delayed; the Senate Intelligence Committee is pushing off a vote amid demands that the White House turn over more details about drone strikes against terror suspects and about the Benghazi attacks. Intelligence Committee Chairwoman Dianne Feinstein of California said a vote likely will be postponed till late February.

A bitterly divided Armed Services Committee on Tuesday voted to approve Hagel by a 14-11 vote, with all the panel’s Democrats backing him. The committee’s Republicans were unified in opposition to their onetime colleague, who will succeed Defense Secretary Leon Panetta if he’s confirmed.

Obama “stands strongly” behind Hagel and believes he “will do a wonderful job,” White House spokesman Josh Earnest said aboard Air Force One en route to Decatur, Ga., where the president traveled Thursday to speak about early childhood education.

If confirmed by the Senate, Hagel, 66, would take charge of the U.S. armed forces at a time of turmoil. Automatic cuts to the Pentagon’s budget are looming, American troops in Afghanistan are being halved over the next year, North Korea has tested a nuclear weapon, Iran remains a threat in the Persian Gulf region, and Syria, Iraq, Libya, Egypt, Mali and Tunisia all are in a state of unrest.

At a Pentagon award ceremony on Thursday for former Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, Panetta said it was fitting to recognize her accomplishments on Valentine’s Day. And he said the second-best Valentine’s Day present would be for the Senate to confirm Hagel and allow Panetta and his wife to “get the hell out of town.” He said he’s got his belongings packed.

Hagel has faced intense opposition from Republicans, who have challenged his past statements and votes on Israel, Iran, Iraq and nuclear weapons.

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Comments (70)

Saff SGT
Posted on February 14, 2013 at 7:05pm
Brennan needs to get worked over also he deserves it

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Frederick_Douglass_Republican
Posted on February 14, 2013 at 6:57pm
Hagel is a degenerate. I still can’t see the repubs having the backbone to block anything regardless of how necessary it is to do so.

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tharpdevenport
Posted on February 14, 2013 at 6:53pm
I have a caption for the picture of McCain and Graham looking down on the chairs:

“Ewwwww … looks like Al Roker’s been here…”

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- crackerone
  Posted on February 14, 2013 at 6:58pm
  Those two clowns will cave like a loaded Joe Biden depend.
  
  Report this comment
- tharpdevenport
  Posted on February 14, 2013 at 9:32pm
  “will cave” inplies that RINO and RINO-ette were ever on our sides.
  
  Report this comment
barber2
Posted on February 14, 2013 at 6:51pm
ZIP: Anarchists aren’t noted for their fine manners. They belong more to the ‘ poop on police cars ‘ crowd.

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garbagecanlogic
Posted on February 14, 2013 at 6:51pm
About time they got some b*lls!

Praise Be To Obama. Psalm 109:8

The U.N. Out Of The U.S.
The U.S. Out Of The U.N.

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barber2
Posted on February 14, 2013 at 6:48pm
Hopefully, the Republicans have gotten our message: stand up to these Chicago radical Democrats. This is a war. The Democrats have declared it. Their MSM has declared it. Republicans need to fight back because there will be no negotiating with the radical Democrats who are only interested in pushing THEIR agenda , not what is in the best interest of America.

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cva
Posted on February 14, 2013 at 6:31pm
Hope they do the same with Brennan. He’s worse.

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toomuchgovt
Posted on February 14, 2013 at 6:21pm
All of these candidates should be “Borked”. Not in the memory of Ted Kennedy as an esteemed commented said but in the memory of the late great Justice Robert Bork.

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- JacquesChirac
  Posted on February 14, 2013 at 6:33pm
  Hmmm…the Repubs will filibuster to stop nominees, but not to stop the spending…
  
  Some backbone…
  
  Report this comment
RJJinGadsden
Posted on February 14, 2013 at 6:16pm
ZIPIT, That’s not a bong, it has to be more like a Jack Daniels enema.

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- YOURSENSEI
  Posted on February 14, 2013 at 10:16pm
  Mr or Ms RJJINGADSDEN,
  
  This is what you must know:
  
  Yes, enema. Now I know where junior learned to scat. Martin Bashir is right . . . “feces obsession.”
  
  It is so.
  
  Report this comment
kalli
Posted on February 14, 2013 at 6:14pm
What really puzzles me is why congress have allowed clinton and b.o. to get away with their cover-up of gun-running to their Syrian rebel friends, al qaeda. In this article, there is no mention of the stupid video these two blasted for weeks as the cause, even paying $70,000 to post another video to the muslims apologizing. These two should be held accountable for the murder of 4 Americans at the very least. Why do these people keep getting away with lying and creating more lies to cover up their lying hearts?

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- Stuck_in_CA
  Posted on February 14, 2013 at 6:22pm
  McStain & company are setting this nomination up for BO to do a Recess Appointment. It’s all a big phoney show.
  
  Report this comment
MeteoricLimbo
Posted on February 14, 2013 at 6:12pm
Another “Plant” in the Islamic Garden.

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Zipit
Posted on February 14, 2013 at 6:11pm
DUDE! Step away from the bong!

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dosdelgados
Posted on February 14, 2013 at 6:10pm
Ladies and gentlemen, the epitome of class.

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Snowleopard {gallery of cat folks}
Posted on February 14, 2013 at 5:48pm
Glad to see the filibuster has worked for now, Hagel must never become Sec of Defense, as he is completely unfit for the position.

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- FLOWNOVERandFORGOTTEN
  Posted on February 14, 2013 at 5:56pm
  We just fell into the left’s trap. Get ready for the mother of all recess appointments.
  
  Report this comment
- RJJinGadsden
  Posted on February 14, 2013 at 6:18pm
  FLOWNOVERANDFORGOTTEN, Good point, that is certain to happen. They should do as they did over the holidays when 0bama appointed those two to the NLRB, which are the same two he is going to appoint the moment the Congress goes into recess this time.
  
  Report this comment
Gonzo
Posted on February 14, 2013 at 5:46pm
Stand strong for a change you bunch of RINOS. Good job (so far).

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- oldguy49
  Posted on February 14, 2013 at 5:49pm
  get this muslim lover completely out of government……………..
  
  Report this comment
- Fubared
  Posted on February 14, 2013 at 6:02pm
  Just going by his crap hearing last week, he probably needs to be in a rehab for a while and then maybe some history 101. Dude was unprepared, flatfooted, dumbfounded, and not worthy of the position. Regardless of R or D, the man was not up to a hearing.
  
  Report this comment
- AUsername
  Posted on February 14, 2013 at 10:25pm
  all because he won’t submit to Israel a user of America. this is why the Republicans lose against their counterparts, because unlike the derdercrats, they boast about the wars and put America behind Israel and there not gaining any voters by doing that, actually losing voters because people are concerned about their home and family not some random nation in the desert.
  
  Report this comment
RJJinGadsden
Posted on February 14, 2013 at 5:42pm
Don’t fall for Dingy Harry Reid’s whining. The Dems filibustered a Reagan nominee for Defense that kept the cabinet position open for more than three months. No, we were not in Afghanistan then, we were facing the Soviet Union, Communist China, and Communist North Korea on a daily basis blended with the major turmoil in the Middle East.
SENDTHEMEATEEYORES, yeah, yeah, I know well about the Marine barracks in Beirut, and from your ramblings that I have seen here. I know a lot more than you. I was stationed with a fellow soldier whose brother was on a machine gun post on the opposite side of the attack and survived the bombings. But, he spent a few days not knowing. Have met Marines and SF personnel shortly afterwards who were there as well. But, I’m sure you will try with more of you well worn and lame lies again tonight.

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- RJJinGadsden
  Posted on February 14, 2013 at 6:45pm
  I must correct myself again. It was John Towers, just couldn’t think of his name. And, he was not filibustered, but by tactics of procedure held up by the Senate Dems for over three months.
  
  Report this comment
- dublinthewagons
  Posted on February 14, 2013 at 8:51pm
  Correct.
  
  Now we will have an executive order, during the two week recess
  
  Report this comment
aojeda
Posted on February 14, 2013 at 5:40pm
While yes, no nominee was ever filibustered, it is important to remember Andrew Johnson was impeached because of his dealings with the Secretary of War. He wanted more leniency in the South after the Civil War and tried to get a moderate into the position through the backdoor.

Ironically, they were asking the same questions back then: how much power does the federal government have in the respective states? Unfortunately, at that time, more than we’d like to think. Until the compromise to elect Rutherford B. Hayes, “states’ rights” meant the federal government could dictate civil law in the respective states until deemed able by Congress.

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Voter713
Posted on February 14, 2013 at 5:38pm
Alrighty – in a week will know who the Administration bribed to give Hagel the spot.

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Zipit
Posted on February 14, 2013 at 5:37pm
It would be nice to know that this was a sign of “good things to come”! Some of our guys found I spine, and are willing to fight the good fight. Yay! Or is it just a fleeting glimpse?

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- CatB
  Posted on February 14, 2013 at 5:45pm
  Time will tell but I wouldn’t get my hopes up … some of these R’s were wearing the gun control ribbon during the state of the union….they cannot be trusted to do the right thing … THEY MUST BE PUSHED BY US!
  
  Report this comment
- oldguy49
  Posted on February 14, 2013 at 5:52pm
  catb…………..all my guns went fishing with me this weekend……………………darn things fell overboard…along with all the ammo…………..don’t you just hate it when s#$t happens
  
  Report this comment
Verceofreason
Posted on February 14, 2013 at 5:29pm
Republicans are killing this country with inertia

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- S-O-B-E-R
  Posted on February 14, 2013 at 5:39pm
  Are you given a list of what to say? Do any of you have an original thought? Do you even know what critical thinking is? Do you have to drug yourself to remain so dense or does it come naturally?
  
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- RJJinGadsden
  Posted on February 14, 2013 at 5:46pm
  In memory of Teddy Kennedy, just Bork Hagel.
  
  Report this comment
RJJinGadsden
Posted on February 14, 2013 at 5:24pm
The best thing about this expected vote result was spot checking BSNBC and watching Martin Bashir literally coming apart at the seams. You could almost see steam escaping. If his face had gotten any redder we might have had a Scanners moment.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HY-03vYYAjA

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zoro51
Posted on February 14, 2013 at 5:23pm
DO NOT LET THIS JEW HATER INTO ANYTHING NOT EVEN A BATHROOM he shouldnt be sect of ANY DEFENSE this man is a SOCIALSIT PLANT IMPEACH OBAMA REMOVE HIM NOW.. Hagel NO this will not go

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neverending
Posted on February 14, 2013 at 5:19pm
Best news I read all day long – now just make sure he is denied confirmation.

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- CatB
  Posted on February 14, 2013 at 5:42pm
  He needs to just go away … if he doesn’t then the R’s should use ALL the dirty tricks of the DEMS to force him out. Tired of playing “nice” with commies!
  
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shorelineliz
Posted on February 14, 2013 at 5:16pm
Good! Filibuster the crap out of this guy!

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dosdelgados
Posted on February 14, 2013 at 5:11pm
Hagel’s disqualifications stand on their own, without Benghazi.

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