Marshall, Hawley vote against Biden’s secretary of state in pattern of opposition
Kansas Republican Sen. Roger Marshall and Missouri Republican Sen. Josh Hawley were among 22 Republicans to vote Tuesday against the confirmation of President Joe Biden’s Secretary of State, Antony Blinken.
Blinken, whose nomination was approved with a bipartisan majority of 78-22, is the fourth member of Biden’s cabinet confirmed since last week’s inauguration.
Marshall and Hawley were among the handful of GOP senators who voted to overturn Biden’s election earlier this month.
Marshall pointed Blinken’s role in crafting the Iran nuclear deal under former President Barack Obama and Biden’s climate agenda as two of the factors in causing him to vote against confirmation.
“Mr. Blinken is weak on China, he’s weak on Iran, and he’s Biden’s right-hand man when it comes to rejoining the Paris Climate Accords — a deal which will kill jobs and raise the price of energy, hurting Kansans when many are struggling to stay on their feet,” Marshall said in a statement.
The Kansas City area’s two other GOP senators, Roy Blunt of Missouri and Jerry Moran, supported Blinken’s confirmation.
Blinken will succeed former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, a Kansas Republican who was known for his hawkish stance on Iran.
Former President Donald Trump withdrew from the Iran nuclear deal shortly after Pompeo took over the State Department in 2018, spurring backlash from European allies.
Obama’s administration brokered the agreement with Iran and other nuclear powers with the goal of curbing Iran’s weapons program. In exchange, the other nations agreed to soften economic sanctions on Iran.
Marshall contended in a statement that “Blinken’s repeat Obama-era efforts will give Iran a free pass at developing their ballistic missile program.”
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer praised Blinken as a secretary of state who would repair relations with allies and who would better navigate adversarial relationships with countries such as Iran.
“The failed diplomacy of the Trump administration weakened our alliances, emboldened our adversaries, and tarnished America’s reputation abroad,” Schumer said on Twitter.
“Tony Blinken is the right person to help rebuild. I’m proud I just voted to confirm him as President Biden’s Secretary of State.”
Hawley is only of only two senators to vote against each of Biden’s nominees. The other is Utah Republican Sen. Mike Lee.
He has also emerged as an outspoken opponent of Alejandro Mayorkas’ nomination to run the Department of Homeland Security.
Mayorkas’ nomination advanced out of the Senate Homeland Security and Government Affairs Committee Tuesday after Hawley had blocked its quick consideration last week.
Marshall joined Hawley last week in opposing confirmation of Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines.
But unlike Hawley, Marshall voted to confirm Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen, the first African American and first woman to hold their respective cabinet positions.
