U.S. Sen. Josh Hawley (R-MO) has received widespread criticism in recent weeks due to his public objection to the results of November’s presidential election.
He is not backing down in his opposition to the incoming Biden administration, however, recently going on the record as the only Senate Republican to vote against each of the new president’s Cabinet nominees.
“Declined to say he would enforce the laws”
Hawley has been accused by some Democrats of speaking out against supposed election fraud ahead of a deadly riot on Capitol Hill last month.
Amid mounting calls for his resignation and additional backlash in the form of a cancelled book deal, he has apparently taken the situation in stride. He has addressed what he believes is an out-of-control cancel culture even as he sets new records in terms of political fundraising.
In Senate confirmation hearings held this week, Hawley doubled down by becoming the only senator to reject all six Cabinet picks. On Tuesday, he voted nay to two nominees: prospective Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg and Homeland Security chief Alejandro Mayorkas.
Holding up the vote on Mayorkas, he later explained his concern that the former Obama administration staffer could not be trusted to enforce immigration laws on the U.S.-Mexico border.
“Just today, he declined to say he would enforce the laws Congress has already passed to secure the border wall system,” Hawkins said of the nominee.
“People are kind of shell shocked”
The Missouri Republican went on to assert that, in light of those concerns, he “cannot consent to skip the standard vetting process and fast-track this nomination when so many questions remain unanswered.”
Mayorkas was among Biden’s more controversial picks and was ultimately confirmed with a narrow 56 to 43 margin. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin has received the most bipartisan support of any nominee thus far with only two senators — including Hawley — objecting to his confirmation.
In addition to Buttigieg, the other nominees Hawley has rejected are Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen, Secretary of State Anthony Blinken, and Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines.
While Hawley has dismissed speculation that his recent moves reveal an aspiration to take up the mantle of former President Donald Trump, he acknowledged in a statement to Politico that he will continue opposing Biden administration proposals he believes are contrary to his constituents’ best interest.
“I can just tell you in Missouri, people are kind of shell shocked: ‘What in the world?'” the senator said. “He’s being so aggressive, they are not even attempting to work across the aisle.”
The post Hawley becomes only senator to oppose all Biden Cabinet picks introduced so far first appeared on Conservative Institute.
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