politics

Lindsey Graham Threatens Holds on Hagel and Brennan Nominations

Photo: Win McNamee/Getty Images

During a Sunday appearance on CBS’s Face the Nation, Republican senator Lindsey Graham said that he will stall the confirmation processes of secretary of Defense nominee Chuck Hagel and CIA director nominee John Brennan. The reason? He thinks that the White House still needs to provide more information about the Benghazi attacks. “I don’t think we should allow Brennan to go forward for the CIA directorship, Hagel to be confirmed for secretary of defense, until the White House gives us an accounting,” he said. “Did the president ever pick up the phone and call anyone in the Libyan government to help these folks?” 

Assuming that the administration does not respond to his request, Graham’s plan is to invoke senatorial privilege to put a hold on votes by the committees considering Hagel and Brennan’s confirmations. This would prevent the whole Senate from voting on the appointments until Democrats could gather the 60 votes they would need to bypass the hold, which they’re “confident” that they can do. Meanwhile, Graham’s fellow Benghazi truther John McCain went on Fox News Sunday to say that while he was likely to vote against Hagel, he has no intention of blocking the nomination with procedural moves. So, it looks like Graham will have to do this bit of posturing alone.

Graham Threatens Holds on Cabinet Nominations