Vice President Harris cast a casting vote on Wednesday to bring forward a controversial Biden candidate.
The Senate was split 50-50 on whether or not to promote Colin Kahl’s nomination, President Biden
Joe BidenBiden dismissed Blinken, top officials in refugee cap initial decision: Suicide bombing report hits Afghan security forces Jim Jordan, Val Demings enters screaming match over police during hearing MORE‘s choice to stand under Secretary of Defense for policy, to the full Senate for a vote of confirmation.
According to data from the Senate Secretary’s Office, the casting vote was Harris’s fourth overall as vice president, but her first for a Biden candidate.
“In this vote, the ‘yes’ is 50, the ‘no’ is 50. The Senate is divided equally, the vice president votes in the affirmative, and the motion is passed. … The nomination will be placed on the executive’s agenda. Thank you, “Harris said on Wednesday, chairing the room.
Harris elbow bumped Sen. John Hickenlooper
John Hickenlooper The Hill’s Morning Report – Presented by Facebook – GOP Draws Line on Taxes; Nation Braces For Chauvin’s Judgment The Hill’s 12:30 Report – Presented By Facebook – All US Adults Now Eligible for COVID Vaccines The Hill’s Morning Report – Presented by Facebook – All US Adults Can Get a Vaccine; decision Friday about J&J vax MORE (D-Colo.) Heading for the presiding officer’s chair and later talking to Sens. Dick Durbin
Dick DurbinGOP sees new strategy to derail Biden infrastructure plan The White House defends the ‘ambitious’ goal of 62,500 refugees Biden on refugee hat: ‘We couldn’t do two things at once’ MORE (Dill.), Jack Reed
Jack Reed Five questions about Biden’s withdrawal from Afghanistan Biden provides a two-pronged response to Afghanistan’s withdrawal. Night Defense: Biden Nominates First Female Army Secretary | Israel gets tough on Iran during nuclear talks | The army’s best enlisted soldier ‘very proud’ of officer pepper spray sprayed by police MORE (DR.I.) and Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), Who have all served with her in the Senate.
Her. Rob Portman
Robert (Rob) Jones Portman How to Save the Amazon Rainforest Biden to Offer Additional 22K Guest Worker Visas, 6K Targeting Northern Triangle GOP Representative Steve Stivers plans to retire MORE (R-Ohio), who was in the room to deliver a speech about Biden’s infrastructure plan, made reference to Harris’ presence before delving into his speech.
“I welcome the Vice President, the President of the Senate, to our room tonight,” Portman said from the room.
Kahl is the third Biden nominee to be fired after a standoff in committee.
Senate Democrats have previously fired, and subsequently confirmed, Vanita Gupta to Department of Justice post No. 3. Harris was there on Wednesday to help confirm Gupta, but because Sen. Lisa Murkowski
Lisa Ann Murkowski Trump: GOP candidates must embrace the ‘make America great’ agenda if they want to win Republicans who backed Trump’s impeachment, see boosting fundraising Moderates’ 0B infrastructure bill is hard to sell to Democrats MORE (R-Alaska) broke with Republicans to back the candidate, Harris ultimately did not have to vote.
The Senate Armed Services Committee previously voted 13-13 along party lines for Kahl’s nomination.
Republicans rallied against Kahl after criticizing him for tweets accusing the Trump administration as well as his support for the Obama-era nuclear deal with Iran.
During his confirmation hearing, Kahl apologized for the “disrespectful” language in his tweets. He also pledged to take an impartial approach to the Pentagon job, saying his former government service demonstrates his ability to do so.
But Sen. James Inhofe
James (Jim) Mountain Inhofe The Hill’s Morning Report – Presented By Tax March – US Vaccination Effort Hit By Johnson & Johnson Pause Biden Leads Biden Response To Afghanistan Withdrawal Biden Defense Budget Criticized By Republicans And Progressive MORE (R-Okla.) Argued that the unified GOP opposition in the Senate Armed Forces Committee was “rare” and that Kahl did not have “dual credibility.”
“When President Biden nominated Dr. Kahl for this position, my expectation was that if he was ratified, he and I would often disagree on the policy, but we could really get along, we could live together,” said Inhofe Wednesday.
“But I soon discovered that this would be really impossible with Dr. Kahl,” Inhofe continued. “I don’t think I ever said that about anyone, about a candidate for a position I can remember.”
Rebecca Kheel contributed.