Republicans on the committee unanimously backed the nominations for Jamaica and Slovakia after Sen. John Cornyn sought renewed PEPFAR funding in exchange for his support.
By yourNEWS Media Newsroom
A Senate panel voted Wednesday to advance the ambassadorial nominations of Kari Lake and Doug Mastriano despite an effort by Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, to use the confirmation process to secure additional funding for a major international AIDS relief program.
Lake was nominated to serve as U.S. ambassador to Jamaica, while Mastriano was selected for the diplomatic post in Slovakia.
All Republicans on the panel supported sending both nominations to the Senate floor, according to Politico.
Cornyn had threatened to block the nominations unless the White House agreed to provide funding for the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, commonly known as PEPFAR.
The program was established during former President George W. Bush’s administration to finance HIV and AIDS prevention and treatment efforts abroad.
Cornyn did not appear to obtain the concessions he requested before the committee vote.
The panel’s action allows the nominations to move forward for consideration by the full Senate, where senators will determine whether Lake and Mastriano receive final confirmation.
Cornyn’s opposition created an unusual dispute within the Republican conference because both nominees were selected by President Donald Trump and supported by the committee’s other GOP members.
The Texas senator’s leverage was limited once the remaining Republicans agreed to advance both nominations without tying their votes to the PEPFAR funding dispute.
Cornyn had previously lost his Republican primary to Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, who received Trump’s endorsement.
Trump cited Cornyn’s failure to secure passage of the SAVE America Act, a major voter-identification and election-integrity measure, as a reason for supporting Paxton.
The primary defeat weakened Cornyn’s standing within the party and came amid broader criticism from Trump-aligned Republicans over his legislative record.
His effort to condition support for Lake and Mastriano on foreign-aid funding placed him at odds with the administration once again.
The submitted information did not indicate whether Cornyn ultimately voted for or against advancing the nominees in committee, only that all Republicans backed the nominations.
It also did not specify the committee vote totals or identify any Democratic senators who supported either nominee.
Lake and Mastriano are both prominent Trump allies who have maintained high profiles within conservative politics.
Their nominations now move beyond the committee stage despite Cornyn’s threats to derail them.
The Senate has not yet announced when either nomination will receive a final floor vote.
Until that occurs, both posts remain subject to the full chamber’s confirmation process.
The committee vote nevertheless represents a clear victory for the White House, which advanced both nominees without publicly granting Cornyn the PEPFAR funding agreement he sought.
Original article
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