Cruise blockade by Nord Stream 2 slows US Treasury appointments

by Andrea Schalli

WASHINGTON, Oct 11 (Reuters) – The US Treasury is being held hostage to Republican Senator Ted Cruz’s efforts to cripple the gas pipeline between Russia and Germany, blocking crucial appointments as federal debt limits remain a pressing issue. Has happened, he said. Democrats in the White House and Congress.

Of the nearly 20 top US Treasury positions to be filled by presidential appointments, only four are nominees, official sources said. More than eight months after President Joe Biden took office, his government-wide appointments are being approved at a slower rate than those of the previous three presidents, federal data shows.

In addition to the impact of Cruz’s actions on the Treasury’s ability to deal with federal debt limits, they are also hurting the US government’s ability to deal with other major problems, official sources said, including global Minimum taxes, terrorism and financials are included. Intelligence.

Cruz has exercised his power only in opposition to the fast-track confirmation process, which requires the consent of all 100 senators for non-adversarial appointments, a detail the White House says must be ratified by the Senate. Awaiting fits in several Treasury and other appointments including several ambassadors.

Cruz wants Biden to impose sanctions other than the disruption of Russia’s Nord Stream 2 pipeline, which would supply gas to Germany via the Baltic Sea directly off Russia’s coast.

Despite opposition to the pipeline, Biden has said he waived sanctions as the project nears completion and seeks to rebuild strained relations with his key ally, Germany.

With regard to Cruz, according to a spokesman for the senator, the solution is simple: he will end retention if the Biden government bans the company behind the project, Russian Gazprom, something he insists is mandated by law. is we

Failure to do so would “give Vladimir Putin a geo-strategic victory” and “strengthen corrupt Russian influence in Europe,” Cruz said in the September 13 letter.

Experts say the US Senate could go ahead with confirmation by a full vote in a process that requires the approval of 60 senators, but it will be up to the Senate time to address other issues, including efforts to pass the bill. will limit.

While an agreement was reached on Thursday to temporarily raise the debt limit, there is no indication that US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen has a handle on the matter if it comes up again in the next few years. Will be a great team. said an officer.

Officials say Yellen and Ademo’s individual efforts to loosen their grip on Cruz have failed, and they see no solution.

As of Thursday, the US Senate had confirmed Biden’s 191 appointments, or about 36%, compared to Donald Trump’s 42%, Barack Obama’s 68% and George W. Bush’s 65%, according to federal data.

(Reporting by Andrea Schallal; Editing by Heather Timmons and Leslie Adler; Translated by Flora Gomez in Gdansk Newsroom)