.@PressSec: “At some points Democrats have to decide whether they love this country more than they hate this president.” pic.twitter.com/gVQPfDSZ0B
— Fox News (@FoxNews) April 23, 2018
White House spokeswoman Sarah Huckabee Sanders said early Monday that Democrats must decide if they love the United States more than they hate President Trump as they mull CIA Director Mike Pompeo’s nomination to lead the State Department.
According to ijr.com:
Sanders claimed the holdup was indicative of Democrats choosing partisan politics over the good of the country.
“Look, at some point, Democrats have to decide whether they love this country more than they hate this president,” Sanders told “Fox & Friends.”
Members of the Trump administration criticized Democrats over the past few months for historically long confirmation timelines. White House Legislative Director Marc Short accused the party of “hijacking Senate procedure” in order to obstruct nominees.
Senate Democrats, and one Senate Republican, have voiced concerns regarding Pompeo’s “hawkish” international affairs policy and lack of experience in the diplomatic sphere.
Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) has been a vocal opponent of Pompeo’s nomination. “We should be learning from the past, not repeating it,” Paul tweeted after Pompeo’s initial confirmation hearing. With the GOP’s weak majority foothold, party leadership must rely on Red State Democrats, like the newly elected Doug Jones (D-AL), to make up the difference.
Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) told reporters on a White House briefing call that he’s confident Republicans will whip up enough votes to fully confirm Pompeo.
“The floor of the Senate will set [Democrat members] straight,” Cotton told reporters. “Allies […] and enemies will certainly know his qualifications once he is confirmed.”
Sanders doubled down on Cotton’s point and told the daytime talk show hosts that she remains confident that Pompeo’s nomination will push through during further confirmation proceedings Monday afternoon.
“And they have to decide that they want to put the safety and the security and the diplomacy of our country ahead of their own political games. And we’re very hopeful that they will.”
