Menendez, indicted senator, blocks Senate confirmations right before holiday recess

Sen. Bob Menendez, D-N.J., blocked the confirmation of two Senate nominees right before the holiday recess over a “lack of responsiveness” from President Joe Biden amid negotiations with GOP over border security and Ukraine funding.

According to a report from Politico, progressive lawmakers have become frustrated with the White House’s willingness to negotiate on a new border policy as part of a broader foreign aid package for Israel and Ukraine. 

A Menendez spokesman told the outlet that the senator wanted to express his “dissatisfaction” with the White House's response to the border.

Menendez blocked Basil Gooden, who was nominated for the Department of Agriculture’s under-secretary of rural development, and the renomination of Summer Mersinger, who was picked for a Commodity Futures Trading Commission position, a spokesperson told The Hill.

Last week, Menendez accused the Biden administration of ignoring immigrant communities and shouldn't cave to GOP border negotiations. 

“It is truly shameful that President Biden and his administration are considering selling out migrants and asylum-seekers in order to placate extreme Republicans who are jeopardizing our national security and that of our allies just to score a political point,” said Menendez, The Hill reports.

Earlier this month, House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., said the House GOP's stance is firm: funding for Ukraine must come coupled with border security.    

“From the very beginning, when I was handed the gavel, we needed clarity on what we're doing in Ukraine and how we'll have proper oversight of the spending of precious taxpayer dollars, and we needed a transformative change at the border. Thus far we've gotten neither,” the Louisiana Republican said.