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Democrats Will Not Delay Bolton Vote
Senate Democrats do not plan to block a committee vote set for tomorrow on John Bolton’s nomination as U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, the Los Angeles Times reported today (see GSN, May 10). “We’re not going to seek any delay,” said ranking Senate Foreign Relations Committee Democrat Joseph Biden (Del.). Biden said Democrats would allow the vote despite their belief that the White House has failed to offer full cooperation in their investigation of Bolton’s conduct as undersecretary of state for arms control and international security. A spokesman for committee Chairman Richard Lugar (R-Ind.) praised the decision, and said Lugar believed Bolton would be approved by the committee (Mary Curtius, Los Angeles Times, May 11). At least one committee Republican who had expressed concerns about Bolton appeared yesterday to be lining up behind the appointment. “I won’t deny a lot of the information certainly brings great pause, but I fight the administration on so many issues; this is one that I’ve been with them on — to appoint their team,” said Senator Lincoln Chafee (R-R.I.). Other GOP lawmakers held off on saying which way they plan to vote. “I’m doing the best I can to get the best information I possibly can so I can make a good decision,” said Senator George Voinovich (R-Ohio). Fellow committee Republican Lisa Murkowski (Alaska) said she wants to meet with Bolton before casting her vote. “I have more than adequate information but I do want to sit down with Mr. Bolton again,” Murkowski said (Ann Gearan, Associated Press, May 11). Senator Chuck Hagel (R-Neb.) said he expects Bolton to move on to a full Senate vote. “I have reserved my vote until I hear all the facts, but I’ve seen nothing new or heard nothing new that will lead me to believe he will not be voted out with an affirmative vote,” Hagel said (Stephanie Griffith, Associated Press, May 11). The looming vote has not stopped inquiries on Bolton. Senate intelligence committee leaders yesterday met with former National Security Agency chief Lt. Gen. Michael Hayden to discuss Bolton’s requests for transcripts of conversations intercepted by the agency, the Los Angeles Times reported (Curtius, Los Angeles Times). Meanwhile, declassified e-mails also show that a high-ranking Bolton aide warned of a minimized role for the intelligence arm of the State Department because of a disagreement over China’s missile exports, according to Reuters. At issue are U.S. efforts to persuade China to limit trade in missiles and unconventional weaponry. A 2002 State Department intelligence and research bureau (INR) rebuttal memo found flaws and mistakes in a CIA analysis of the Chinese policy. Fred Fleitz, Bolton’s chief of staff, in an e-mail to the bureau’s then-second in command, Thomas Fingar, called the rebuttal memo “a serious abuse of INR’s liaison role.” “Actions of this type cannot help but undermine the bond of trust between (Bolton’s office) and INR,” Fleitz wrote. “If (Bolton’s office) cannot trust INR to follow established dissemination procedures, we may have to look for an alternate agreement to send and relay material, such as working with” the diplomatic security bureau at the State Department (Reuters, May 10).
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