Sen. Bob Menendez, D-N.J., announced Friday he’ll vote against Gina Haspel, President Trump’s nominee to head the CIA.
Menendez of New Jersey, the top Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said he’s siding with Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., who called on the Senate to block Haspel because of her time at the agency overseeing the enhanced interrogation program.
“I completely agree with my friend, Sen. John McCain, who, speaking from his own experience, argues that it’s never been more important for the United States to stay true to the values that make America exceptional,” Menendez said in a statement. “Unfortunately, Ms. Haspel failed to unequivocally condemn the use of torture, and many questions remain about her role in the Bush Administration’s so-called enhanced interrogation program which continue to leave a stain on our collective global reputation, and which terrorists continue to use as a recruitment tool for those who seek to do us harm. I cannot in good faith support her nomination to lead the CIA.”
Haspel opponents are hoping McCain’s opposition will turn critical GOP and Democratic Senators against confirming her.
Most Democrats are expected to vote “no,” but Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., is planning to vote for Haspel, and others are undecided.
McCain, who is battling cancer, is not expected back to vote. His Arizona colleague, Republican Jeff Flake, is undecided about Haspel.
