Josh Hawley Gets Absolutely Destroyed on Senate Floor by Brian Schatz
[Text of speech below]
In September, Sen. Josh Hawley (R-MO) announced he was placing holds on civilian nominees to the departments of Defense and State until secretaries Lloyd Austin and Antony Blinken resign from the agencies, respectively.
A single lawmaker is able to do this because the United States Senate has dumber rules than a persnickety HOA.
On Thursday, Sen. Brian Schatz (D-HI) took to the floor and excoriated his Republican counterpart for preventing the departments from being adequately staffed, focusing on defense in particular. The normally low-key Schatz thundered at Hawley for more than two minutes immediately after the Missouri senator slammed the Biden administration over its response to Russia’s war on Ukraine.
In his speech, Schatz eviscerated him for demanding Austin’s resignation, which he called “not a serious request.” He also pointed to the Republican’s complaint that aid is being delivered to Ukraine too slowly, even after he voted against said aid.
The Democrat also noted that Hawley voted to “exonerate” then-President Donald Trump in his first impeachment trial. Trump made Ukraine’s receipt of foreign aid contingent on the country investigating Biden family business dealings.
Here is Schatz’s full speech:
So, what Senator Hawley wants is to go through his litany of criticisms of the Biden administration, and the truth is that every senator has that right without blocking the logistics guy from the Department of Defense. He could’ve brought his floor charts out here and given a withering speech about all of the things he thought went wrong.
But he’s doing a very specific thing. He is damaging the Department of Defense. We have senior DoD leaders, we have the Armed Services Committee coming to us and saying, “I don’t know what to tell him, I don’t know how to satisfy him, but he is blocking the staffing of the senior leadership at the Department of Defense.”
And this comes from a guy who raised his fist in solidarity with the insurrectionists. And this comes from a guy who, before the Russian invasion, suggested that maybe it would be wise for Zelensky to make a few concessions about Ukraine and their willingness to join NATO. This comes from a guy who just about a month ago voted against Ukraine aid! He’s saying it’s going too slow. He voted “no”! He voted “no” on Ukraine aid and now he has the gall to say it’s going too slow!
And this final insult is that until, what, Secretary Austin resigns? That’s not a serious request. People used to come to me during the Trump administration all the time. “Do you think Trump should resign? Do you think Tillerson should resign?”
That’s a stupid–”Of course I think all the people I disagree should quit their jobs and be replaced with people I love. Of course I think they should all resign.” That’s not how this world works. That is not a reasonable request from a United States senator that, “Until the secretary of defense quits his job, I’m going to block all of his nominees.” That’s preposterous!
And coming from a person who exonerated Donald Trump for extorting Zelensky for withholding lethal aid? They withheld lethal aid until, unless Zelensky would release false smears against Joe Biden’s son. And then he voted to exonerate President Trump for this. And so spare me the new solidarity with the Ukrainians and with the free world because this man’s record is exactly the opposite.
I yield the floor.
Watch above via C-SPAN.
