Senate Republicans delayed a vote on Chuck Hagel’s nomination as defense secretary on Thursday by mounting a filibuster causing the cloture to fall one vote shy of being successful. The cloture vote needed 60 votes to move on to Hagel’s nomination. Republicans wanted more answers from the White House on the Benghazi attack before Hagel’s and John Brennan’s nomination goes forward.
Senator Lindsey Graham (R- S.C.) agreed saying, “After the break, we can have a cloture vote, and I feel pretty comfortable I’d vote to move on — unless there’s some bombshell.”
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D – NV) excoriated Republican members for blocking the Hagel. “Just when you thought things couldn’t get worse, it gets worse,” he said. Reid originally supported Hagel, but as a matter of procedure, he needed to switch his vote to “no” on the cloture measure in order to file for another cloture vote.
Senator John McCain (R – AZ) told reporters that he would vote “in favor of cloture” when the Senate returns .
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