Sen. Cruz: Biden Administration is Enabling Putin to Complete Construction of Nord Stream 2 Pipeline
Announces holds on Wendy Sherman and Brian McKeon nominations until Biden administration meets mandatory obligation to sanction ships constructing the project
WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, today criticized the Biden administration for allowing Vladimir Putin to complete his Nord Stream 2 pipeline. There, Sen. Cruz announced that he will hold the nominations of Wendy Sherman and Brian McKeon until the Biden administration meets its mandatory obligation to sanction the ships that are constructing the project.
WATCH: Cruz Announces Holds on Biden Nominees Until Admin Does More to Stop Nord Stream 2
After outlining his opposition to Wendy Sherman's nomination and support for Brian McKeon's nomination, Sen. Cruz said:
"I'm placing holds on them [Wendy Sherman and Brian McKeon] going to the floor until the administration does more on Nord Stream 2."
Sen. Cruz described how the mixed signals from the Biden administration have enabled construction to resume:
"In the last couple of months, as everyone knows, Putin has begun building the pipeline again. And he's done so because of the mixed signals from the Biden administration on whether they will follow the law that has been passed overwhelmingly with massive bipartisan support from Congress twice."
"I have urged every single Biden State Department nominee: get the report to Congress that you are statutorily mandated to send. The report they just sent omits numerous ships. It omits the company that is building Nord Stream 2 from mandatory sanctions for building Nord Stream 2. It is utterly indefensible. They're not able to defend omitting it, and they should send an interim report to shut the pipeline down.
"Putin is rushing to get the pipeline completed in the next couple of months. I've urged every Biden administration State Department nominee: we have had a great foreign policy victory for this country. And if the mixed messages and weak messages to Putin continue, that victory will be turned into a loss."
READ: Sen. Cruz Calls on Biden Administration To Immediately Remedy Report on Nord Stream 2 Pipeline
Sen. Cruz then called on his Democrat colleagues to urge the Biden administration to do more to stop Nord Stream 2:
"I recognize this administration is much more likely to listen to Democratic members of this committee than Republican members of this committee. That's the way this town works. I think the Biden administration is making a major and unnecessary mistake. They're making it because they want to play nice with Germany. And that's great, play nice with Germany on 50 other things. But there's no reason to give a massive windfall to Putin and make Europe dependent on Putin's energy.
"And so I want to encourage my colleagues to use every avenue you have to urge the Biden administration to stop playing around, to follow the law, and to stop this pipeline."
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