The Tribune

FOURTEEN of President Barack Obama’s nominations for top foreign policy posts and ambassadorships - including one to the Bahamas - were further held up on Friday when the Senate failed to vote on them before closing its business for the year.

Texas Senator Ted Cruz, who is running for the Republican presidential nomination, has placed a blanket hold on all Obama political appointees to the State Department over what he called the “catastrophic Iranian nuclear deal”. And Democrat and Republican members have placed various holds on specific nominations, including Obama’s pick of Roberta Jacobson for ambassador to Mexico.

Several top positions at the State Department and many ambassadorships, including that of Cassandra Butts to the Bahamas, Norway, Sweden, Luxembourg and Trinidad and Tobago, are awaiting votes.

The inaction angered Senator Ben Cardin, the ranking Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, who took to the floor to criticise his fellow senators for holding up the votes for reasons unrelated to the individuals’ qualifications for the jobs.

“We’ve got to get this done,” Sen Cardin said. “The reason we’re not voting has nothing to do with these individuals. Nothing. Not one thing. These are qualified people. You’re not holding the Obama administration hostage, you’re holding America hostage.”

The Bahamas has not had a US ambassador since 2011. In February 2014, it was announced that Ms Butts, a former White House attorney, had been nominated for the position.