Last November’s election handed Democrats an additional seat in the Senate, a welcome cushion for the party that was supposed to make it easier to confirm President Joe Biden’s executive and judicial nominees.
But in recent weeks, two key Biden nominees have withdrawn their names from consideration for a job in his administration and two more could be in jeopardy.
The problem is attributed to a mix of absences ― Sens. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) and John Fetterman (D-Pa.) are both out due to health reasons, leaving Democrats short of the 50 votes needed for confirmation ― as well as discord within the Democratic caucus.
Over the weekend, Phil Washington, Biden’s nominee to lead the Federal Aviation Administration, bowed out from his bid after Republican senators raised concerns along with Sen. Kyrsten Sinema (I-Ariz.). Gigi Sohn, Biden’s long-stalled nominee for the Federal Communications Commission, did the same earlier this month.
Julie Su, Biden’s pick to lead the…
