WASHINGTON - Texas Sen. Ted Cruz has put a hold on President Joe Biden's pick for Commerce secretary Rhode Island Gov. Gina Raimondo spotlighting the Republican's staunch opposition to the new commander in chief's Cabinet selections.
Cruz confirmed late Thursday that he was delaying Raimondo's confirmation, citing a lack of clarity over her position on Huawei, a Chinese telecom giant.
"Gina Raimondo's ethics issues and soft stance on China including her refusal to commit to keep Huawei on the Entities List is deeply troubling," he wrote on Twitter. "That's why I voted against advancing her nomination and I urge my colleagues to do the same."
Cruz's opposition to Raimondo is no outlier.
The Texan has so far voted for only one of Biden's Cabinet selections: Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin. He has voted against the five others who've been confirmed so far, while also already making clear he plans to oppose others who are still working through the process.
Cruz's approach stands in contrast to that of Texas Sen. John Cornyn, a fellow Republican.
Cornyn, while noting policy differences with several Biden nominees, has voted for all but one of the six Biden Cabinet picks confirmed to date. The exception was Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, whom Cornyn opposed over concerns about immigration policy.
"The first bunch of nominees by President Biden have been, in my opinion, well qualified and capable folks who I have been happy to support," Cornyn said Thursday on a call with Texas reporters, adding that he also plans to support Merrick Garland, Biden's attorney general pick.
Save for Mayorkas, the early group of Biden Cabinet nominees have been approved by large bipartisan majorities, reflecting the fact that the Senate often gives incoming presidents wide berths in building their teams, particularly as it relates to national security.
But Cruz has been among the most aggressive Republicans in opposing Biden's Cabinet.
"He began with a series of just radical, extreme, and divisive policies his Cabinet nominees are behaving that way," he said recently on "The Michael Berry Show," a conservative talk radio show based in Houston.
Cruz isn't likely to prevent Raimondo from securing confirmation. But his use of a hold, a parliamentary tactic in the Senate, could stretch out a process that will already be delayed by the upcoming impeachment trial against former President Donald Trump.
His hang-up on Raimondo focuses on Huawei and its ties to the Chinese government, with Cruz saying on Twitter that he'll "lift the hold when the Biden admin commits to keep the massive Chinese Communist Party spy operation Huawei on the Entity List."
The senator, who serves on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, isn't alone in zeroing on Huawei's placement on that list, which limits the company's activities in the U.S.
Austin Rep. Michael McCaul, the top Republican on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, earlier this week led a group of House Republicans in requesting a hold on Raimondo's nomination until "until the Biden Administration commits to keeping Huawei on the Entity List."
"Huawei is not a normal telecommunications company it is an arm of the CCP's military that poses a significant threat to U.S. national security and supports the CCP's genocide in Xinjiang," McCaul said. "The Biden Administration must take this seriously."
Raimondo, during her confirmation hearing last month, said she would review that policy and "make an assessment as to what's best for American national and economic security."
That was insufficient for Cruz, who prodded her further in written questions about Huawei's standing on the "entity list." Raimondo said in a written response that she currently has "no reason to believe that entities on those lists should not be there."
"With respect to Huawei, let me be clear: telecommunications equipment made by untrusted vendors is a threat to the security of the U.S. and our allies," Raimondo said, also citing "Huawei's ties to China's military, human right abuses, and theft of intellectual property."
But Cruz wasn't satisfied with that response, either, leading to his hold on her nomination.
It's unclear where Cornyn will come down on Raimondo, though he's also raised concerns in recent years about Huawei. Cornyn spokesman Drew Brandewie said that Cornyn spoke with Raimondo this week but that the senator "has not taken a position yet."