Senate- What's the use of committees it can be sent to full Senate for a vote w/o a recommendation?

[JEDI]

So the republican chair of the foreign affairs committee will send Bolten's name to the full Senate for a vote w/o a recommendation from the committee.

WTF? no vote from the committee?

So why have a committee then?

 

[gallivanter]

There was a vote, just not an endorsement.


AP Story

WASHINGTON (AP) -- A divided Senate Foreign Relations Committee on Thursday sent the nomination of John Bolton to be U.N. ambassador to the full Senate. But it took the rare step of refusing to endorse the blunt-speaking conservative.

The move kept the contentious nomination alive, leaving its fate in the hands of the GOP-run Senate. By not recommending that senators approve Bolton's nomination, the committee delivered a slap at President Bush in one of the first big battles of his second term.

"It doesn't appear that Mr. Bolton has the confidence of the majority of this committee," said Sen. Joseph Biden of Delaware, the senior Democrat on the panel. "And I would suggest that it may be worth the president's interest to take note of that."

The panel acted after a pivotal Republican member, Sen. George Voinovich of Ohio, voiced opposition to the nomination, calling Bolton arrogant and bullying. Yet Voinovich broke a committee impasse by agreeing to let the full Senate vote rather than joining Democrats' effort to kill the nomination in committee.

All 10 Republicans voted to send the nomination to the floor. All eight Democrats voted no.

Bolton, 56, who is now the top arms control diplomat at the State Department, has strong ties among political conservatives both inside and outside the administration.

The panel delayed its vote for three weeks after four Republican members asked for more time to study accusations that Bolton bullied subordinates and exaggerated intelligence assessments.

Three of the four said they had decided to support Bolton, but Voinovich said he could not. "The United States can do better than John Bolton," Voinovich told the panel during a debate lasting over five hours.

....

 

[JEDI]

so they voted to send him to a full senate vote, yet not give him the endorsement?

if you're not going to endorse the guy, then why send him out for a full vote?

 

[Genx87]

Dont we have better things to worry about?

 

[Pandaren]

http://www.cnn.com/2005/POLITICS/05/12/senate.bolton/index.html

Committee member Sen. George Voinovich, R- Ohio, told reporters that even though he voted to send the nomination on, he would not vote for Bolton on the Senate floor.

"It is my opinion that John Bolton is the poster child of what someone in the diplomatic corps should not be," Voinovich said.

The former Ohio governor appeared to suggest that Bolton's nomination would not be approved by the full Senate membership, and said he would encourage other senators not to approve it. Republicans have a 55-45 majority in the chamber.

I don't want an unprofessional buffoon representing my country at the UN, and apparently I am not the only one who feels that way. It's fine with me if the administration wants someone tough, but they need to pick someone who can command respect.

Originally posted by: Genx87
Dont we have better things to worry about?