Hawaii's Brian Schatz lays into Josh Hawley on Senate floor: 'Completely ridiculous'

Sen. Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii) has had it up to here with Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.).

In a fiery floor speech on Thursday, Schatz went after Hawley for vowing to block all Defense Department nominees until there was "a change" in broader foreign policy, Politico and Mediaite report.

For context, Hawley announced in September he'd be placing holds on civilian nominees to the departments of Defense and State until their respective secretaries — Lloyd Austin and Antony Blinken — resigned, per Mediaite.

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And on Thursday, after blocking nominee Christopher Lowman — President Biden's pick for assistant secretary for sustainment — Hawley claimed U.S. foreign policy has a "Joe Biden problem," and vowed to continue holding nominees "until there is accountability, until we have a change in policy," per Politico.

But Schatz wasn't buying the (what he called) "completely ridiculous" and "preposterous" revolt.

The Missouri congressman is "damaging the Department of Defense," Schatz said in his Thursday tirade. "And this comes from a guy who raised his fist in solidarity with the insurrectionists. ... This comes from a guy who just about a month ago voted against Ukraine aid!"

"He's saying it's going too slow. He voted 'no'!" Schatz continued. "He voted 'no' on Ukraine aid and now he has the gall to say it's going too slow!"

"And this final insult is that until, what, Secretary Austin resigns? That's not a serious request," Schatz went on.

The Hawaii lawmaker would rather Hawley "spare me the new solidarity with the Ukrainians and with the free world" because his record "is exactly the opposite," Schatz concluded.

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