Free Republic

WASHINGTON — Senate Foreign Relations Chairman Bob Menendez issued a scathing rebuke of Sen. Rand Paul's move to block more than 60 State Department nominees as Paul seeks information from the Biden administration about Covid-19's origins. The statement, first obtained by NBC News, does not specifically mention Paul, R-Ky., by name, but calls the "blatant refusal by one member" to advance nominees "unacceptable." Paul has blocked State Department nominees in an effort to "access COVID-19 documents being held by various government agencies that are under the jurisdiction of the foreign relations committee," a Paul spokesperson previously told NBC. The spokesperson...

he world faces a growing threat of Russia using nuclear weapons as the nation continues to face losses in Ukraine, according to one U.S. senator. Bob Menendez, chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, spoke about the prospect during an appearance on Fox News Sunday. The New Jersey democrat said he fears Russian President Vladimir Putin could turn to nuclear weapons as the continued failure of his invasion of Ukraine damages his image among his people, and called the possibility "a real concern." "Well, one of my concerns is that, ironically, the more success that the Ukrainians have, the greater...