Vulnerable Senate Democrats broke with the White House by voting to restore Trump-era sanctions on the Nord Stream 2 pipeline, a sign that President Biden’s decision to pave the way for Russian President Vladimir Putin’s pet project could be a political liability for his party in November.
Senate Democrats blocked last Thursday the bill introduced by Sen. Ted Cruz, Texas Republican, that would restore immediate sanctions on entities associated with the natural-gas pipeline, even though six Democrats crossed party lines, including four facing tough midterm-election fights.
Joining Republicans in backing the Cruz bill were Democratic Sens. Catherine Cortez Masto of Nevada, Mark Kelly of Arizona, Maggie Hassan of New Hampshire, and Raphael Warnock of Georgia (pictured), all of whom are defending their seats in November.
Also lining up with Republicans were Sens. Tammy Baldwin of Wisconsin and Jacky Rosen of Nevada, who represent battleground states. Both Democrats are up for reelection in 2024.
Larry Behrens, Western states director of the pro-energy group Power the Future, said Friday the Democratic defections show that the administration’s decision in May to waive U.S. sanctions on the nearly completed pipeline has backfired politically.
“It’s clear the Biden administration put a lot of pressure on Senate Democrats to vote in favor of Putin’s pipeline, so it’s telling those who will soon have to face voters were the most likely to ignore the White House,” said Mr. Behrens.
Republicans and energy groups have blasted the administration’s Nord Stream 2 waiver, contrasting it with Mr. Biden’s decision on his first day in office to cancel the Keystone XL pipeline, which would have moved Canadian crude oil from Alberta to Gulf Coast refineries.
“Standing up to our adversaries, protecting our friends, and promoting American energy should be the easiest vote in Washington,” said Mr. Behrens.
“Yet, it seems the Biden administration decided to celebrate the one-year anniversary of their Keystone pipeline cancellation by fighting hard for a pipeline for Russia and getting their enablers in the Senate to go along.”
The Democratic aisle crossing also failed to stave off criticism from the National Republican Senatorial Committee, which ripped the Democrats in a post featuring photos of Ms. Cortez Masto, Mr. Kelly, Mr. Warnock, Ms. Hassan, and Sen. Michael Bennet of Colorado, who’s also up for reelection in November.
After spending weeks and months trying to decry the filibuster as unjust and a “relic of the past,” last night, Democrats employed the filibuster to help deliver for Vladimir Putin. https://t.co/CAXfICSoap
— Senate Republicans (@NRSC) January 14, 2022
“The Nord Stream 2 pipeline is an unprecedented geopolitical problem and once again, Vladimir Putin is poised to emerge victorious thanks to the weakness of SenateDemocrats and the Biden administration,” said NRSC spokesperson T.W. Arrighi.
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Their in trouble and they know it their polls are shrinking just like Biden’s polls are and they don’t want to lose because their following Biden the Fool