Blinken Accuses Sen. Paul of Obstruction, Harming National Security With Confirmation Delays for Diplomats

WASHINGTON—The United States’ top diplomat is accusing a Republican senator of obstruction following refusals to confirm dozens of diplomatic appointments.
Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) has been requesting documents related to COVID-19 for years over concerns that U.S.-funded “gain of function” experiments in Wuhan, China, might have contributed to the creation of the virus that causes the disease.
Mr. Paul effectively put a hold on the confirmation of all State Department nominees in June, making their confirmation dependent on the department’s compliance with his demands for more documentation regarding the origins of COVID-19.
Those confirmation delays are unnecessarily creating a national security crisis, according to Secretary of State Antony Blinken….}