Senators Vow Confirmation Delays for Key Obama Posts

Want answers on Benghazi, Fed books

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Republican senators threatened this week to delay confirmations for two key posts in the Obama administration over continued questions about the Sept. 11, 2012 attack on the U.S. consulate in Benghazi, Libya.

Sens. John McCain and Lindsey Graham said they will block the nomination of Janet Yellen to head the Federal Reserve until they get more information about the Benghazi attack, where four Americans, including the Ambassador to Libya, were killed. McCain and Graham also threatened to filibuster the nomination of Jeh Johnson to head the Department of Homeland Security.

This week, Sen. Rand Paul also threatened to block Yellen’s nomination unless Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid allows a vote on Paul’s legislation to audit the Federal Reserve. Both Paul and his father, former Rep. Ron Paul, have called for abolishing the Fed altogether. While the senators can block Yellen’s confirmation, they can’t actually stop her from taking the post. As TIME wrote earlier this month, Yellen is Vice Chair of the Federal Reserve, and she will automatically become the acting chair when Ben Bernanke’s term expires on Feb. 1.

[UPI]

[CBS News]