US Sen. Ted Cruz will allow confirmation votes to move forward on nominees to the Biden administration in exchange for a vote on a National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) amendment to apply sanctions over the Nord Stream 2 pipeline, Cruz's press secretary said on Wednesday
WASHINGTON (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 01st December, 2021) US Sen. Ted Cruz will allow confirmation votes to move forward on nominees to the Biden administration in exchange for a vote on a National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) amendment to apply sanctions over the Nord Stream 2 pipeline, Cruz's press secretary said on Wednesday.
"Sen. Cruz's holds (on nominees) are meant to ensure that the Biden administration applies immediate, mandated sanctions to Nord Stream 2. He's lifted holds throughout the year for that progress, including and especially amendment votes. For the NDAA, Sen. Cruz has negotiated to lift more holds in exchange for advancing immediate sanctions," Dave Vasquez said.
Cruz alongside fellow Republican senators Jim Risch, Rob Portman, John Barrasso, Ron Johnson and Tom Cotton in November introduced the NDAA amendment, which would impose mandatory sanctions on Nord Stream 2 AG, the company responsible for the pipeline's construction.
The US House of Representatives in September passed the $768 billion NDAA in a vote of 316-113.
The Nord Stream 2 pipeline, completed in September, will deliver gas from Russia to Germany via the Baltic Sea. The process of certifying Nord Stream 2 AG as the pipeline's independent operator is currently underway to ensure the project complies with the conditions of the February 12, 2019 EU Gas Directive. German regulators have to make a decision on certification by January 2022.
