Defeated GOP senator threatens Trump with blockade — over a surprising issue
President Donald Trump faces another potential headache, as Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX) has threatened a blockade against his nominees — over a new issue.
According to Semafor, Cornyn is now vowing "that he [will] not support committee action on Kari Lake’s nomination to be ambassador to Jamaica or Doug Mastriano’s bid to become ambassador to Slovakia without confirmation that the administration will distribute money from the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, commonly known as PEPFAR."
The committee vote was scheduled for Wednesday, and Cornyn made clear what he intended to do....
Jul 21, 2026
KAMPALA — A US decision to freeze spending on treatment for HIV in several African countries has prompted concern that some of the gains made against the AIDS epidemic since 2003 could be reversed.