Reid: GOP will use ‘every trick in the book’ to stop Perez nomination

Reid said that Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee Chairman Tom Harkin (D-Iowa) gave GOP members of his committee an additional two weeks to review Perez’s answers to written questions. The committee was scheduled to vote on the Perez nomination on Wednesday, but an anonymous Republican decided to block the nomination that same day.

{mosads}“Sen. Harkin already delayed the nomination by two weeks,” Reid said. “After granting additional time out of consideration it was disappointing that an anonymous Republican blocked his nomination.”

Republicans have argued that Perez is an extreme “ideologue.” 

Reid also criticized Republicans for threatening to block the nomination of Gina McCarthy to head the Environmental Protection Agency.

“Republicans have decided to play political games with dozens — scores — of President Obama’s nominees,” Reid said. “This has now become a pattern of the Republican Party.”