Dr Vivek Murthy, President Barack Obama’s nominee for the key post of US Surgeon-General, faces mounting uncertainty over securing the Senate’s confirmation, so much so the White House is now seeking to delay the floor vote indefinitely.
Murthy’s nomination has essentially been targeted by America’s powerful gun lobby, namely the National Rifles Association, because of his vocal support for various gun control measures, including a ban on assault weapons.
In the US Congress, gun control is a highly sensitive issue, so much so that even Democratic lawmakers are afraid of taking strong positions for fear of losing elections.
According to reports, as many as 10 Democratic Senators are considering to vote against Murthy in a chamber where the party has a narrow majority. The Republicans, known for their strong support of gun rights, may go the whole hog against Murthy in the vote.
In the circumstances, Dr Murthy, a Harvard Medical School physician and Obama campaign organiser, could face an ignominious defeat–much like the one suffered by Obama’s nominee for Chief Civil Rights Attorney, Debo Adegbile, last week.
Anxious to avert a similar situation, the White House is reported to be considering deferring the Senate vote on Murthy until after the Congressional elections in November. The thinking obviously is that once the elections are done with, Democratic Senators could be brought round.
“We are recalibrating our strategy around his floor vote,” The New York Times quoted a senior White House official as saying. A range of options is reportedly under discussion. While delaying the vote seems to be the preferred option right now, there could be a worst-case scenario in which Murthy could be withdrawn.