A top Senate Republican said Thursday he would block two of President Donald Trump's high-level nominees until the White House gave him a legitimate reason for firing two federal watchdogs.
By preventing a vote on the nominees, Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, significantly escalated his feud with Trump over the president's decision to remove Steve Linick, the State Department's inspector general, and Michael Atkinson, the inspector general for the intelligence community.
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The Iowa Republican slammed the White House last week for failing to justify the Linick and Atkinson firings, suggesting the vague rationale would fuel speculation that "political" motivations are at play. Grassley noted the White House is required by law to provide Congress with a rationale for such removals.
"All I want is a reason 4 firing these (people)," Grassley tweeted on Thursday. "CHECKS&BALANCES."
