The State Department says the monthslong blockade has damaged U.S. national security. Several Republican senators have objected to advancing the slate of nominees.
Congress has long been an institution that runs on seniority and rewards longevity, and these veteran lawmakers are still running the country at an age when most people are well into retirement.
Senior officials, including Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken, and top lawmakers stressed that the United States was not seeking regime change in Russia.