Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., says he will reject any Trump administration nominee who has supported torture, Politico reported.
McCain — who has warned President Donald Trump against bringing back so-called enhanced interrogation techniques — was the single GOP holdout Tuesday to confirming Steven Engel to lead the Justice Department's Office of Legal Counsel.
Engel was confirmed on 51-47 vote in the Senate.
In a statement to Politico, McCain cited Engel's role in controversial torture memos from the Bush administration, when he served as a deputy assistant attorney general.
"Mr. Engel reviewed and commented on this memo, which attempted to justify interrogation techniques that violate the Geneva Conventions and stain our national honor," McCain, a former prisoner of war who was tortured in Vietnam, declared in the statement, Politico reported.
"I cannot in good conscience vote for any nominee who in any way has supported the use of enhanced interrogation."
According to Politico, his statement suggests he will also oppose the confirmation of Steven Bradbury as general counsel at the Department of Transportation. Bradbury authored the so-called torture memos under the Bush administration, Politico noted.
McCain, who heads the the Senate Armed Services Committee, also rebuked President Donald Trump's calls to revisit the use of torture last January.
"The president can sign whatever executive orders he likes, but the law is the law," McCain said of changing the rules on interrogation techniques. "We are not bringing back torture in the United States of America."
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