In 2009, John McHugh, then a Republican congressman from New York, was nominated by President Barack Obama to be the next secretary of the Army.
U.S. Sen. Pat Roberts, who considers himself a friend of McHugh, called him soon after he received the president’s nomination.
“I said, ‘I have some bad news and some good news, John. The bad news is someone has placed a hold on your nomination in the Senate,’” Roberts recalled during an interview Wednesday.
Surprised by the news, McHugh asked the Kansas Republican which senator had ...