We previously reported about several prominent Senate Republicans, including some of those who are more moderate like Senators Susan Collins (Maine), and Lisa Murkowski, (Alaska), and others have stated in no uncertain words that they will not support any Democratic proposal to replace Sen. Dianne F. Feinstein’s (D-Calif.), who is still recovering from the shingles.
We’re pleased to update this story to inform readers that the Senate GOP led by Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., did indeed follow through on their promise to block Senate Minority Leader Schuck Schumer, D-N.Y., who had earlier put forward a resolution calling on his Senate peers to allow Maryland’s Ben Cardin to temporarily take Feinstein’s seat on the committee.
Senate Republicans blocked Tuesday evening a request by Senate Majority leader Chuck Schumer that Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif. be temporarily replaced on the Judiciary Committee in order to give the committee the numbers it needs to advance President Biden’s judicial nominations.
Schumer, D.N.Y. introduced the resolution and requested that it be unanimously approved – a procedure that requires all senators to agree. The Senate can quickly approve non-controversial bills by unanimous consent, without needing to debate them for hours or days.
Schumer’s proposal was [rejected] by Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.). This objection means that Democrats will have to find 60 votes in order to approve Schumer’s request. That will require 10 Republicans crossing the aisle.
Newsflash: They don’t have those votes. At least six GOP members of the Senate Judiciary Committee including Graham (who is the ranking member) have already gone on record as saying they won’t support it, and as noted above, Murkowski and Collins are also no’s.
This is obviously causing much heartbreak for the Democrats, as it not only slows down their efforts to ram through some of Biden’s most radical judicial appointments but also stalls their push to investigate Supreme Court Justice, Clarence Thomas.
New Feinstein wrinkle.
Democratic aide says the Judiciary Committee can’t issue a subpoena as part of a Clarence Thomas inquiry; that would require a majority on the panel and Democrats don’t have it without her.
“So that option is out of the question.”https://t.co/IA1NNKVXS8
— Sahil Kapur (@sahilkapur) April 18, 2023
Ha! It’s a great sight, and you love it!
Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) made remarks that were classic “Cocaine Mitch.” Mitch McConnell, the minority leader (R-Ky. ), got right to the point in his floor address on what Democrats really wanted. He also suggested what Democrats could do to move nominees from the committee to the floor to vote.
“In the interim, the temporary absence of our colleague has not brought the Judiciary Committee crashing to a stop.”
The Committee has nominated 40 judges so far in this Congress. More than half were approved by both parties.
Let me repeat that: This Congress has reported more than two dozen judicial nominations on the basis of bipartisan votes.
“People with mainstream credentials and a clear path to success have an opportunity.” Some of the same voices on the far left who have attacked Senator Feinstein before are now suggesting the Senate remove her from the Judiciary Committee for an indefinite period.
The stated reason for the alleged emergency is that Senate Democrats cannot push through a small fraction of their nominees that are so extreme and unqualified that they can’t win a single Republican vote in the Committee.
Let me repeat that. The far left wants to have a Senator removed from a Senate committee so that they can push through their unqualified or extreme nominees.
“There are four main nominees that our Democratic colleagues are currently unable to move. One of them threatened an underage abuse victim while representing her prep school. One of them didn’t know what Article II of the Constitution says…
“One of them didn’t know what a Brady motion is. And the fourth one argued that the sex offender registry does not help keep children safe.
“These four nominees are not on track to get bipartisan support.
It’s the Democrats’ political decision to keep the more qualified nominees in the dark so that the less qualified ones can move together.
We’ll then talk about nominating candidates who are not as woke.
As I stated before, I am happy to see that all the factions in the Senate GOP are united in refusing to play along with the Democrats’ reindeer game.
Your move, Senator Chuckles.
