Posted on 11/28/2018 4:47:53 PM PST by yesthatjallen
Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) announced Wednesday that he is canceling votes on nearly two dozen of President Trump’s judicial nominees that were expected to come up in the Judiciary Committee this week.
The cancellation of the committee’s Thursday business meeting comes as Senate Republicans are in a standoff with outgoing Sen. Jeff Flake (R-Ariz.), who has vowed to oppose all court picks until he gets a vote on legislation protecting special counsel Robert Mueller.
The notification from the Judiciary Committee didn’t specify when, or if, the committee votes on the nominations would be rescheduled. Six circuit court nominees had been expected to get a vote, as well as 15 district court nominees.
But Grassley warned late Wednesday afternoon that he would likely cancel the meeting unless he could get a deal with Flake that would allow the nominations to move forward.
“We haven’t cancelled the meeting yet,” Grassley said roughly an hour before the announcement. “If we don’t get a positive out of it, we’ll probably cancel the meeting.”
Republicans hold a 51-49 majority in the Senate allowing them to move Trump's nominees despite Flake as long as the remaining 50 Republican senators remain united.
But on the Judiciary Committee Republicans are limited to a 11-10 majority meaning they need Flake's support unless they can get help from Democrats.
"We can vote on all the people who cleared the committee," said Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas), the No. 2 Republican senator and member of the Judiciary Committee. "But in terms of getting a vote out of committee we need his help."
Flake reiterated earlier Wednesday that he remains committed to opposing nominees until he gets a vote on the Mueller protection bill. He tried to get consent to schedule a vote on the bill Wednesday but was blocked by Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah), who warned that the legislation was unconstitutional.
The resolution, which cleared the Judiciary Committee earlier this year, would protect Mueller, or any other special counsel, in the event he is fired, but the bill has stalled amid opposition from GOP leadership.
The bill would codify Justice Department regulations that say only a senior department official could fire Mueller or another special counsel.
It would give a special counsel an "expedited review" of their firing. If a court determines that it wasn't for "good cause," the special counsel would be reinstated.
It’s now 53-47.
It’s probably a why bother tactic, until he’s gone in January.
Flake wasting time and running out the clock. I can only assume doormat McConnell approves because he has not knee capped Flake. Can you imagine a Democrat pulling a stunt like this? Not in a million years.
Expel the flake from the committee.
What a loser. And this idiot thinks he has a shot at 2020. He’ll get the McCain treatment from the media in the primary and then if by some fluke he gets the nomination, they’ll turn on him like jackels.
I hate this mother #$@#$er.
TWO DOZEN.
But won’t it be easier when we have 53 Rs in January?
It’s probably a why bother tactic, until he’s gone in January.
IT’s a time wasting tactic. Benedict Flake is aiding and abetting our enemies. Anything not done now will have to wait until the new Congress. Something else will have to wait then, etc., etc.
Yes. With 53 senators, it would take at least four to be a problem.
Bush League Republicans must become extinct before the Republic does.
Can’t grassley and McConnell simply replace flake?
Give him his crazy Mueller thing in exchange for moving judges forward then immediately after that is accomplished vote to rescind on the basis of unconstitutionality.
A dick to the end.
Satanic, not just petty.
The people of AZ should be piling on Flake demanding that he remove his opposition and vote to get these nominees out of committee to the floor for confirmation. We need those judges now before the demon-rats take over. He’s blackmailing the entire Senate by his actions and he should be reminded by his constituents that they will not forget it when he seeks to run in 2020 for president...
Don’t forget - Flake is flaky come 2020!!!!
Just bring the judges to the floor & bypass the committee.
What? People here need to stop this meme already, he's been doing great on judges.
winnah winnah chicken dinnah
and officially change his first name to “Snow”
Hate to wait til January, we all know the Demorots taking control of the house will find a way to step in this s—t and block the process. How, we will find out in January.
Flake needs to go for a stroll in Ft.Marcy Park.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.