Posted on 12/13/2024 8:07:04 AM PST by ducttape45
Is Sen. Todd Young, R-Ind., having his Joni Ernst moment? It sure seems like it.
On Wednesday, the Hoosier State’s senior senator told CNN mouthpiece Manu Raju he’s still undecided as to whether he will support Pete Hegseth’s nomination to become the next secretary of defense. The comments came after the two veterans met to discuss Hegseth’s potential promotion earlier that day.
“I haven’t decided yet, as I’ve shared with him and happy to share with others…We had a good meeting. It was an extensive conversation, and he answered the questions I asked,” Young reportedly said. “We had a very fulsome meeting. We covered everything on my mind, and I suspect the minds of most everyone that’s watching this.”
Putting aside the fact that he apparently doesn’t know what “fulsome” means, Young’s remarks are a disgrace. Indiana voters reelected Donald Trump to the White House by a nearly 20-point margin last month with a mandate to alter the Washington status quo. But rather than endorse Hegseth’s confirmation like Indiana Sen.-elect Jim Banks, Young has taken it upon himself to ignore the will of his constituents and play games with Hegseth’s nomination.
When pressed on why the Indiana senator has reportedly declined to commit to supporting Hegseth’s nomination despite previously voting to confirm Biden-appointed Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, Young Communications Director Matt Lahr didn’t provide The Federalist with a direct answer. Instead, he said that Young and Hegseth “had a great meeting yesterday afternoon and [Young] looks forward to the confirmation hearing.”
Lahr also referred The Federalist to a post on X the senator issued yesterday after his meeting with Hegseth, in which Young noted his appreciation for Hegseth’s “candor as [they] discussed our readiness challenges, the China threat, auditing the Pentagon, his vision for DoD, and other important national security issues.”
Young’s refusal to back Hegseth’s nomination isn’t surprising, however. The GOP senator has spent much of his career defending the D.C. establishment.
Young had no issue joining Democrats in confirming radical left-wing Biden appointees like Austin, Antony Blinken, and Janet Yellen. The Indiana senator did, however, have a problem with endorsing Trump’s presidential run this year, which he refused to do even after it became clear Trump would be the GOP nominee.
Last year, Young was one of several Republican senators to join Democrats in attacking Sen. Tommy Tuberville, R-Ala., for protesting the Pentagon’s unlawful and immoral abortion policy. Young and his GOP colleagues’ cowardice forced Tuberville to abandon his protest, allowing the Defense Department’s use of taxpayer dollars to subsidize abortion-related travel to continue unabated.
In the summer of 2022, Young joined Senate Democrats in advancing a radical gun control package. As my colleague Jordan Boyd reported, the bill included “vague language” about “dating partners” and red flag laws, “which allow law enforcement to temporarily confiscate guns from someone the government deems a danger to the public or themselves,” and can “be easily exploited by partisan bureaucrats.”
Later that same year, Young again helped Democrats by supporting the wrongly named “Respect for Marriage Act.” The bill effectively opened up the legal system to abuse by left-wing LGBT activists to harass Christians and other religious Americans who uphold the true meaning of marriage.
Within the past congressional session alone, Young has voted for bloated spending bills, a suspension of the debt ceiling, and shipping more U.S. taxpayer dollars to foreign countries such as Ukraine. The Indiana Republican also opposed an amendment introduced by Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., that sought to create a special inspector general to oversee all U.S. funds given to Ukraine.
Unfortunately, Young’s track record isn’t unique among the Senate GOP. He’s one of many “red state” Republicans who have regularly betrayed their voters’ interests and empowered the federal leviathan destroying the country through reckless spending, lawfare, and more.
If Hoosiers want Hegseth confirmed as the next defense secretary, they need to give Young the Joni Ernst treatment.
After The Federalist reported on Sen. Ernst’s behind-the-scene efforts to sabotage Hegseth’s nomination, an avalanche of pressure from conservatives forced the Iowa Republican to signal support for his confirmation. Without such blowback, it’s unlikely Ernst and her sidekick Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., would’ve changed their tune on the matter.
Red-state Republicans like Young need to be put in check. Voters sent them to Washington to fulfill a job — and that is to represent and vote for their interests. If these Republicans refuse to do so, it’s incumbent upon their voters to primary them out of office and send a message to other weak-kneed GOPers that betraying their constituents won’t be tolerated.
“he’s still undecided as to whether he will support Pete Hegseth’s nomination to become the next secretary of defense”
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He’s just holding out for some perk
Young is no doubt being influenced by Pence - some kind of loyalty.
Young is safe until when-’28? He’s counting on people’s memories being short. We had the same problem with Braun and DeWine in Ohio. DeWine kicked himself upstairs to the governors mansion where he’ll do less damage to the cause.
Speaking of DeWine we’re being set up to be disappointed when he selects JD’s successor. I think Vance should seriously consider not taking on his new job. We’ve been stabbed in the back by our own too many times.
But Young is in a stronger position then Ernst because Alaska still has the abomination of ranked choice voting which kept Murkowski from having her keister bounced as it should have been from the Senate in favor of Kelly Tshibaka.
DING! DING! DING! WE HAVE A WINNAH!....................
That’s how the game is played in DC... You scratch my back or I’ll stab yours.........................
Young is a member of the Republican Mainstreet Partnership, an association of moderate Republicans.
The American Conservative Union has given Young a 77% conservative rating. During Trump’s first term Young voted with the president 84% of the time.
He will be up for reelection in 2028, assuming he decides to run again.
When is he up for re-election?
TY is nothing but a big joke, I’m sorry to even say that that Ahole was even a Marine. He should revise the R from Republican to RINO.
We need to change the rules in DC then. We The People need to change the rules for them since they won’t do it on their own.
He needs to get full of some constituent feedback.
I just called Sen Young’s DC office, (202) 224-5623, and left a message that I’m appalled at his decision and that he needs to vote for Hegseth. I also mentioned that I’m a 20 year Army veteran and back Hegseth.
“Unfortunately, Young’s track record isn’t unique among the Senate GOP. He’s one of many “red state” Republicans who have regularly betrayed their voters’ interests and empowered the federal leviathan destroying the country through reckless spending, lawfare, and more.”
RINO supporters will still vote for people like Todd Young in the general election. Then they’ll whine about the Republican party and accuse “purists” of being too extreme for the party.
And I told Sen Todd that I’m an Indiana resident and voter.
“He’s just holding out for some perk.”
Yes...he’s negotiating for something.
Some of the biggest RINOs are from the reddest states because they perceive their seats to be safe and do not need base voter support to win.
The fact that Pete paid the woman raises questions that Pete and the woman of concern will have to attempt to answer at Senate hearings.
If one need not make a decision for at least five weeks, one can hold off making a decision, and should, if critical information is lacking.
Don’t aggravate people, most especially senators, needlessly.
bttt
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