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.
Can anyone think of ANY political hack sporting a more appropriate name than Flake??????????????
what an A-hole jerk!
Thank Heaven he’s on his way OUT, at loooooooooong last!
Prediction: He will move out of Az.
Wait til next year when Flake is gone.
I think we were told at the Kavanaugh hearing that Kavanaugh’s name could move out of committee without Flake’s vote if necessary - that it could still be voted on by the full Senate so why wouldn’t the same apply here?
yup
Flake is and has been a vindictive sorry excuse for a senator his entire term.
He should have his butt thrown off the committee right now.
I hope that Freeper has learned that RINOs who lie about being tea party guys just to get elected can't be trusted to be faithful in any aspect of their political dealings. In fact, RINOs in general can't be counted on to ever do the right thing.
In Jeff Flake's case, he can always be counted n to do the wrong thing.
Kind of reminds you of the guy in the movie “Die Hard” who starts to sing like a bird to Hans Gruber (Alan Rickman) in the later part and nearly screws up John McClane’s efforts in resisting the terrorists.
When will we be rid of this ass?
On a rail
He will move in with his boyfriend Chris Coons.
Where was the senate seat we WON on election night and then LOST and the R candidate didn’t put up as much as a whimper?
That would have been net FOUR and the first time in almost 100 years that’s happened for an incumbent’s party.
All over legislation that even Flake knows is unconstitutional.
Congress can’t impose conditions on the executive branch’s management of executive officials apppointment and removal.
An 1866 law to that effect was ruled unconstitutional by the Supreme Court.
Flake is gone at the Christmas recess. His seat went to a Bi-sexual Democrat.
I recall POTUS saying during the 2016 debates, that every politician ought to wear big buttons showing his biggest donors, who own them.
I wonder who owns Flake? Same people who owned McCain and all the other traitors....
#GlobalDonorOwnersOwnAmerica
Trump should take his boot and plant it firmly up Flakes ass.
Amen, and may it be soon.
The people of AZ who just elected a batsh*t crazy socialist to replace him? The same people of AZ who elected both Flake and McCain before that? THOSE "People of AZ"? Really? Arizona is changing, and is no longer a Red State. It's purple and trending Blue.
McCain must have willed his mean spirited selfishness to Flake, because Flake seems worse in recent months.
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