Senate Republicans Will Not Help Democrats Push Through Their Least-Qualified Nominees
‘So the Administration does not face any obstacle to moving nominees who are remotely qualified for the job. People who are mainstream and qualified have a path forward… The far left wants the full Senate to move a Senator off a committee so they can ram through a small sliver of their nominees who are especially extreme or unqualified.’
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) delivered the following remarks today on the Senate floor regarding the Senate Judiciary Committee:
“I want to address an extremely unusual request that our Democratic colleagues have made with respect to the Judiciary Committee.
“Our dear friend Senator Feinstein is a titanic figure and stateswoman. Elaine and I have been honored to count the Senator and her late husband Dick as close personal friends. We miss our colleague and wish her the very best for a swift recovery and smooth return.
“In the meantime, our colleague’s temporary absence has not ground the Judiciary Committee to a halt.
“So far this Congress, the Committee has reported out 40 judicial nominees, more than half of them on bipartisan votes.
“Let me say that again: More than two dozen judicial nominees have been reported out this Congress on bipartisan votes.
“There are more than a dozen Article III judges already waiting on the Executive Calendar.
“And a whole bunch of the nominees currently in Committee are likely to receive bipartisan support as well.
“So the Administration does not face any obstacle to moving nominees who are remotely qualified for the job.
“People who are mainstream and qualified have a path forward. And yet — some of the same far-left voices who’ve attacked Senator Feinstein in the past are now suggesting that the Senate move her off the Judiciary Committee indefinitely.
“The stated reason, the supposed emergency, is that Senate Democrats are unable to push through the small fraction of their nominees who are so extreme and unqualified that they cannot win a single Republican vote in Committee.
“Let me say that again. The far left wants the full Senate to move a Senator off a committee so they can ram through a small sliver of their nominees who are especially extreme or unqualified.
“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 purely the Democrats’ political choice to hold the relatively more reasonable nominees hostage so the unqualified ones can move in a pack.
“So, even though they could move a number of less controversial nominees right now, they want to sideline Senator Feinstein so they can ram through the worst four as well.
“I understand our Judiciary Committee colleagues report they cannot find a single past example where their Committee let a member be ‘temporarily replaced’ in the fashion that some Democrats want.
“Senate Republicans will not take part in sidelining a temporarily-absent colleague off a committee just so Democrats can force through their very worst nominees.”
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