President-elect Donald Trump urged Republican senators to remain in Washington to limit Majority Leader Chuck Schumer’s (D-NY) ability to process President Joe Biden’s judicial confirmations.
His comments, made on Truth Social, followed Senate Democrats confirming a controversial judge Monday night in a close vote, as well as a handful of other Biden picks. Several Republican senators were absent from the vote.
“The Democrats are trying to stack the Courts with Radical Left Judges on their way out the door,” he said. “Republican Senators need to Show Up and Hold the Line — No more Judges confirmed before Inauguration Day!”
One of the judges confirmed Monday night, U.S. Magistrate Judge Embry Kidd for the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, was nominated by Biden over the objection of both his home-state senators — a presidential taboo.
Embry has been accused of failing to disclose to the Senate Judiciary Committee two of his decisions to release child sex offenders before trial — decisions reversed by the district court. He also contributed to a law review article criticizing capital child rape laws as racist.WATCH — Speaker Mike Johnson: Trump Has a “Mandate” to Shake Up Status Quo with Presidential Nominations:Despite Republican absences, Democrats may have been able to confirm the judges regardless. Sen. John Fetterman (D-PA) did not vote, although if his vote was needed, Schumer likely would have summoned him.
The Senate Democrat Caucus currently enjoys 51 members, with Vice President Kamala Harris available to vote in the event of a tie.
Republicans are doing what they can to hold up Biden’s nominees, forcing Schumer to hold time-consuming roll call votes on mundane Senate business to eat up the clock during the lame duck session. Monday night, Republicans forced roll call votes on motions routinely adopted by unanimous consent, keeping the Senate voting until 10:00 p.m. — well past most senators’ bedtimes.
Congress has little legislative business remaining this year, and the Senate is expected to concentrate on churning out Biden’s judicial nominations. Schumer has teed up additional judicial nominee votes before the Senate takes off for the weekend.
Bradley Jaye is a Capitol Hill Correspondent for Breitbart News. Follow him on X/Twitter at @BradleyAJaye.
