Current Events > JD Vance holding up DOJ appointments to protest Trump prosecution

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https://www.cleveland.com/news/2023/09/ohios-jd-vance-continues-nominee-hold-as-senate-judiciary-chair-objects.html

Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Richard Durbin on Friday urged Ohios JD Vance to stop delaying swift confirmation of Justice Department nominees, including Northeast Ohio U.S. Attorney nominee Becky Lutzko, to protest its prosecution of ex-President Donald Trump.

U.S. attorneys are too important to be used as political pawns in a national debate, the Illinois Democrat said in a Senate floor speech. Dont tell me that youre for law and order, but you want to stop criminal prosecutors from being appointed to the job.

Noting that Ohio ranks fourth in the nation for narcotics deaths, Durbin said it was not explainable for Vance to stop appointment of a criminal prosecutor to go after these cartels and drug gangs. Lutzko has been sworn into the Ohio job on an interim basis.

Durbin said all 85 U.S. attorney nominees around the nation were approved on voice vote during Trumps administration as an effort at goodwill and bipartisanship by Democrats, even when they were suspicious of the GOP political agenda. Durbin argued it would be physically impossible to hold drawn out votes on all non-controversial nominees.

Vance is stopping the Senate from unanimously signing off on non-controversial nominees whose approval previously has been done without recorded votes as a time-saving measure, even though he doesnt object to most of the nominees.

Vance told Durbin that Donald Trump never tried to throw his political opponents in prison, and said his hold is warranted by that new and unique circumstance. Trump faces federal charges in Washington, D.C. for attempting to overturn results of the 2020 presidential election, and in Florida for improperly handling classified documents after he left office. President Joe Biden says he is not influencing the Justice Departments actions.

This is crazy banana republic stuff and I will not stand for it, Vance declared on the Senate floor. I will continue to hold these nominations. I will continue to push back against the politicization of justice.

Their debate followed lengthy confirmation votes on the noncontroversial nominations of Todd Gee and Tara McGrath to be U.S. Attorneys for the Southern Districts of Mississippi and California, respectively. Gee was approved by an 82 to 8 margin, with Vances backing. McGrath was approved by 52 to 37, with opposition from Vance.

Mr. Gees and Ms. McGraths confirmations are a welcome breakthrough in the logjam caused by Senator Vances misguided hold on Justice Department nominees, said a statement Durbin released after the votes.

U.S. Attorneys are too important to be used as political pawns, Durbin continued. Thats why I offered the junior senator the opportunity to allow us to schedule roll call confirmation votes, even though it is standard procedure to confirm U.S. attorneys by voice vote or unanimous consent. If Senator Vance stands by his campaign promise to fight the criminals not the cops, hed stop forcing the Senate to engage in procedural gymnastics and swiftly confirm top federal law enforcement officers.

brestugo posted...

This is crazy banana republic stuff and I will not stand for it, Vance declared on the Senate floor. I will continue to hold these nominations. I will continue to push back against the politicization of justice.

AKA:
"I will use my position to stop things from getting done until you bow to my politicization of my job."

Vance saw someone else doing it and thought with his thinking brain "I can do that too!" Vance heard someone use the phrase 'banana republic' and thought with his thinking brain "I can use those words too!" Such is the Republican way.

GranolaPanic posted...

Maybe Trump should stop breaking the law. He wouldnt be prosecuted if he didnt commit crimes.

Funny how that works. At a minimum, he could stop committing federal crimes and tying up the DOJ.

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There is no actual proper filibuster anymore and there hasn't been for years

It's just "no we're not doing this" and then they don't do this

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I think if one senator objects to pushing it through they have to do a procedural vote which takes a lot of time apparently. Tuber ville is doing the same with military personnel, it just creates a logjam because people don't want to dignify it and it keeps them tied up for hours for each vote.

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He has the support or indifference of enough Senators (~40) on this to prevent forcing votes (cloture).

"One person" is the face of this kind of shit, but there are at least 40 others behind them.

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Given that there's not as many offices (or affected people) as Tuberville's holding up, this could last a while too.

Another proud traitor who should be in prison, not wielding political power to harm the nation.

Donald Trump never tried to throw his political opponents in prison,

"lock her up lock her up lock her up"

If the person in charge of approving appointments doesn't even hold the hearings, then they don't care who is appointed and therefore should be treated as immediate approval.

Why doesn't the executive just start filling these positions and telling people to report to work? Force the issue. Don't play their game, ignore it entirely.

Shadow_Don posted...

"lock her up lock her up lock her up"

"That's different because Hillary is actually guilty."

And this is why you dont cave to people like Tuberville. It never stops.

GranAures posted...

AKA:
"I will use my position to stop things from getting done until you bow to my politicization of my job."

Why the fuck are these chucklefucking chucklefucks allowed to fuck this all up?

Vance told Durbin that Donald Trump never tried to throw his political opponents in prison,

Errr... "lock her up"?

Im surprised JD Vance has taken his lips away from Trumps butt long enough to do anything.

The GOP have all bent the knee completely to Trump, but few have been as pathetic and craven about it as JD Vance.

brestugo posted...

Vance told Durbin that Donald Trump never tried to throw his political opponents in prison,

He... He literally did, though.

Shadow_Don posted...

"lock her up lock her up lock her up"

He also has openly said that this time if he gets back in, he will lock up or even execute his enemies

Shadow_Don posted...

"lock her up lock her up lock her up"

"That doesn't count because he was quite obviously lying to us dumb fucks who believed things he said!"

Shall never understand why Republicans are allowed to be worse than literal cartoon villains.

Sgt. At Arms needs to mace this dude on the Senate floor in front of everyone.

Its time for Schumer to unilaterally change the rules with the nuclear option.

Unknown5uspect posted...

Sgt. At Arms needs to mace this dude on the Senate floor in front of everyone.

The Sergeant at Arms for Parliament has an actual mace.

Obstruction like this needs to be treated the way it would be in any other workplace. Refusing to do your job? Theres the door.

divot1338 posted...

The Sergeant at Arms for Parliament has an actual mace.

Like a medieval fighting instrument?

Ruvan22 posted...

Like a medieval fighting instrument?

https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/user_image/1/1/0/AAXm8_AAE5_e.jpg

berlyman101 posted...

I think if one senator objects to pushing it through they have to do a procedural vote which takes a lot of time apparently. Tuber ville is doing the same with military personnel, it just creates a logjam because people don't want to dignify it and it keeps them tied up for hours for each vote.

Precisely why they should do it. Dems hold control of the Senate, they can force every single Senator to be there to vote if they wanted, which they should do. If it takes 3 weeks to get every nomination through, so be it.