This is the way to "fight back" against what Republicans perceive to be an unfair verdict in the Donald Trump hush money case.
Eight Republican senators have pledged to oppose all Biden nominees and all Democratic legislation after Donald Trump was found guilty in the New York hush-money trial. The senators sent a letter to the White House informing the president of their planned actions.
If the GOP senators hold to the pledge, Senate business will come to a near standstill. There's no way that even routine Senate matters can be disposed of in a timely manner.
"As a Senate Republican conference, we are unwilling to aid and abet this White House in its project to tear this country apart," read a letter led by Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah.
Strongly worded statements are not enough.
— Mike Lee (@SenMikeLee) May 31, 2024
Those who turned our judicial system into a political cudgel must be held accountable.
We are no longer cooperating with any Democrat legislative priorities or nominations, and we invite all concerned Senators to join our stand. pic.twitter.com/H0CzIjXgwC
The list of signees in addition to Lee included Sens. JD Vance, R-Ohio; Tommy Tuberville, R-Ala.; Eric Schmitt, R-Mo.; Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn.; Rick Scott, R-Fla.; Roger Marshall, R-Kan.; Marco Rubio, R-Fla.; Ron Johnson, R-Wis.; and Josh Hawley, R-Mo.
Even more importantly than refusing to bring nominees to the floor for a vote, the GOP Senators said they won't allow any "expedited consideration and passage of Democrat legislation or authorities that are not directly relevant to the safety of the American people." This means that the Democrats will not be able to use any of the usual parliamentary shortcuts that save large amounts of time in passing a bill. Technically, even the reading of the record from the previous day could be required if the Republicans don't agree to waive it.
Congress will need to pass appropriations bills or a stopgap funding bill before the start of the next fiscal year in October, otherwise the government will shut down ahead of the November election.
White House spokesperson Andrew Bates told Fox News Digital in a statement, "President Biden knows the American people rightly expect their leaders in Washington to put the needs of constituents above partisanship, and to protect the rule of law – not to sabotage government or undercut law enforcement based on extreme, debunked conspiracy theories."
"The radical and hyper-partisan threats made in this letter would harm the American people in the name of politics and proven lies – whether it’s by blocking the appointment of U.S. Attorneys who prosecute criminals, district judges who sentence them, and U.S. Marshals who protect courthouses and track down fugitives, by damaging the effectiveness of government agencies, or by denying critical funding to Americans in areas ranging from small business growth to health care to education," Bates said. "These senators should reconsider putting themselves above their country."
“The White House has made a mockery of the rule of law and fundamentally altered our politics in un-American ways. As a Senate Republican conference, we are unwilling to aid and abet this White House in its project to tear this country apart,” the senators said in their letter.
Realistically, the best these Republicans can hope for is to make passing any legislation or approving any Biden nominee an exercise in agony.
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