Several Republican senators are complicating a White House push to confirm judicial nominees by throwing up obstacles in the final weeks of their Senate majority.
The effort to secure lifetime appointments for President Donald Trump’s judicial picks is facing friction from within his own party. Outgoing Texas Sen. John Cornyn has publicly raised concerns regarding a Justice Department official nominated for a Dallas-area federal judgeship, citing the candidate’s ties to efforts to overturn the 2020 election results.
Sen. Thom Tillis of North Carolina is also actively blocking nominations on behalf of colleagues not serving on the Judiciary Committee. When asked if he feared angering White House or Senate leadership with these tactics, Tillis was blunt. “I couldn’t care less,” he told reporters.
The internal opposition has already yielded concrete results. The White House recently withdrew the nomination of Lee Rudofsky for the 8th Circuit Court of Appeals following objections from Arkansas senators John Boozman and Tom Cotton. The senators had reportedly favored state Supreme Court associate justice Cody Hiland for the position.
In Oklahoma, an appointed Republican senator has raised objections to a district court nominee after initially approving him. Alan Armstrong challenged the selection. “I think there’s a better choice through some of the other nominees that have been thoroughly vetted and are available to serve,” Armstrong said.
Senate Judiciary Committee Chair Chuck Grassley is attempting to maintain an aggressive confirmation pace, despite the midterm losses that weakened Trump’s political standing. Committee members remain concerned that the incoming Democratic majority will have no interest in confirming Trump-appointed judges.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer has signaled that Democrats intend to slow the process, telling the Associated Press last week that his party would not fill the bench with “crappy nominees.”
With the legislative calendar tightening, the pressure on the Senate to act is intensifying. As of Wednesday, there were 24 judicial nominations from Trump pending confirmation in the Senate, according to Grassley’s committee.
