Flake Threatens To Block Judicial Nominees Until Senate Votes On Mueller Bill

on October 24, 2017 in Washington, DC.
WASHINGTON, DC - OCTOBER 24: Sen. Jeff Flake (R-AZ) speaks to reporters on Capitol Hill after announcing he will not seek re-election October 24, 2017 in Washington, DC. Flake announced that he will leave the Senate... WASHINGTON, DC - OCTOBER 24: Sen. Jeff Flake (R-AZ) speaks to reporters on Capitol Hill after announcing he will not seek re-election October 24, 2017 in Washington, DC. Flake announced that he will leave the Senate after his term ends in 14 months. (Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images) MORE LESS
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After Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) declined to bring a bill aimed at protecting special counsel Robert Mueller to the Senate floor for a vote, Sen. Jeff Flake (R-AZ) threatened to oppose all judicial nominees.

“I will not vote to advance any of the 21 judicial nominees pending in the Judiciary Committee or vote to confirm the 32 judges awaiting confirmation on the Senate floor until S. 2644 is brought to the full Senate for a vote,” Flake said on the Senate floor on Wednesday, referring to his bill to protect Mueller.

Flake made the threat after he and one of the bill’s co-sponsors, Sen. Chris Coons (D-DE), attempted to force a vote for the bill on the floor. They renewed their push to protect the special counsel investigation after President Trump fired Attorney General Jeff Sessions and replaced him with Matthew Whitaker, an open Mueller critic who has not recused himself from overseeing the investigation.

Flake noted this in a press conference after McConnell rejected the legislation.

“The attorney general has been fired. And the authority and oversight for the investigation was taken away from Rod Rosenstein, the deputy attorney general and given to someone who has not been Senate confirmed, who has expressed open hostility to the Mueller investigation,” Flake said.

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  1. I eagerly await the the next spineless reason Flake comes up with to back away from this threat.

    I would love to be wrong on this. I’d embrace the fail.

  2. Let’s hope Flake really doesn’t have any fucks left to give and follows through on this.

  3. Flake keeps saying the right words, but never takes the right actions. I guess he just can’t escape his name.

  4. Flake will fold. He always does.

Continue the discussion at forums.talkingpointsmemo.com

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