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
Start your day with TPM.
Sign up for the Morning Memo newsletter

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.

Latest DC
Comments
Masthead Masthead
Founder & Editor-in-Chief:
Executive Editor:
Managing Editor:
Associate Editor:
Editor at Large:
General Counsel:
Publisher:
Head of Product:
Director of Technology:
Associate Publisher:
Front End Developer:
Senior Designer: