Schumer’s time as majority leader is coming to a close. His power is quickly fading.
And Chuck Schumer turned white as a ghost after what this Republican threatened him with.
Senate Minority Whip John Thune (R-SD), soon to assume the role of Senate Majority Leader when the new Congress convenes in January, is taking action to curb the confirmation of Democratic judicial nominees in the waning days of their Senate majority.
Thune has unveiled a strategy employing “procedural maneuvers” on the Senate floor to “significantly delay votes” on President Biden’s judicial picks during the final days of the 118th Congress, according to a report from Fox News.
The tactic is aimed at limiting Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer’s (D-NY) ability to push through judges before Republicans take control on January 3, 2025.
“If Sen. Schumer thought Senate Republicans would just roll over and allow him to quickly confirm multiple Biden-appointed judges to lifetime jobs in the final weeks of the Democrat majority, he thought wrong,” Thune declared in a statement.
On Monday, Schumer addressed the Senate, emphasizing Democrats’ commitment to advancing judicial nominations during their remaining time in power.
“After we vote today, we’ll keep going. Tonight, I will file on additional judges who we will move forward on the floor this week,” Schumer stated.
“So, let me repeat: the Senate is going to keep prioritizing judicial and administrative confirmations this week, this month, and for the rest of this year.”
Thune’s rise to the role of Senate Majority Leader came last week after he narrowly defeated Senator John Cornyn (R-TX) by a vote of 29 to 24.
Florida Senator Rick Scott was eliminated in the first round of voting after finishing in third place.
Honored to serve as the next U.S. Senate majority leader. pic.twitter.com/zq9XLrPDUr
— Senator John Thune (@SenJohnThune) November 13, 2024
Following his election, Thune emphasized his commitment to ensuring fair confirmation hearings for all of President-elect Donald Trump’s cabinet nominees, signaling a shift in the Senate’s priorities.
“The American people want change in this country,” Thune said. “They’re tired of the Biden-Harris-Schumer agenda, and they want President Trump to fix some things. And he wants to get a team in place that can do that, and we’re going to work with him to see that he gets his team installed as quickly as possible so he can implement his agenda.”
Thune also addressed the confirmation process, stressing that while Republicans would honor procedural fairness, they would not tolerate attempts by Democrats to “obstruct or block President Trump and the will of the American people.”
He noted that recess appointments remained an option but would require unanimous Republican support to implement, leaving room for intra-party negotiation over specific nominees.
Looking ahead, Thune highlighted plans to leverage the budget reconciliation process, a tool Democrats utilized under the Biden administration to pass legislation with a simple majority.
Republicans, he said, would use this mechanism to advance their priorities, including border security, economic growth, military strengthening, regulatory and tax reductions, and energy independence.
As the clock winds down on the Democratic majority, Thune’s moves signal a willingness from the Republicans to fight back against Democrat extremism in Congress.
Stay tuned to The Federalist Wire.
