Sen. Jeff Flake, R-Ariz., said Wednesday he won’t support any of President Trump’s pending judicial nominees until the Senate allows a vote on legislation to protect special counsel Robert Mueller.
“I have informed the majority leader that 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.
Flake and several other senators, mostly Democrats, are worried that President Trump’s decision to fire Attorney General Jeff Sessions is a sign he might soon try to move against Mueller, who is investigating Trump’s alleged ties to Russia during the 2016 election.
Flake and others have a bill that aimed at protecting Mueller from being fired by Trump, but when Flake asked the Senate to quickly pass the bill by unanimous consent, it was blocked by McConnell, R-Ky.
Flake’s new position on judicial nominees will make life more difficult for McConnell and Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa.
Republicans have an 11-10 majority in the committee, and if Flake is a “no” vote on the committee, many nominations might be stuck there. There are currently 21 judicial nominees pending in the Senate Judiciary Committee, and another 32 who are awaiting a floor vote, Flake said.
“With the firing of the attorney general, and the improper installation of an acting attorney general — who has not been subject to confirmation by this body — the president now has this investigation in his sights, and we all know it,” said Flake.
The special counsel legislation passed the Senate Judiciary Committee in April, backed by Coons and Flake, and also by GOP Sens. Chuck Grassley and Thom Tillis. The two lawmakers did not back Flake and Coons’ calls for a vote on Wednesday.
