Sen. John Barrasso, the newly-elected chair of the Senate Republican Conference, said the GOP is committed to confirming judicial nominees with or without a vote from Sen. Jeff Flake.
Flake (R-Ariz.), who’s retiring in January, has vowed to pull support for all federal judicial nominees — including 21 pending in the Judiciary Committee and 32 awaiting a vote on the Senate floor — unless the Senate’s GOP leadership permits consideration of legislation to expand protections for Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s job.
Barrasso (R-Wyo.) said this appears to be Flake’s “go-to play,” noting that he made a similar move over the summer in an attempt to force GOP leadership to hold a tariff vote.
“We are going to fulfill our constitutional responsibility, confirming judges, confirming members of the president’s team. And we’re going to do that with or without Jeff Flake,” Barrasso said on “America’s Newsroom” Thursday.- READ MORE