Senate GOP initiates Thune-engineered slow down as Schumer looks to stack judicial votes

Senate Republicans decided to delay votes and prolong floor action on Monday night after Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., attempted to add more judicial confirmation votes to the calendar before the Thanksgiving holiday. This move to slow down the Senate was led by Senate Minority Whip John Thune, R-S.D., who is set to become the next Republican Senate leader.

Thune told Fox News Digital in an exclusive statement, “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.” The plan to delay the Senate’s proceedings was in response to Schumer’s decision to file cloture on a number of judicial nominees, which would lead to confirmation votes in the coming days.

According to sources, Republicans strategized procedural maneuvers on the Senate floor to significantly stall the votes. The additional cloture filings by Schumer are part of Democrats’ efforts to confirm as many judges appointed by President Biden as possible before the end of their majority.

During the first procedural vote of the evening, it was anticipated to be a late night as Republicans objected to Democrats’ requests for unanimous consent to file cloture on the nominees. By objecting to these requests, Republicans forced additional votes on the transition between executive and legislative sessions, consuming a considerable amount of time.

Schumer’s office did not provide immediate comment on the situation. In his floor remarks, Schumer highlighted the importance of prioritizing judges during the lame-duck session and emphasized the diversity of the confirmed nominees. He stated, “The judges we’ve confirmed represent perhaps the widest range of backgrounds and experiences ever seen under any president.”

As Biden’s administration aims to surpass Trump’s legacy of confirmed judicial nominees, Democrats are determined to push through Biden’s judges with the looming Republican control in Washington, D.C. Schumer reiterated the Senate’s commitment to prioritizing judicial and administrative confirmations in the coming weeks and months.

The battle over judicial confirmations continues to play out in the Senate, with Republicans and Democrats engaging in strategic maneuvers to advance their respective agendas. The outcome of these efforts will shape the judiciary for years to come.