Sen. Dianne Feinstein's death creates a vacancy on the powerful panel that oversees President Biden's judicial nominees. Without her, Democrats don't have a majority on it.
Sen. John Cornyn of Texas, a senior Republican on the Judiciary Committee, told NBC News that “there’s no doubt in my mind” Democrats will be able to fill her spot on the panel once there is a successor appointed to her Senate seat.
Feinstein’s death means the key panel that processes President Joe Biden’s judicial nominees is now split evenly, 10 to 10, between Democrats and Republicans.
So I don’t think that’s an issue,” Cornyn said, arguing that it was different when Republicans blocked a temporary swap on the panel earlier this year while Feinstein was absent due to medical leave.
That GOP objection sparked unsubstantiated claims by progressives on social media, as well as by Sen. Debbie Stabenow, D-Mich., and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, that Republicans would try to permanently block a replacement if Feinstein were to retire or vacate the seat.
“The problem was he was willing to try to do that while Sen. Feinstein was still a member of that committee, even though she wasn’t present,” Cornyn said, referring to Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y. “So that’s the unorthodox procedure.”
Senate Judiciary Committee Chair Dick Durbin, D-Ill., had to repeatedly delay votes on Biden-picked judges earlier this year due to Feinstein’s months-long absence.
The original article contains 600 words, the summary contains 209 words. Saved 65%. I’m a bot and I’m open source!
This is the best summary I could come up with:
Sen. John Cornyn of Texas, a senior Republican on the Judiciary Committee, told NBC News that “there’s no doubt in my mind” Democrats will be able to fill her spot on the panel once there is a successor appointed to her Senate seat.
Feinstein’s death means the key panel that processes President Joe Biden’s judicial nominees is now split evenly, 10 to 10, between Democrats and Republicans.
So I don’t think that’s an issue,” Cornyn said, arguing that it was different when Republicans blocked a temporary swap on the panel earlier this year while Feinstein was absent due to medical leave.
That GOP objection sparked unsubstantiated claims by progressives on social media, as well as by Sen. Debbie Stabenow, D-Mich., and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, that Republicans would try to permanently block a replacement if Feinstein were to retire or vacate the seat.
“The problem was he was willing to try to do that while Sen. Feinstein was still a member of that committee, even though she wasn’t present,” Cornyn said, referring to Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y. “So that’s the unorthodox procedure.”
Senate Judiciary Committee Chair Dick Durbin, D-Ill., had to repeatedly delay votes on Biden-picked judges earlier this year due to Feinstein’s months-long absence.
The original article contains 600 words, the summary contains 209 words. Saved 65%. I’m a bot and I’m open source!