A group of senate Republicans is vowing to put an added hurdle on the process of approving President Joe Biden’s nominees for several federal government roles in protest of former President Donald Trump’s conviction in his hush money trial in New York last month. 

What You Need To Know

  • A group of senate Republicans is vowing to put an added hurdle on the process of approving President Joe Biden’s nominees for a range of positions in the federal government in protest of former President Donald Trump’s conviction in his hush money trial in New York last month 
  • The conservative senators pledged to not allow the “fast-tracking” of Biden’s picks for certain federal judge positions and U.S. attorney nominations as well as any nominees who suggested the prosecution against Trump was “reasonable"
  • The group, which includes Sens. JD Vance, R-Ohio, Mike Lee, R-Utah, Bill Hagerty, R-Tenn., Roger Marshall, R-Kan., Tommy Tuberville, R-Ala., and Eric Schmitt, R-Mo., listed the names of more than 40 nominees they say currently fall into these categories, noting more names could be added to the list if the president announces more nominees 
  • The nominee blockade idea was thrust into the spotlight last year when Tuberville held up hundreds of military nominations and promotions for months in protest of an abortion policy at the Pentagon

In a statement, the conservative senators pledged to not allow the “fast-tracking” of Biden’s picks for certain federal judge positions and U.S. attorney nominations as well as any nominees who suggested the prosecution against Trump was “reasonable,” endorsed the guilty verdict against the former president, supported organizations that welcomed Trump’s indictment or backed Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, who brought the hush money case against Trump. 

The group – which includes Sens. JD Vance, R-Ohio, Mike Lee, R-Utah, Bill Hagerty, R-Tenn., Roger Marshall, R-Kan., Tommy Tuberville, R-Ala., and Eric Schmitt, R-Mo. – listed the names of more than 40 nominees they say currently fall into these categories, noting more names could be added to the list if the president announces more nominees. 

Those listed include people tapped by Biden for positions in a range of government departments, including the Treasury Department, State Department, Postal Service and more. The senators, for instance, list the nomination of Rep. Barbara Lee, D-Calif., to be Representative to the General Assembly of the United Nations as one they will seek to jam up.  

The hold up will last until Election Day in November, when the senators noted “the American people will have the opportunity to decisively reject attempts to settle political disputes through the legal system.” 

Such nominees are often confirmed swiftly using unanimous consent and the senators are seeking to slow down the process with their objections. 

The nominee blockade idea was thrust into the spotlight last year when Tuberville held up hundreds of military nominations and promotions for months in protest of an abortion policy at the Pentagon. Tuberville dropped his blanket hold. 

Late last month, a New York jury found former President Donald Trump guilty on 34 felony charges of falsifying business records in his New York City criminal hush money trial, setting off outcry from many congressional Republicans, who say, among other things, the case was motivated by politics. One of the senators leading the nominations hold up charge, Vance, is thought to be a serious contender to be chosen as Trump’s running mate.