Majority Leader Schumer and Sen. Amy Klobuchar called out Sen. Tom Cotton for blocking eight Biden US Attorney nominees.
Schumer And Klobuchar Call Out Tom Cotton
Majority Leader Schumer said on the Senate floor:
In this case, my colleague from Arkansas is holding back six U.S. Attorneys and two U.S. Marshals, vital roles in preserving public safety.
The level of partisan obstruction is a new low for the Senate. When President Trump was in office, every single U.S. Attorney and U.S. Marshal—every single one—was confirmed by this chamber with unanimous consent. Yes we had deep, deep problems with the Trump Department of Justice, but never did we demand a roll call vote just to confirm nominees like these.
In fact, the last time the Senate had to hold a roll call vote – listen to this. The last time the Senate had to hold a roll call vote to confirm a U.S. Attorney was half a century ago, nearly a half century ago, in 1975.
And it’s not hard to see why: U.S. Attorneys and Marshals aren’t political positions—their job is literally to keep Americans safe. They are federal prosecutors. They are federal law enforcement.
If my Republican colleagues on the other side truly care about public safety, why are they obstructing the appointments of individuals whose jobs would precisely be to maintain public safety in the first place? It is Alice in Wonderland Logic.
Now this isn’t just about breaking precedent. Right now, communities across the country still don’t have their U.S. Attorneys on the job because of obstruction here in the Senate.
Sen. Klobuchar (D-MN) said that Cotton is holding the nominees hostage:
Tom Cotton blocks quick confirmation of 8 U.S. attorney general nominees over what he says is insufficient DOJ support for U.S. marshals in Portland.
Klobuchar complains Dems never "held hostage" Trump US attorney nominees, forcing floor votes on each
— Igor Bobic (@igorbobic) February 16, 2022
Cotton is blocking the nominees as part of a push to elevate right-wing conspiracy nonsense:
Cotton, on the floor, says he’s holding up the votes because he wants information about why four US Marshalls who defended the Portland courthouse in 2020 have been denied representation by DOJ in lawsuits. Says he won’t “roll over” and allow them to be “hung out to dry”
— Manu Raju (@mkraju) February 16, 2022
Tom Cotton is one of the many Senate Republicans who want to be president. Cotton has been trying to falsely equate Portland to the 1/6 attack.
Sen. Cotton is “defending” U.S. Marshalls while he refused to defend the law enforcement officers who saved him during the Capitol attack. Tom Cotton voted against the creation of an independent 1/6 Commission.
Cotton wants to protect U.S. Marshalls from non-Trump supporter protesters in Portland, but he has no time for protecting the police who potentially saved his life in the Capitol.
Twice in two days, Senate Republicans have delayed and blocked quick confirmations of Biden nominees. Democrats did no such thing when Trump was in office. The obstructionist tactics are beginning because Republicans think that they are going to take back Congress, and they want to make sure that Democrats get as little done as possible for the rest of the year.
Awards and Professional Memberships
Member of the Society of Professional Journalists and The American Political Science Association
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