Trump’s fury at Biden judges sends Vance back to Senate

Vance has generally avoided the Senate since Trump chose him as vice president, and he will soon resign before being sworn in in January.

But Monday’s confirmation of a judge for the 11th Circuit Court sparked controversy that could keep Vance in Washington more often. He was among a number of Republican absences reported by grassroots activists after Democrats endorsed their candidate.

Republicans are unlikely to succeed in blocking Biden’s judges. Senate Democrats are in the majority and will only schedule votes if they believe they have the necessary participation.

But Republicans, from Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL) to Vance’s colleagues in the Senate, have complained that the conference isn’t doing everything in its power to oppose the justices if everyone doesn’t not present.

Other absences included Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL), Trump’s nominee for secretary of state; Sen. Mike Braun (R-IN), elected next governor of Indiana; and Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX), who traveled with Trump on Tuesday to attend Elon Musk’s SpaceX shuttle launch in Texas.

“Some of these justices were killed, like Woodrow Wilson, and our vote wasn’t there,” said Sen. John Kennedy (R-LA). “There were people who weren’t there to vote, and I’m not going to blow bubbles. There is no excuse for this. Our job is to be here and vote.

Vance initially chastised Republicans by criticizing his absence, emphasizing that his vote was not decisive for their confirmation.

“If I had shown up for the vote in question, the candidate would have gotten 49-46 rather than 49-45,” Vance said of Embry Kidd, a candidate whom Republicans denounced as too far left for the vote. judge position.

But Vance quickly deleted the post after Trump issued a statement demanding that Republican senators not skip any votes until he takes office on January 20.

“Democrats are trying to fill the courts with radical left-wing judges on the way out,” he posted on Truth Social. “Republican Senators must show up and hold the line – no more judges confirmed before Inauguration Day!” »

Less than an hour after the request, Vance was on his way to the Capitol to vote against two district court nominees. Until then, he had not voted in the Senate since becoming Trump’s running mate in July.

Vance’s return coincides with trips he will make to the Capitol to help win support for Trump’s Cabinet picks. He will participate in a series of meetings between individual senators and these candidates in the coming weeks, according to a source familiar with his schedule.

Already, former Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz, Trump’s nominee for attorney general, has scheduled interviews for Wednesday with Kennedy and Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT), both members of the Judiciary Committee.

A spokesperson for the Trump transition team told the Washington Examiner that meetings will also begin this week for former Rep. Doug Collins, the Veterans Affairs nominee; Pete Hegseth, chosen to lead the Pentagon; and Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-NY), Trump’s choice to be ambassador to the United Nations.

Vance’s meetings could help break the ice with Republican senators reluctant to support them. Gaetz, in particular, is on a long road to confirmation due to the sexual misconduct allegations against him. He is under investigation by the House Ethics Committee and has denied all allegations.

Meanwhile, Senate Democrats are working to approve as many Biden nominees as possible before they lose power at the end of the year.

Republicans have begun to obstruct these nominations, posing a series of legislative hurdles to slow their confirmation in the Senate. The roadblocks kept the Senate in session until midnight Monday as Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) worked to organize votes.

“We think the nomination of these justices, and their nomination and voting, is very important,” Schumer said Tuesday. “They may try delaying tactics, but we will persist.”

Republicans have warned that Democrats’ attempts to block Trump’s Cabinet picks next year could lead them to resort to recess appointments, a maneuver that allows Trump to appoint officials without a Senate vote.

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At the same time, they blamed their own delaying tactics for Schumer’s decision to devote significant speaking time to Biden’s nominees. Democrats called the tactics hypocritical.

“This does not bode well for cooperation between the two parties,” said Sen. Mike Rounds (R-ND). Washington Examiner.

Samantha-Jo Roth contributed to this report.