White House faces unusual obstacle on confirming Trump judges: other Republicans

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Several Republican senators are complicating a White House plan to leave an enduring imprint on the judiciary long after President Donald Trump leaves office by throwing up ...

WASHINGTON (AP) — Several Republican senators are complicating a White House plan to leave an enduring imprint on the judiciary long after President Donald Trump leaves office by throwing up obstacles for a handful of his judicial nominees in the final weeks of their Senate majority.

In Texas, outgoing Sen. John Cornyn has expressed reservations about a top Justice Department official who has been nominated for a federal judgeship in the Dallas area. The two Arkansas senators, both Republicans, opposed a Trump nominee to a powerful appeals court seat, forcing the White House to withdraw Trump’s pick this week. And in Oklahoma, an appointed GOP senator has thrown up sudden objections to a district court nominee after earlier giving him the green light.

Central to this effort are Cornyn and retiring North Carolina Sen. Thom Tillis, both of whom serve on the Judiciary Committee and are using their leverage to effectively block nominations on behalf of Republicans who aren’t on the panel. Though it comes after the midterm losses that weakened Trump’s political standing, this under-the-radar judiciary fight is more about Republicans asserting their powers over the administration’s judge selections, which has long been a cherished prerogative for senators, particularly for their home states.

Asked about his opposition to the Arkansas and Oklahoma nominees, Tillis said he wants senators and their views on the prospective judges to be heard by the administration. His message to the White House, Tillis said, was: “Don’t treat us like a manufacturing facility. Treat us like the U.S. Senate.”

“I’m not making a judgment about the merit of the nominee. I’m calling a foul on a process,” Tillis said in an interview with the Associated Press. “And the sooner the White House gets that, the more productive this next two years will be. If they don’t, they do so at their own peril.”

Trump had nominated Lee Rudofsky of Arkansas to the 8th Circuit Court of Appeals.

Grassley also was forced to…

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