Alabama Senator Tommy Tuberville and a group of five other Republican senators launched a coalition to stall Senate proceedings as a response to former President Donald Trump’s conviction in his New York hush-money trial.
Senator J.D. Vance, R-Ohio, is leading this effort, with four other GOP senators joining the pledge: Senators Mike Lee, R-Utah, Bill Hagerty, R-Tenn., Roger Marshall, R-Kan., Eric Schmitt, R-Mo., and Tommy Tuberville, R-Ala.
On Wednesday, some of Trump’s key Senate allies announced their intention to prevent the confirmation of nearly four dozen nominations by President Joe Biden across ranging federal government positions.
This will continue until Election Day, citing the conviction of Trump on 34 counts as a catalyst.
This move is an expansion of a commitment by Trump loyalists to obstruct Democratic-led initiatives, both legislative actions and nominations, within the Senate.
The blockade will force Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer to allocate multiple days of floor time to nominations that would typically pass through with unanimous consent and take only a few seconds to complete.
The affected nominations encompass U.S. attorneys, federal judges and sub-Cabinet positions, many of which are already subject to holds.
This announcement coincides with Trump’s separate meetings with House and Senate Republicans recently, urging GOP lawmakers to take further action against Biden and Democrats.
The senators’ collective action is framed to counteract “the Biden Administration’s lawfare against his leading political appointment for the presidency.”
According to their joint statement, the blockade will apply to those who have “supported lawfare or censorship” of Trump, “suggested the Trump prosecutions were reasonable,” or endorsed Trump’s guilt.
Tuberville’s recent move follows his participation, alongside seven other Republican senators, vowing to vote against any Democratic priorities brought to the Senate floor and to oppose all political or judicial nominees from the Biden administration.
