by Kevin Daley
Outgoing GOP Sen. Jeff Flake of Arizona confirmed Sunday that he will block President Donald Trump’s judicial nominees to secure concessions on trade.
Flake, a strident Trump-critic who is not seeking re-election in November, told George Stephanopoulos on “This Week” that Congress has been overwhelmed by the political tumult of recent years and should reassert its authority on issues like immigration and trade.
“I think myself and a number of senators, at least a few of us, will stand up and say let’s not move any more judges until we get a vote, for example, on tariffs,” Flake said.
Elsewhere in the interview, Flake praised other institutions for effectively weathering the “crisis” of the Trump presidency.
“We ought to more jealously guard our institutional prerogative,” he said. “I think in this crisis we’re in, I think the judiciary has stood up well. The press has stood up well in terms of institutions. But the Congress has been lacking.”
Flake sits on the Senate Judiciary Committee, which issues recommendations on judicial nominees prior to their confirmation vote. The 21-member panel is closely divided — Republicans hold 11 seats to the Democrats’ 10, making Flake’s cooperation essential if GOP leaders hope to move candidates to the floor.
It’s not yet clear that Flake has secured guarantees from Senate leaders on any of his policy priorities or that there is much interest in weaponizing judicial confirmations inside the Republican caucus.
GOP Sen. Chuck Grassley of Iowa, who chairs the judiciary committee, told CNN that the Senate’s confirmation calendar is overwhelmed with other nominees for positions throughout the executive branch. As such, senators could spend the summer clearing the backlog of nominees for the administration while an accord is reached with Flake.
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Dear Derrell,
It appears that we are dining alone these days. Have others no longer interested or just plain worn out and weary of trying to untangle he snarled mess our beautiful nation is tangled in? If so, I can surely have empathy for them…..However, this is no time for malaise to set in. We need each and every ‘real’ American to continue to demand answers and action from the Swamp Creatures or work to get rid of them!!
We must continue to share CDN and invite non-subscribers to join us. Sites like this one are a lifeline to information and idea exchanges that make us strong.
Now, about this FLAKE….he is and always has been part of the snow drift of Republicans that goes where the wind blows him and has no sense of duty or commitment to those who elected him. Arizona exploratory polls showed him that he trailed miserably other candidates , particularly the doctor.,,Without the chance of being a snowball….he decided not to run. (good news) IF we are to continue as an exceptional sovereign nation WE MUST HELP MORE CONSERVATIVES GO TO WASHINGTON….
A discourse and exchange of ideas is so very important, I hope that soon others will re-join us at the table. Their opinions are important to solutions.
Hi Jan, I always appreciate your comments and observe that you and I are the primary commenters on this site. So I’m interpreting your question to that point. My take on the lack of additional commenters is that they are on more affective forms of communication (cell phone, fAcebOok and other emotional elixirs). I don’t have these things and my thumbs want for strength to argue thru a little palm-god! I appreciate the “wonders” of technology but realize I’m not at the cusp of that technology. Perhaps most CDN readers read and then comment elsewhere (yet CDN appears to thrive…)? If I’m wrong please let me know.
I grew up in America when, turmoil notwithstanding, there was still a general sense of the “silent majority” that was steadfastly against the “collective” mentality; when sAul aLinSky was still writing his book ,,rules for radicals,,. When rugged individualism still equated to Americanism. Today, many who claim to be American are LIARS. They HATE America!! They use our liberties to destroy our liberty. To them; “if you hate the Constitutions so much, STOP using it. Start with the 1st Amendment and SHUT UP!” Is that considered hateful or is it just pointing out their hypocrisies?
The opinions of liars CANNOT matter to me. What matters is the Truth. The Truth bears witness in EVERY single human heart! We all hate this phrase directed at us; “you are wrong”. WHY? The entire purpose of relegating truth to relativity is to nullify the very STING of those words; “you are wrong”! “You are wrong” so upsets the Pharisees that they used the “law” to KILL Jesus Christ.
But Truth remains Truth; even if No One believes it. The Truth is; “I AM that I AM”.
The Truth was that when Gideon gathered his army,he did not need a big army to win. Just 300. Gideon stood for the Truth with just 300 men and the Truth is; the Truth would have won even if Gideon had stood alone! Upon this precedence, the smaller our “army” gets the closer we are to winning because God, the Truth, will be unquestionably glorified in it!
I am instructed to love my neighbor as I love myself. Put in modern Americanist terms I am to value and protect the rights of every human being as much as I value and protect my own. And, I am to love my God with all of my heart. I love the Truth – I worship the Truth – with all of my heart! To my understanding those who worship LIES are the enemies of my God and I will shine the Truth upon them as the occasion arises. That may seem to be malaise. But when I oppose their lies I actually honor their rights to the Truth as well as attempting to stop them from destroying their OWN liberties! Maybe I’m not perfect or particularly good at it. No man knows that he is right except that he looks to that which is greater than himself. There is nothing greater than the Truth. In the beginning was the Truth, and the Truth was with God and the Truth was God and the Truth became flesh and dwelt among us and said I AM (that I AM) the Way, the TRUTH, and the Life. No human approaches the Truth except by the Truth! WHERE, in that, am I instructed to tolerate LIES?