Senate tensions erupt over hotly disputed subpoena vote of Clarence Thomas associates
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Sen. Tom Cotton. Photo: Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images.
A Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on Thursday devolved into a heated back-and-forth as Republicans accused the panel's chair of refusing to let them speak on judicial nominations.
Why it matters: The spat came ahead of a vote on controversial subpoenas of conservative billionaire Harlan Crow and judicial activist Leonard Leo as part of an investigation into Supreme Court ethics.
- The subpoenas ended up passing after GOP senators nearly ran out the clock with lengthy statements on other judicial nominations. Most Republicans on the panel ended up boycotting the vote.
- They were aimed at lavish gifts given to conservative Justice Clarence Thomas and had been the subject of a long-simmering partisan standoff.
- A GOP Senate aide told Axios that the squabble, despite nominally being over a separate matter, was driven by frustration over the subpoenas.
Driving the news: As Judiciary Committee Chair Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) tried to move to a vote on a pair of judicial appointments the panel had already debated, senators, who said they hadn't yet had the opportunity to speak on the nominees, protested.
- "Are we going to have any opportunity to speak on the nominees?" Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) asked, to which Durbin responded: "We've already done that at great length."
- Several other Republican members of the committee protested as Durbin continued, with Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), the top Republican on the panel, exclaiming, "Come on, man!"
- Republican senators shouted objections throughout the roll call votes.
The backdrop: Senate Democrats were forced to send the two nominees, Mustafa Taher Kasubhai and Eumi Lee, back to the panel because two Democrats were not tried to vote by proxy before arriving at the markup and switching to voting in person, according to a committee spokesperson.
- "After markup, the Parliamentarian told us that didn't cure the proxy votes, so the nominees could not be successfully reported," the spokesperson said. "They were referred back to Committee so we can vote on them again at Thursday's meeting."
What they're saying: "You're going to have a lot of consequences coming if you go down this road," said Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) during the vote. "Listen to me, I've cautioned a lot of you."
- Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) asked: "So you're telling us to shut up? You want us to shut up? That's what you're saying."
- "You're just going to sit there and ignore us?" Cotton asked Durbin. "I guess Sen. Durbin is not going to let women speak either. I thought that was sacrosanct in your party."
- As Durbin announced the result of the first vote, Cornyn talked over him: "Mr. Chairman you just destroyed one of the most important committees in the United States Senate. And you've set a precedent which will be repeated."
Editor's note: This story and headline have been updated to reflect that the committee voted to authorize subpoenas of conservative billionaire Harlan Crow and judicial activist Leonard Leo.
