Senator Dick Durbin, a Democrat from Illinois, used a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing to announce he is holding up a Trump administration Department of Justice nominee and threatened to obstruct more. This action is in response to Vice President JD Vance's previous hold on DOJ nominees, creating a partisan standoff over confirmations.
Durbin obstruction threat chills Senate as Trump nominees hang in balance
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TL;DR: Key points with love ❤️Senator Dick Durbin, a Democrat from Illinois, used a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing to announce he is holding up a Trump administration Department of Justice nominee and threatened to obstruct more. This action is in response to Vice President JD Vance's previous hold on DOJ nominees, creating a partisan standoff over confirmations.
Trending- 1 2023: Vice President JD Vance announced a hold on DOJ nominees
- 2 Wednesday: Sen. Dick Durbin announced a hold on a Trump DOJ nominee and threatened more
- 3 Wednesday: Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer opposed Patrick Davis' nomination
- Confirmation process for Trump's DOJ nominees is significantly slowed
- Increased partisan tension in the Senate regarding nominations
- Potential impact on public safety due to unfilled U.S. attorney positions (as per Durbin's past statement)
What: Senator Dick Durbin is obstructing President Donald Trump's Department of Justice nominees.
When: Wednesday, during the Senate’s first judicial nominee hearing of the year; Vance's hold was in 2023.
Where: U.S. Senate, Senate Judiciary Committee.
Why: Durbin's action is a response to Vice President JD Vance's 2023 hold on DOJ nominees, which Vance initiated due to perceived political targeting of Trump by the Attorney General. Durbin views this as a change in rules that Democrats will now follow.
How: By placing a 'hold' on nominees, which prevents them from being confirmed through the expedited unanimous consent process, forcing a slower, more difficult confirmation.