Senate GOP Must Stop Confirming Judicial Nominees of an Impeached President

[turbinetree]

BY
Jessica Mason Pieklo, Rewire.News
PUBLISHED
January 9, 2020

Now that President Trump has been impeached, it’s time to halt confirmations of his judicial nominees.

That was the message of a letter sent Tuesday by a coalition of 29 advocacy organizations to U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) and Senate Judiciary Chair Lindsey Graham (R-SC), who have filled the courts with Trump-appointed judges who could uphold some of the country’s most extreme abortion restrictions.

“The Articles of Impeachment recently approved by the House of Representatives state that the president of the United States has abused the powers of his office by soliciting a foreign government to interfere with the 2020 elections and has obstructed Congress’ efforts to investigate the matter,” the letter says. “While any president is under the cloud of impeachment for such high crimes and misdemeanors, the Senate and the Judiciary Committee must put a hold on processing that president’s nominees for lifetime positions in the federal judiciary.”

Organizations signing onto the letter include the National Women’s Law Center, the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, People for the American Way, the NAACP, and the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund.

“It is ludicrous, and frankly offensive, to suggest that a president who has been impeached because of his contempt for our elections and for the rule of law should continue to have his nominations to the federal bench move ahead as if all were well,” said Marge Baker, executive vice president for policy and program at People for the American Way, in a statement. “Senators McConnell and Graham need to show that they grasp this central fact.”

https://truthout.org/articles/senate-gop-must-stop-confirming-judicial-nominees-of-an-impeached-president/

[hack89]

1. Don't think it works that way.

He has been impeached but not yet been found guilty.

[TwilightZone]

2. Probably not a good idea, because it would set a precedent.

If the GOP wanted to stop the next (or any future Democratic) president from placing judges, all they'd have to do is trump (pun intended) up some charges to do so.

I agree with the underlying reasoning in Trump's particular case, but I don't think it's feasible.

[onenote]

3. Silly.

It's a silly suggestion for a number of reasons. First, it has no Constitutional basis. Unless and until he is convicted and removed from office, he has the full powers of the Presidency. Second, the status of the President has no bearing on whether a nominee is qualified or not. Sure, the Senate shouldn't have confirmed any number of Trump's nominees because they were not qualified, but that only establishes that Trump's status isn't the issue, its his, and the Senate's, judgment. Third, making this argument actually plays into the repubs hands--I can see them claiming that this demand and the decision to hold the articles are linked as part of an effort to keep Trump's hands tied.