Key takeaways:
- Senator Jon Tester (D-MT) suggested that Senate Republicans would refuse to fill the vacancy on the Judiciary Committee if Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) were to resign.
- Seven of President Joe Biden’s judicial nominees passed through committee on Thursday with Republican votes, despite Senator Feinstein’s absence.
- The news of Tester’s comments quickly spread throughout the Capitol, and it remains to be seen what the outcome of this situation will be.
On Wednesday, Senator Jon Tester (D-MT) caused a stir in the Capitol when he told Politico that there is a strong possibility Senate Republicans would refuse to fill the vacancy on the Judiciary Committee if Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) were to resign. This comment generated intense speculation among the Capitol staff, according to a senior aide to a Democratic senator.
In response to Senator Feinstein’s absence, Senate Judiciary Chair Dick Durbin (D-IL) changed course and advanced seven of President Joe Biden’s judicial nominees through committee on Thursday with Republican votes. These nominees were able to pass without Feinstein’s decisive vote, as she is out on medical leave. Other nominees that lacked bipartisan backing were shelved.
The news of Tester’s comments quickly spread throughout the Capitol, with one aide telling TPM that “it’s ricocheting around.” It remains to be seen what the outcome of this situation will be, and whether or not Senate Republicans will refuse to fill the vacancy on the Judiciary Committee if Feinstein were to resign.
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