US news

Senate’s big week back: Nominations, with a side of coronavirus

Republican-led committees are scheduled to hold hearings for high-level presidential nominees including for the nation’s top intelligence post, while GOP leaders aim for votes later this month on key national security tools that remain dormant. But the Senate also plans to resume its record pace of confirming President Donald Trump’s judicial nominees, including a high-profile confirmation hearing this week.

Democrats are seething over the Senate’s noncoronavirus related priorities, as they continue to push for hundreds of billions of dollars in federal aid to state and local governments struggling to deal with the pandemic. They’re also pushing for rigorous oversight of the Trump administration’s handling of the crisis.

“It seems to me there is a lot of whining going on, but maybe that shouldn’t be a surprise,” Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) quipped when asked about Democrats’ protests.

But most Democrats said it was simply too early and unsafe for the Senate to be back.

“If we are going to be here … let the Senate at least conduct the nation’s business and focus like a laser on Covid-19,” Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) said.

“It is amazing to me that McConnell brought us back, and not a thing about Covid is on the floor,” he later told reporters.

The return of the Senate’s in-person partisan squabbling comes amid fears that a potential outbreak in the Capitol could paralyze the institution, while Washington has yet to peak in coronavirus cases. The House remains out but could return by next week.

Schumer slammed GOP leaders for their plan to convene a Judiciary Committee hearing on Wednesday, where the panel will consider a McConnell protégé who was nominated to the second-most powerful court in the country. Schumer called that nominee, Justin Walker, a “manifestly unqualified, totally divisive right-wing judicial nominee.” The American Bar Association also rated Walker as “not qualified,“ citing insufficient legal experience.

Senate Minority Whip Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) said the Senate’s agenda doesn’t reflect the nature and magnitude of the crisis.

“We’re surrounded by stay-at-home orders in D.C., Maryland and Virginia,” Durbin told reporters. “Why are we here? A hearing on Justin Walker on Wednesday? … Does this sound like a compelling national emergency that draws us in at risk. I don’t think it does.”

“I think we’re here to confirm really bad judges,” added Sen. Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.).

Despite Democrats’ long-simmering frustrations with McConnell’s push to confirm conservative judges to the federal bench, senators will have their work cut out for them when it comes to the pandemic. On Tuesday afternoon, the Banking Committee will hold a confirmation hearing for Brian Miller to be the special inspector general for pandemic recovery — a position created to provide oversight of a $500 billion fund to help businesses and industries struggling amid the crisis.

Still, Democrats are pushing for more oversight, including breaking the White House’s blockade on testimony from members of the coronavirus task force.

“Hopefully we’ll do some work and not just do confirmations — I mean, the oversight of the Covid package is horrible. We can’t get any information,” Sen. Jon Tester (D-Mont.) said.

McConnell has been pushing for the Senate to resume its normal business — which includes a hearing with Dr. Anthony Fauci, the government’s top infectious disease expert, on May 12 — with the Kentucky Republican positing that as long as front-line health care workers are on the job treating coronavirus patients, the Senate has an obligation to do its own work, too.

“I don’t think anybody could seriously argue that filling critical national security posts is not essential Senate business,” McConnell said. “On the floor and in committee, the Senate will be acting on key nominations that relate directly to the safety of the American people, oversight over our coronavirus legislation, and more.”

Most of that work must be done in person, GOP senators said.

Source: politico.com
See more here: news365.stream

loading...