Republicans on the Senate Judiciary Committee raged against Chairman Dick Durbin Thursday after he refused a third debate on two of President Biden’s judicial nominees, leading one senior GOP lawmaker to say Durbin had “just destroyed one of the most important committees in the United States Senate.”
As a roll call vote got underway, senators on the Republican side warned that Durbin’s steamrolling would be remembered.
“You’re gonna have a lot of consequences coming if you go down this road. I’ve cautioned a lot of you,” Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) told his Democratic colleagues.
Durbin briefly defended his push for the roll call vote on the nominees, arguing that the GOP had already had two opportunities to opine on the picks.
“You’re telling us to shut up? You want us to shut up?” fumed Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.).
Ranking member Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC), typically the committee’s most collegial member, pleaded with Durbin that his fellow Republicans hadn’t gotten to speak on the nominees and “wanna tell you again why these nominees are awful.”
Durbin largely ignored the Republicans as their anger grow.
“Is your plan to end all debate? Do you have an answer or are you going to rely on someone whispering in your ear?” Cotton asked.
“I guess Senator Durbin isn’t going to allow women to speak either. I thought that was sacrosanct in your party,” Cotton chided at one point after Blackburn declined to answer the roll call.
Finally, Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) lost his temper with Durbin.
“Mr. Chairman, you just destroyed one of the most important committees in the United States Senate,” he said.
“You have set a precedent which will be repeated every time one party or the other takes advantage and takes the low road – it sets a precedent that will then become the norm. Congratulations on destroying the United States Senate Judiciary Committee.”
Thursday’s meeting was expected to be contentious after Durbin teased plans to issue subpoenas to Dallas-based real estate guru and GOP donor Harlan Crow, and Federalist Society co-chairman Leonard Leo.
Both Crow and Leo are at the center of an ethics storm surrounding the Supreme Court, centering on Crow’s gift of luxury trips to Justice Clarence Thomas and Leo’s assistance to former President Donald Trump in selecting his three nominees.
“I’m only seeking subpoenas for two people who have refused to comply with this committee’s oversight request for months,” Durbin explained ahead of the hearing, complaining that Republicans had prepared dozens of amendments to the summons request.
A spokesperson for Durbin did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Democrats have been approving Biden’s judicial picks at a rapid clip. Earlier this month, the president scored the 150th judicial confirmation of his administration.
By comparison, former President Donald Trump managed to lock down 234 judicial appointments during his four-year term in office.