Senate Republicans pledge to slow-walk Biden nominees over 'lawfare' against Trump

A group of Senate Republicans on Thursday vowed to stop the upper chamber from fast-tracking President Joe Biden's judicial nominees, pointing to what they deemed the "lawfare" against former President Donald Trump.

Led by Ohio GOP Sen. J.D. Vance, the bloc included GOP Sens. Mike Lee of Utah, Bill Hagerty of Tennessee, Roger Marshall of Kansas, Tommy Tuberville of Alabama, and Eric Schmitt of Missouri.

"In a continuing response to the current administration's persecution of President Donald Trump, we will not allow the fast-tracking of any Biden Article III court judicial nominees, as well as Biden U.S. attorney nominations," the senators stated. "Further we will not permit the fast-tracking of nominees who have suggested the Trump prosecutions were reasonable, endorsed President Trump's guilt in these sham proceedings, joined or supported organizations that celebrated the indictment of President Trump, supported the 'get-Trump' candidacy of Alvin Bragg, or supported lawfare or censorship in other ways."

"While it is not our intent to bring any single nominee into disrepute, if our rights are challenged on the floor of the U.S. Senate, we will prosecute a forceful public case using all the tools at our disposal," they added.

In the wake of Trump's conviction in Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg's hush money case last month, a bloc of eight Senate Republicans, many of joined the Thursday pledge, vowed they would not "aid and abet this White House in its project to tear this country apart."

That pledge included opposition to non-security funding for the administration, the confirmation of political and judicial appointees, and the expedited consideration of Democratic legislative priorities. The Thursday pledge, the lawmakers note, is a "complement" to the original pledge.

Trump, for his part, has vowed to appeal the conviction and contends that the case is part of a broader political effort intended to derail his 2024 bid for the White House.