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Floor Speech
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Mr. SCHUMER. They want to pile them all together. Some of these nominees are--the people who know them in their States are appalled that they would be nominated.
Trump has chosen his U.S. attorneys for one reason only: blind obeisance to him. That is it. No rule of law. No independence.
So of course our friends are afraid of 2 hours of debate and a vote because so many of these nominees are so bad. Historical bad nominees deserve a historical response.
So we wanted to come to an agreement with our colleagues to let some of the better ones through, but we couldn't--not because of our Senate colleagues. Senator Grassley was involved, and Senator Thune was involved. We were close to an agreement, and what happened? Donald Trump, who wants these horrible nominees--so many of them--said:
Go to hell.
That is what he said. So instead of our Republican colleagues telling Donald Trump ``No, we can work out an agreement that is fair,'' they said ``OK.'' They pedaled back.
Now what is their alternative? They are ready to detonate Senate precedent altogether and go nuclear on all the nominees. So much for oversight. And before they even do that, now they want to rubberstamp another round of nominees--no scrutiny, no debate.
Two hours of debate and a vote for someone as powerful as a U.S. attorney. Most Americans would agree that is the least we could do--the least we could do. So no scrutiny, no debate, and no consent from us.
I want to be very clear. If my colleague from Iowa, who is a good man, wants to resume our negotiations, which we were ready to do--and he knows it. He was part of it. If he is willing to back off threats to go nuclear, we will be open to having a conversation about a nominees package, including the ones on his list. We will be open to negotiations, just as we were at the end of July when we were in that room right across the hall from here and ready to have an agreement, when all of a sudden, Donald Trump says ``Go to hell'' and the Republican leadership says ``OK. We won't do it because he doesn't like it'' even though he has historically bad, reprehensible nominees.
So if Republicans are dead set on going nuclear, we will not grant consent today.
Donald Trump said:
Go to hell.
You and the Republican leader backed off. So you could have it done with an agreement, a bipartisan agreement--not a partisan agreement where the Republicans just choose whoever they want, no matter.
So the bottom line, once again, is simple: You want to get these things done? Negotiate an agreement in a bipartisan way. Don't bow down to Donald Trump, who, as I said, has nominated for U.S. attorney in many other places some of the worst nominees, the most conflicted nominees, the least qualified nominees we have ever seen.
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Mr. SCHUMER. Do it in a partisan way. Bow down to Donald Trump--no way.
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