Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) announced on Wednesday that he intended to stop two of President Donald Trump&#8217;s nominees for U.S. attorney positions in New York.
The move hinges on the &#8220;blue slip&#8221; tradition in which home-state senators can effectively block a nominee if they do not support the individual.
&#8220;Donald Trump has made clear he has no fidelity to the law and intends to use the Justice Department, the U.S. Attorney offices and law enforcement as weapons to go after his perceived enemies,&#8221; Schumer said in a <a href="https://www.democrats.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/schumer-uses-blue-slip-to-block-trump-us-attorney-nominees" target="_blank" rel="noopener">statement</a>.
He added, &#8220;Such blatant and depraved political motivations are deeply corrosive to the rule of law and leaves me deeply skeptical of the [sic] Donald Trump’s intentions for these important positions. For that reason, I will not return the blue slip for the U.S. Attorney nominees for the Southern and Eastern Districts of New York.&#8221;
The affected nominees are former Securities and Exchange Commission Chairman Jay Clayton, picked to become U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York, and Joseph Nocella Jr., a Long Island judge chosen for U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of New York.
If Republicans on the Judiciary Committee choose to disregard Schumer, they could advance the nominees. However, Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-IA) appears unwilling to depart from the norm.
The New York Times <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2025/04/16/us/schumer-trump-new-york-prosecutors.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a> Grassley affirming, &#8220;The answer is yes,&#8221; when asked about adhering to the blue slip tradition. &#8220;If they are from the state the nomination comes from.&#8221;
Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX), a member of the judiciary panel, told the news outlet that the blue slip tradition &#8220;serves a useful purpose even when in Democratic hands.&#8221; He added, &#8220;Obviously we value the ability to, appropriately, stop some nominees.&#8221;
Democrats have employed another tactic to stymie a different U.S. attorney nominee.
Earlier this month, Sen. Adam Schiff (D-CA) <a href="https://www.schiff.senate.gov/news/press-releases/statement-sen-schiff-announces-hold-on-d-c-u-s-attorney-nominee-ed-martin/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">declared</a> that he would place a hold on the nomination of Ed Martin to be U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia, a role he currently serves in an interim capacity.
A hold requires Senate majority leadership to schedule a floor vote for a nominee, bypassing the faster unanimous consent process.
Trump allies have sounded the alarm.
Responding to a post on X about Senate Democrats obstructing Trump&#8217;s picks for top prosecutor roles, his eldest son, Donald Trump Jr., <a href="https://x.com/DonaldJTrumpJr/status/1912490445818511451" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a>, &#8220;We can&#8217;t let the swamp block my father&#8217;s picks for US Attorney!!!&#8221;

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY)

Schumer Intervenes To Block Two Of Trump’s U.S. Attorney Nominees

Chuck Grassley

Chuck Schumer

Congress

Donald Trump

John Cornyn

New York

Politics

Presidential nomination

U.S. attorneys

U.S. Senate

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton announced Tuesday that he will challenge Senator John Cornyn in 2026, citing the Texas Republican’s frequent opposition to President Donald Trump’s agenda.
Paxton made the announcement during an appearance on Fox News&#8217; “The Ingraham Angle,&#8221; telling host Laura Ingraham that &#8220;it&#8217;s definitely time for a change in Texas.&#8221;
&#8220;We have a great U.S. Senator, Ted Cruz, and it&#8217;s time we have another great senator that will actually stand up for Republican values, fight for the values of the people of Texas, and also support Donald Trump in the areas he&#8217;s focused on, in a very significant way,&#8221; Paxton said. &#8220;That&#8217;s what I plan on doing.&#8221;
Paxton told Ingraham it was &#8220;hard to think of the things&#8221; Cornyn has &#8220;done good for Texas or for the country,&#8221; slamming the senator for &#8220;things like his gun restrictions, his lack of wanting to fund a border wall, and even opposing President Trump&#8217;s election in 2016 and in the most recent election.&#8221;
&#8220;There&#8217;s certainly many things to focus on that he has not done,&#8221; Paxton added, &#8220;and I think it&#8217;s time that somebody held him accountable for that.&#8221;
The attorney general also railed against Cornyn in a statement announcing his run, in which he pledged to “take a sledgehammer to the D.C. establishment.”
“John Cornyn has been in Washington for over two decades, and he has turned his back on President Trump and the America First Agenda time after time.”
“Texans deserve far better than a senator who thinks it’s ‘naive’ to build a border to protect our citizens,&#8221; Paxton said.
Paxton, who has served three terms as attorney general, has frequently criticized Cornyn. In a March interview with Punchbowl News, Paxton <a href="https://punchbowl.news/article/senate/paxton-plots-to-take-on-cornyn/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">slammed</a> Cornyn for pushing gun control legislation and supporting American aid to Ukraine.
“I’m going to start calling him ‘Senator Ukraine,’ because he’s funding Ukraine more than he’s funding our border, and that’s a problem in Texas,” Paxton said.
Paxton has emerged as a leading voice on major issues, using his office to protect <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/exclusive-texas-ag-investigating-school-officials-who-said-theyd-break-the-law?row=0&amp;elementPosition=3&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;author=Tim+Rice&amp;title=EXCLUSIVE%3A+Texas+AG+Launches+Probe+Into+Schools+Scheming+To+Get+Boys+Onto+Girl+Sports+Teams&amp;category=News">women&#8217;s sports,</a> defending Texas A&amp;M&#8217;s <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/exclusive-texas-ag-to-defend-texas-am-over-decision-to-ban-campus-drag-shows?row=0&amp;elementPosition=undefined&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;author=Leif+Le+Mahieu&amp;title=EXCLUSIVE%3A+Texas+AG+To+Defend+Texas+A%26M+Over+Decision+To+Ban+Campus+Drag+Shows&amp;category=News">decision</a> to ban a campus drag show, and <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/texas-arrests-48-year-old-woman-for-performing-illegal-abortions-operating-fake-clinics?row=0&amp;elementPosition=undefined&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;author=Leif+Le+Mahieu&amp;title=Texas+Arrests+48-Year-Old+Woman+For+Performing+Illegal+Abortions%2C+Operating+Fake+Clinics&amp;category=News">prosecuting</a> a woman who performed illegal abortions.
Cornyn, who <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/john-thune-elected-senate-majority-leader?row=0&amp;elementPosition=undefined&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;author=Tim+Pearce&amp;title=John+Thune+Elected+Senate+Majority+Leader&amp;category=News" target="_blank" rel="noopener">lost</a> the race to succeed Kentucky Senator Mitch McConnell as Majority Leader, is <a href="https://docs.google.com/document/d/12NQYwfF1_c06LvP2Imx-54dTMjXJxrI2sz7MujKphFg/edit?tab=t.0" target="_blank" rel="noopener">serving</a> his fourth term in the upper chamber. A mainstay in Republican politics, he previously served as chair of the National Republican Senatorial Committee and as Senate Majority Whip.
Senate Republican leaders have <a href="https://edition.cnn.com/2025/04/06/politics/cornyn-texas-senate-primary/index.html">reportedly asked</a> Trump to endorse Cornyn to put a stop to what could be a costly and high-profile primary. Speaking to CNN&#8217;s Manu Raju, Cornyn demurred on the question of Trump&#8217;s endorsement, <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2025/04/06/politics/video/sen-john-cornyn-gop-texas-primary-donald-trump-manu-raju-digvid">noting</a> that &#8220;his endorsement will be important&#8221; and saying Trump will &#8220;make an endorsement when he&#8217;s ready.&#8221; Cornyn also said that he and the president have &#8220;a very good relationship.&#8221;
But it&#8217;s unclear if Trump — who once <a href="https://www.texastribune.org/2024/05/20/donald-trump-ken-paxton-attorney-general/">floated</a> the idea of tapping Paxton as U.S. Attorney General — would back Cornyn, whom the president <a href="https://thehill.com/homenews/senate/4120760-trump-rips-weak-ineffective-cornyn-romney/">once called</a> &#8220;weak [and] ineffective.&#8221;
A recent poll found that Paxton leads Cornyn by 20 points, The New York Times <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2025/04/02/us/politics/paxton-cornyn-senate.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a> earlier this month.

Untitled design (13)

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton Will Challenge Senator John Cornyn

Ken Paxton

Senate

Texas

At the end of this week, Senate Democrats may force a partial government shutdown rather than allow a final vote on a GOP-backed stopgap bill that already has passed the House.
Republicans are warning of a &#8220;Schumer Shutdown,&#8221; named after Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY), who said on Wednesday that the Senate majority lacks the votes necessary to break the filibuster on the GOP&#8217;s continuing resolution and should take up the Democrats&#8217; one-month funding patch instead.
&#8220;Funding the government should be a bipartisan effort but Republicans chose a partisan path drafting their continuing without any input — any input — from congressional Democrats,&#8221; Schumer <a href="https://x.com/sahilkapur/status/1899910466589126800" target="_blank" rel="noopener">declared</a> on the Senate floor. &#8220;Because of that, Republicans do not have the votes in the Senate to invoke cloture on the House CR. Our caucus is unified on a clean April 11 CR that will keep the government open and give Congress time to negotiate bipartisan legislation that can pass. We should vote on that.&#8221;
A partial government shutdown, in which non-essential federal employees will be furloughed, is set to begin on March 15 if a funding bill is not passed in time. It was only months ago, in December, that lawmakers <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/house-passes-last-minute-funding-bill-to-avert-shutdown" target="_blank" rel="noopener">resorted</a> to the last continuing resolution that extended funding through mid-March.
The GOP-led House <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/house-passes-funding-patch-win-trump-speaker-johnson" target="_blank" rel="noopener">passed</a> a 99-page <a href="https://appropriations.house.gov/sites/evo-subsites/republicans-appropriations.house.gov/files/evo-media-document/bill-text.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">continuing resolution</a>, which provides funds to various federal agencies and programs through September 30, via a 217-213 vote on Tuesday. All but one Republican and a single Democrat — Rep. Jared Golden (D-ME) — supported the measure. The rest of the Democrats and Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY) opposed the bill.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) took the first procedural step in moving ahead with the House-passed funding bill on Wednesday morning, according to C-SPAN&#8217;s <a href="https://x.com/cspan/status/1899919192863768939" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Craig Caplan</a>. A three-fifths majority — or 60 votes — will be needed to overcome a filibuster prior to a final vote in which the bill will need only a simple majority to prevail.
As it stands, Republicans have a 53-47 majority in the Senate, so a bipartisan coalition will have to vote in favor of advancing the legislation to clear the procedural hurdle. Punchbowl News <a href="https://x.com/JakeSherman/status/1899910451409895583" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a> there could be some kind of agreement in which a sufficient number of Democrats support cloture in exchange for the GOP majority allowing a vote on their 30-day continuing resolution.
Republicans have already pinned a potential shutdown on Schumer, arguing the Democrat leader opposes their legislation only because he does not to side with President Donald Trump — who supports the GOP&#8217;s continuing resolution as a means to keep the government running and later get to his domestic agenda priorities in national defense, border security, and tax cuts.
&#8220;The most unbelievable part of a Schumer shutdown is that it has no purpose. There is no goal other than opposing Trump,&#8221; <a href="https://x.com/SenateGOP/status/1899845863519686717" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> the Senate GOP account on X. &#8220;Americans shouldn’t have to pay the price for Schumer’s tantrum.&#8221;
Also on X, Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX) <a href="https://x.com/JohnCornyn/status/1899912983826096160" target="_blank" rel="noopener">posted</a> a &#8220;SchumerShutdown&#8221; hashtag and <a href="https://x.com/JohnCornyn/status/1899925188541563280" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a>, &#8220;The only reason we&#8217;re voting on a CR is because Senator Schumer refused to put the normal appropriations bills on the floor for a vote last year. Now they want another short term bill? Nope.&#8221;
It remains to be seen whether all the Democrats and the independents who caucus with them will band together against the Republicans&#8217; continuing resolution. At least one of them — Sen. John Fetterman (D-PA) — has indicated that he will break ranks.
&#8220;The weeks of performative &#8216;resistance&#8217; from those in my party were limited to undignified antics,&#8221; Fetterman <a href="https://x.com/SenFettermanPA/status/1899584350305276091" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> on X. &#8220;Voting to shut the government down will punish millions or risk a recession. I disagree with many points in the CR, but I will never vote to shut our government down.&#8221;
On the GOP side, Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) signaled that he will vote against the continuing resolution — although that does not necessarily mean he will oppose breaking the filibuster.
&#8220;Despite [DOGE&#8217;s] findings of loony left-wing USAID programs, the Republican spending bill continues to fund the very foreign aid [Elon Musk] proposes to cut! The bill continues spending at the inflated pandemic levels and will add $2T to the debt this year,&#8221; Paul <a href="https://x.com/RandPaul/status/1899113680848961888" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> in a post on X, referring to the Trump administration&#8217;s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) overseen by Elon Musk. &#8220;Count me as a hell no!&#8221;

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer

‘Schumer Shutdown’ Looms As Dems Plan To Block GOP Spending Patch

Government Shutdown

Spending Bill

U.S.

On Wednesday, the GOP-led <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/u-s-senate" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Senate</a> amended the &#8220;Laken Riley Act,&#8221; a bill that would require federal officials to arrest illegal immigrants charged with crimes in the United States.
Seventy members, including Republicans and Democrats, <a href="https://www.congress.gov/amendment/119th-congress/senate-amendment/14/text" target="_blank" rel="noopener">voted</a> in favor of expanding the legislation&#8217;s list of criminal offenses that would lead to mandatory detention of &#8220;inadmissible aliens.&#8221;
Another 25 senators voted against the amendment from Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX), all Democrats and the two independents who caucus with them. Several other members did not vote.
The bill, which got <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/house-again-passes-laken-riley-act-159-dems-vote-against-it" target="_blank" rel="noopener">approved</a> by the House last week, would direct the secretary of Homeland Security to detain illegal immigrants charged with, convicted of, or who admits to theft-related crimes.
With the amendment included, the list now <a href="https://www.congress.gov/amendment/119th-congress/senate-amendment/14/text" target="_blank" rel="noopener">also mentions</a> &#8220;the assault of a law enforcement officer offense, or any crime that results in death or serious bodily injury to another person.&#8221;
The Senate also <a href="https://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_votes/vote1191/vote_119_1_00004.htm" target="_blank" rel="noopener">rejected</a> an amendment from Sen. Chris Coons (D-DE) to &#8220;strike&#8221; a section authorizing state attorneys general to sue federal immigration officials for alleged detention violations.
Laken Riley was a 22-year-old Georgia nursing student who was killed last year. An illegal immigrant from Venezuela, Jose Ibarra, was <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/breaking-jose-ibarra-found-guilty-of-killing-georgia-nursing-student-laken-riley" target="_blank" rel="noopener">convicted</a> of murdering Riley and <a href="https://apnews.com/article/georgia-nursing-student-laken-riley-immigrant-d8d75ccc6d81e7a88eb7890829d9fc9c#:~:text=The%20killing%20added%20fuel%20to,entered%20the%20U.S.%20in%202022.&amp;text=The%20Venezuelan%20man%20convicted%20in,without%20the%20possibility%20of%20parole." target="_blank" rel="noopener">sentenced</a> to life in prison.
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A press release from Rep. Mike Collins (R-GA), who <a href="https://collins.house.gov/media/press-releases/rep-mike-collins-reintroduces-laken-riley-act" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reintroduced</a> the Laken Riley Act for the new Congress, said the bill &#8220;directly addresses one of the federal policy failures&#8221; related to the murder.
Ibarra was &#8220;previously cited for shoplifting by the Athens Police Department,&#8221; it said. &#8220;If local law enforcement had called ICE, and ICE issued a detainer and picked him up, Laken would be alive.&#8221;
<a href="https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/senate-bill/5/amendments" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Dozens</a> more amendments have been proposed, including <a href="https://x.com/SenatorDurbin/status/1879315360975097974" target="_blank" rel="noopener">two</a> from Judiciary ranking member Dick Durbin (D-IL) that would exempt Dreamers and give them and others a path to citizenship.
But C-SPAN&#8217;s Craig Caplan <a href="https://x.com/CraigCaplan/status/1879683513869312006" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a> that Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) has filed cloture on the bill, setting up a vote to advance it and limit amendments, with a 60-vote threshold.
Whatever new version of the Laken Riley Act may ultimately pass through the Senate would need another vote by the House before it could be sent to the president to possibly sign the bill into law.

US Senator John Cornyn (R-TX)

Senate Amends Laken Riley Act To Add More Crimes Requiring Detention Of Illegal Immigrants

Chris Coons

Dick Durbin

Illegal Immigration

Immigration

John Thune

Laken Riley

Senate Republicans on Wednesday elected South Dakota Senator John Thune as the next leader of the conference. 
Thune defeated Texas Senator John Cornyn by a vote of 29 to 24. Florida Senator Rick Scott, an outsider candidate favored by prominent Trump allies including Elon Musk, was eliminated on the first ballot. Thune, 63, is the current Senate Republican Whip. Cornyn, 72, had been the whip in the past.
Thune will be the first new head of the Republican conference in nearly two decades, taking over after Senate Minority Leader Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-KY) announced earlier this year that he would step down from the post after 18 years. McConnell leaves the role as the longest-serving conference leader in Senate history.
Senate Republican leadership elections are “first past the post,” meaning the eventual leader must receive a majority of the votes. Scott received the least amount of votes on the first ballot and dropped from the race. Thune received a majority on the second ballot. 

The new GOP leadership team will enter the Senate alongside Republican President Donald Trump in the White House and a Republican majority in the House. The Senate team will be primarily responsible for working with the White House to staff the incoming Trump administration and enact Republicans’ legislative priorities.
<a href="https://www.amiracist.com/?_gl=1*jtghwp*_gcl_au*ODQ1NjYzNTg2LjE3Mjg5MDk3OTE.*_ga*MTc2NzM0NDQ2NS4xNzI4OTA5Nzkx*_ga_CZKR9ZYKJP*MTczMDEyMDgwOS40OS4xLjE3MzAxMjA4MzkuMzAuMC4w" target="_blank" rel="noopener">MATT WALSH’S ‘AM I RACIST?’ NOW STREAMING ON DAILYWIRE+</a>
Despite the anticipation and public pressure, few senators revealed how they planned to vote in the secret ballot ahead of time.
Trump, who did not publicly weigh into the race, said on Sunday that he expected whoever won the leadership race to support recess appointments for his administration, which could allow the president to fill top roles in the government for two years without a vote in the Senate.
“Any Republican Senator seeking the coveted LEADERSHIP position in the United States Senate must agree to Recess Appointments (in the Senate!), without which we will not be able to get people confirmed in a timely manner,” Trump wrote in a post on X. “Sometimes the votes can take two years, or more. This is what they did four years ago, and we cannot let it happen again.”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Any Republican Senator seeking the coveted LEADERSHIP position in the United States Senate must agree to Recess Appointments (in the Senate!), without which we will not be able to get people confirmed in a timely manner. Sometimes the votes can take two years, or more. This is…
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1855692242981155259?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 10, 2024</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script> 
McConnell <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2024/02/28/us/politics/mitch-mcconnell-senate.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">announced</a> in February that he would finish his current term as leader before stepping aside for someone else to lead the conference. McConnell’s decision came amid concerns about his health. The senator appeared to freeze multiple times in front of reporters, appearing confused and unable to function.

Sen. John Thune (R-SD)

John Thune Elected Senate Majority Leader

Rick Scott

Washington D.C.

President-elect <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/donald-trump" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Donald Trump</a> weighed in on the race for <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/u-s-senate" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Senate</a> leader, declaring on Sunday he wants whoever takes on the role — now that the GOP has won back control of the upper chamber — to allow recess appointments.
If his demand is met, it would break with what has become the routine under both parties for years: scheduling <a href="https://www.senate.gov/about/research-tools/glossary.htm" target="_blank" rel="noopener">pro forma sessions</a> during extended off-periods, essentially keeping the Senate from entering a recess and thus <a href="https://crsreports.congress.gov/product/pdf/R/R42977" target="_blank" rel="noopener">preventing</a> the president from making appointments in their absence.
&#8220;Any Republican Senator seeking the coveted LEADERSHIP position in the United States Senate must agree to Recess Appointments (in the Senate!), without which we will not be able to get people confirmed in a timely manner,&#8221; Trump <a href="https://x.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1855692242981155259" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said in a post to X</a>.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Any Republican Senator seeking the coveted LEADERSHIP position in the United States Senate must agree to Recess Appointments (in the Senate!), without which we will not be able to get people confirmed in a timely manner. Sometimes the votes can take two years, or more. This is…
&mdash; Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1855692242981155259?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 10, 2024</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
&#8220;Sometimes the votes can take two years, or more,&#8221; he added. &#8220;This is what they did four years ago, and we cannot let it happen again. We need positions filled IMMEDIATELY! Additionally, no Judges should be approved during this period of time because the Democrats are looking to ram through their Judges as the Republicans fight over Leadership. THIS IS NOT ACCEPTABLE. THANK YOU!&#8221;
<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/now-schumer-demands-senate-act-bipartisan-heres-his-bipartisan-history" target="_blank" rel="noopener">RELATED: Now Schumer Demands Senate Act ‘Bipartisan.’ Here’s His ‘Bipartisan’ History.</a>
Trump has not publicly endorsed any candidate for the role as of press time, but multiple GOP lawmakers are vying for the spot in the upcoming leadership elections. Sen. <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/mitch-mcconnell" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Mitch McConnell</a> (R-KY), who is the current leader of the Senate GOP, is not competing this time. Three other Republicans are running: Sens. <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/rick-scott" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Rick Scott</a> (R-FL), <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/john-cornyn-announces-bid-to-replace-mcconnell-as-senate-gop-leader" target="_blank" rel="noopener">John Cornyn</a> (R-TX), and <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/thune-enters-race-to-become-senate-gop-leader" target="_blank" rel="noopener">John Thune</a> (R-SD).
Scott responded to Trump&#8217;s post on X, saying he agreed with the president-elect&#8217;s demand. &#8220;100% agree. I will do whatever it takes to get your nominations through as quickly as possible,&#8221; Scott <a href="https://x.com/SenRickScott/status/1855693759281053758" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a>.
Thune, the sitting Senate Republican whip, said in a statement obtained by The Daily Wire: &#8220;I’ve spent eight months carefully listening to my colleagues about their vision for the next chapter of the Senate Republican Conference, especially as we hit the ground running with President Trump. One thing is clear: We must act quickly and decisively to get the president’s Cabinet and other nominees in place as soon as possible to start delivering on the mandate we’ve been sent to execute, and all options are on the table to make that happen, including recess appointments. We cannot let Chuck Schumer and Senate Democrats block the will of the American people.&#8221;
On Saturday, before Trump called for allowing recess appointments, Cornyn said in <a href="https://x.com/JohnCornyn/status/1855424788358897926" target="_blank" rel="noopener">posts to X</a> that he would keep the Senate in session until Trump&#8217;s Cabinet is filled if elected majority leader.
&#8220;The first order of business in the new Senate should be confirming President Trump’s cabinet. If I am the majority leader, I will keep the Senate in session until those confirmations occur,&#8221; Cornyn said. &#8220;No weekends, no breaks. Democrats can cooperate in the best interest of the country, or continue the resistance, which will eventually be ground down. Take your pick.&#8221;
In a <a href="https://x.com/JohnCornyn/status/1855730861028569391" target="_blank" rel="noopener">post to X</a> on Sunday, after Trump expressed his position, Cornyn said: &#8220;It is unacceptable for Senate Ds to blockade President @realDonaldTrump‘s cabinet appointments. If they do, we will stay in session, including weekends, until they relent. Additionally, the Constitution expressly confers the power on the President to make recess appointments.&#8221;
He added: &#8220;Article II, Section 2, Clause 3: The President shall have Power to fill up all Vacancies that may happen during the Recess of the Senate, by granting Commissions which shall expire at the End of their next Session.&#8221;
<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/mike-johnson-running-again-for-speaker-readies-gops-biggest-offense-of-our-lives" target="_blank" rel="noopener">RELATED: Mike Johnson Running Again For Speaker, Readies GOP’s ‘Biggest Offense Of Our Lives’</a>
Democrats still control the Senate for now, with Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY) as majority leader. They <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2024/11/08/us/politics/senate-democrats-judges.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">can move forward</a> with confirming judges, although their narrow majority could make a final blitz difficult. President Joe Biden has <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/presidential-actions/2024/11/08/president-biden-names-fifty-sixth-round-of-judicial-nominees/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">continued to announce</a> judicial nominees after his vice president, Kamala Harris, lost the 2024 presidential contest to Trump.
Tech executive Elon Musk, who owns X and supported Trump&#8217;s 2024 campaign, also replied to Trump with an explanation for why he supports the call for recess appointments.
&#8220;Without recess appointments, it will take two years or more to confirm the new administration!&#8221; Musk <a href="https://x.com/elonmusk/status/1855694053268169146" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a>. &#8220;This would make it impossible to enact the change demanded by the American people, which is utterly unacceptable.&#8221;

Trump Demands Next GOP Senate Leader Allow Recess Appointments

On Thursday, Sen. <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/john-cornyn" target="_blank" rel="noopener">John Cornyn</a> (R-TX) became the first member to declare his candidacy to replace Sen. <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/mitch-mcconnell" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Mitch McConnell</a> (R-KY) as leader of the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/u-s-senate" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Senate</a> GOP.
Cornyn made the announcement one day after McConnell said he planned to step down from the position once his colleagues have elected a new leader in November and that person takes on the role in January.
“I am asking my Republican colleagues to give me the opportunity to succeed Leader McConnell,&#8221; Cornyn said in a <a href="https://twitter.com/frankthorp/status/1763222881087963368" target="_blank" rel="noopener">statement</a>. &#8220;I have learned a lot during my time both in and out of Senate leadership.&#8221;
First elected to the Senate in 2002, Cornyn is in his <a href="https://www.cornyn.senate.gov/about/about-john-cornyn/">fourth term</a>. Over the years, he has served as chairman of the National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC) and then as Republican whip, the No. 2 ranking position within the Senate GOP.
Cornyn is also a staunch supporter of former President Donald Trump, voting in line with Trump&#8217;s position <a href="https://projects.fivethirtyeight.com/congress-trump-score/john-cornyn/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">92.2%</a> of the time while Trump was in office and has <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/senator-cornyn-endorses-trump-following-new-hampshire-win" target="_blank" rel="noopener">endorsed</a> him again in this year&#8217;s election.
&#8220;During my two terms as NRSC Chair, we shrunk Democrats’ majority by five seats and laid the foundation to retake the majority in 2014,&#8221; Cornyn said. &#8220;Then as the Republican Whip, I helped President Trump advance his agenda through the Senate, including passing historic tax reform and remaking our judiciary &#8211; including two Supreme Court Justices.&#8221;
Before joining the Senate, Cornyn served as a justice in the Texas Supreme Court and as Texas attorney general. The senator has been making headlines for his clash with the current Republican attorney general, Ken Paxton, over <a href="https://thehill.com/homenews/senate/4465233-cornyn-blasts-texas-ag-paxton/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">issues such as foreign aid</a>.
Other Republicans who are being talked about as <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/heres-who-might-run-to-replace-mcconnell-as-senate-gop-leader-including-the-three-johns" target="_blank" rel="noopener">potential candidates</a> for GOP leader include Minority Whip John Thune (R-SD), Senate Republican Conference Chairman John Barrasso (R-WY), Sen. Rick Scott (R-FL), and NRSC Chairman <a href="https://twitter.com/AndrewDesiderio/status/1762922197478212086" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Steve Daines</a> (R-MT).
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In his pitch to colleagues, Cornyn touted a &#8220;track record of listening to colleagues and seeking consensus.&#8221; He added that his tenure in the Senate has been marked by &#8220;leading the fight to stop bad policies that are harmful to our nation and the conservative cause.&#8221;
Cornyn said he intends to &#8220;play a major role in fixing&#8221; the Senate by restoring its role in the constitutional republic. He targeted communication, transparency, and inclusion of expertise and opinion as areas for improvement.
&#8220;We will restore the important role of Senate committees and reestablish the regular appropriations process, rather than lurch from one crisis to another,&#8221; Cornyn said. &#8220;And we will return power back to our members; there will be no more backroom deals or forced votes on bills without adequate time for review, debate, and amendment.&#8221;
Cornyn concluded, &#8220;I am ready to get to work and look forward to continuing to engage with my colleagues.&#8221;

Sen. John Cornyn

John Cornyn Announces Bid To Replace McConnell As Senate GOP Leader

Cornyn Announces Bid To Replace McConnell As Senate GOP Leader

Mitch McConnell

Republicans

Sen. <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/john-cornyn" target="_blank" rel="noopener">John Cornyn</a> (R-TX) announced on Tuesday following former President Donald Trump&#8217;s victory in New Hampshire that he is endorsing the former president.
&#8220;I have seen enough. To beat Biden, Republicans need to unite around a single candidate, and it’s clear that President Trump is Republican voters’ choice,&#8221; Cornyn said. &#8220;Four more years of failed domestic policies like the Biden Border Crisis and record-high inflation, and failed foreign policies that have emboldened our adversaries and made the world a more dangerous place, must be stopped.&#8221;
&#8220;I am proud of our accomplishments in President Trump’s first term, including the confirmation of 234 federal judges, including three members of the United States Supreme Court; passing historic tax reform, the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act; unleashing our energy potential; and ushering in the best economy for all Americans in my lifetime,&#8221; he continued. &#8220;I will be continuing to work to elect a Republican Senate majority and to elect President Trump in 2024.&#8221;
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Cornyn joins dozens of other Republican Senators who have endorsed Trump, including Sens. Katie Britt (AL), Tommy Tuberville (AL), Tom Cotton (AR), Marco Rubio (FL), Rick Scott (FL), Mike Crapo (ID), James Risch (ID), Mike Braun (IN), Roger Marshall (KS), Cindy Hyde-Smith (MS), Roger Wicker (MS), Josh Hawley (MO), Eric Schmitt (MO), Steve Daines (MT), Ted Budd (NC), Kevin Cramer (ND), John Hoeven (ND), JD Vance (OH), Markwayne Mullin (OK), Lindsey Graham (SC), Tim Scott (SC), Marsha Blackburn (TN), Bill Hagerty (TN), Ted Cruz (TX), Mike Lee (UT), and John Barrasso (WY).

Senator Cornyn Endorses Trump Following New Hampshire Win

Elections

New Hampshire

Senate Majority Leader <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/chuck-schumer" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Chuck Schumer</a>&#8216;s (D-NY) plan to pass a border deal after delaying the end-of-the-year holiday break will not succeed, a Republican senator predicted on Sunday.
Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX) <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IY7SiUSnlng" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told &#8220;Fox News Sunday&#8221;</a> anchor Shannon Bream that he spoke with a couple of the &#8220;key&#8221; negotiators in talks geared toward linking a border security overhaul to funds for Ukraine, Israel, and other national security issues.
&#8220;They feel like they’re making some progress, but I know Sen. Schumer thinks there’s going to be some deal cut behind closed doors and then jam it through the Senate and then jam the House. That&#8217;s not going to happen,&#8221; Cornyn said.
&#8220;But we are making some progress, but this isn’t just about money. This is about policies that will actually stem the flow of mass migration across the border, along with the drugs and everything that goes with it,&#8221; he added.
Schumer <a href="https://www.democrats.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/majority-leader-schumer-floor-remarks-providing-an-update-on-the-critical-national-security-supplemental-package" target="_blank" rel="noopener">announced</a> last week that the upper chamber would stay in session another week to allow Senate and Biden administration negotiators to reach a compromise to answer President Joe Biden&#8217;s national security supplemental request <a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/us/whats-bidens-106-billion-supplemental-funding-request-2023-10-20/#:~:text=Oct%2020(Reuters)%20%2D%20U.S.,Indo%2DPacific%20and%20border%20enforcement." target="_blank" rel="noopener">worth more than $100 billion</a>.
&#8220;Members need to be here next week. We have to get this done. Our Republican colleagues who have said action on the border is so urgent should have no problem with continuing to work next week,&#8221; Schumer said. &#8220;We hope to come to an agreement. But no matter what, members should be aware that we will vote on a supplemental proposal next week.&#8221;
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The House&#8217;s GOP majority <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2023/05/11/us/politics/house-republicans-immigration-bill.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">passed</a> border legislation earlier this year, but Schumer refused to have the Senate take up the bill and what he described as <a href="https://www.democrats.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/majority-leader-schumer-floor-remarks-on-the-urgent-need-to-pass-national-security-supplemental-funding-legislation-to-support-our-friends-and-allies-and-defend-democracy" target="_blank" rel="noopener">&#8220;partisan right-wing demands</a>.&#8221; Now, the lower chamber has adjourned for the holidays, not waiting for the Senate and Biden administration to develop a new framework.
&#8220;For some reason, the Biden Administration waited until this week to even begin negotiations with Congress on the border issue. While that work should continue, the House will not wait around to receive and debate a rushed product,&#8221; House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) <a href="https://twitter.com/SpeakerJohnson/status/1735436867980398865" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> in a post to X on Thursday.
<a href="https://www.foxnews.com/politics/conservative-groups-ex-border-officials-demand-lawmakers-reject-unacceptable-border-compromise" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Conservatives</a> and <a href="https://www.axios.com/2023/12/15/biden-border-ukraine-israel-senate-deal" target="_blank" rel="noopener">leftist members of Congress</a> have expressed skepticism about what may emerge from the border negotiations, which could include asylum and immigration reforms.
“All we are asking for the president to do is to actually enforce the law, and now that we&#8217;ve got the purse strings of Congress that Congress controls, we are hoping to use that as leverage to change those policies,&#8221; Cornyn said of GOP priorities.
&#8220;What we’re asking for is humane, orderly, and legal immigration. Right now, the only people benefitting from the status quo are the human smugglers, the criminal organizations that are getting richer by the day along with the drug cartels,&#8221; he added. &#8220;And for the last three years, President Biden has demonstrated he simply didn&#8217;t care. Well, apparently, now, he cares. We&#8217;ve got his attention and we intend to do something about it.&#8221;

Schumer’s Border Strategy ‘Not Going To Happen,’ GOP Senator Says

Schumer's Border Strategy 'Not Going To Happen,' GOP Senator Says

Border Crisis

Southern Border

Senator <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/john-cornyn" target="_blank" rel="noopener">John Cornyn</a> (R-TX) appeared to change his views in a matter of just a couple days this week on House Republicans&#8217; impeachment inquiry into President Joe Biden.
&#8220;I am directing our House committees to open a formal impeachment inquiry into President Joe Biden,&#8221; Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/mccarthy-announces-formal-impeachment-inquiry-against-biden" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> in a statement on Tuesday. &#8220;Over the past several months, House Republicans have uncovered serious and credible allegations into President Biden’s conduct — a culture of corruption.&#8221;
Cornyn initially came out against the inquiry, suggesting that it was a waste of time and House Republicans would be better served by focusing on other things.
“It really comes to how do you prioritize your time? I don’t know of anybody who believes Chuck Schumer will take it up and actually have a trial and convict a sitting president,” Cornyn, a member of the GOP Senate leadership, <a href="https://thehill.com/homenews/senate/4198517-senate-gop-says-house-lacks-evidence-for-impeachment/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> in a statement.
&#8220;Since they got the majority, they got the chairmen of the various committees, they could do all of that now without going to a formal inquiry. Members of the House don’t really care what I think. All I can tell you, it’s unlikely to be successful in the Senate,&#8221; he continued. &#8220;Rather than doing something they know is unlikely to end the way they would like, maybe they want to emphasize other things.&#8221;
However, Cornyn reversed course a couple of days later, <a href="https://www.texastribune.org/2023/09/14/john-cornyn-biden-impeachment-inquiry/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">saying</a> he now believes that &#8220;President Biden has committed the sorts of acts that warrant an impeachment inquiry, so I don’t have any trouble with an impeachment inquiry.&#8221;
&#8220;I think there&#8217;s been more than enough smoke to warrant a continued investigation into the president&#8217;s activities, particularly with regard to his son&#8217;s actions,&#8221; he continued.
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It&#8217;s not clear what led to the change of position for Cornyn, although a source close to Senate leadership told The Daily Wire that not supporting the inquiry added to a &#8220;list of liabilities&#8221; that could prevent him from holding higher positions in Senate leadership. The source said one of the major liabilities that Cornyn had among Republicans was his support for a gun control bill that was later signed into law by President Biden.
Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/mccarthy-shreds-ap-reporter-who-claimed-he-launched-impeachment-inquiry-without-evidence" target="_blank" rel="noopener">McCarthy Shreds AP Reporter Who Claimed He Launched Impeachment Inquiry ‘Without Evidence’</a>

Senator Cornyn Changes Course On Supporting Biden Impeachment Inquiry

Executive

Impeachment

Joe Biden

Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX) slammed President Joe Biden this week for unfreezing $6 billion in assets for the Islamic Republic of Iran in exchange for getting five American hostages released from the country.
Secretary of State Antony Blinken approved the deal last week, and Congress was notified Monday as lawmakers and officials honored the 22nd anniversary of the September 11, 2001, terror attacks.
&#8220;Well, unfortunately, you know, we have sanctions in place to try to discourage the number one state sponsor of terrorism, which is Iran, from developing a nuclear weapon,&#8221; Cornyn said in a Fox News interview. &#8220;But it doesn&#8217;t do much good when the Biden administration decides to write them a $6 billion check. And of course, the money is fungible, it can be used for any purpose, offset other expenses, and the like. And I can&#8217;t think of one single thing that they could do that would actually encourage more hostage taking than to pay off the Iranians for these five hostages.&#8221;
Cornyn said that he was happy that the hostages will get to go home to their families but the actions of the Biden administration only &#8220;guarantees there&#8217;s going to be more hostage taking&#8221; and it &#8220;undermines the sanctions we have in place in order to discourage Iran from developing that nuclear weapon.&#8221;
Cornyn then responded to Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi contradicting the Biden administration&#8217;s claims that the $6 billion can only be used for humanitarian aid.
&#8220;This money belongs to the Islamic Republic of Iran, and naturally, we will decide, the Islamic Republic of Iran will decide to spend it wherever we need it,&#8221; Raisi said. &#8220;How to spend our money of course, it is under the authority of the Islamic Republic of Iran.&#8221;
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Cornyn said that he had &#8220;zero confidence in the Biden administration&#8217;s ability to monitor the expenditure of these funds.&#8221;
&#8220;I have absolutely no confidence in the Biden administration&#8217;s ability to monitor how these funds are being spent,&#8221; he reiterated.
&#8220;The question is, are we trying to deter Iran from developing a nuclear weapon with which to wipe Israel off the map and create potentially another world war or not?&#8221; Cornyn concluded. &#8220;And clearly giving them $6 billion, I don&#8217;t care whether it&#8217;s their money or somebody else&#8217;s money, giving them access to that undermines that deterrence and basically helps them get away with it.&#8221;
WATCH:
<iframe loading="lazy" title="Cornyn Slams Biden for Bankrolling Iran, #1 State Sponsor of Terrorism, on 9/11" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/zI4Poay3W9w?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe>

Senator Cornyn Slams Biden For Unfreezing $6 Billion In Iranian Funds: ‘Guarantees More Hostage Taking’

Antony Blinken

Iran

The Biden administration may have inadvertently signaled this week whom they fear the most of the Republican senators likely to replace Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) should the senator need to step down due to health issues.
The remarks from the administration come after McConnell <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/mcconnell-freezes-up-during-press-conference-trolls-biden-after-returning" target="_blank" rel="noopener">temporarily froze</a> for about 20 seconds during a press conference on Wednesday and needed to take a brief break after feeling lightheaded. McConnell later returned to the press conference and appeared fine when talking to reporters.
Politico <a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2023/07/27/white-house-mcconnell-health-scare-00108634" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a> that the White House has been worried about McConnell&#8217;s health because they view him as &#8220;a reliable partner in the effort to fund Ukraine’s resistance against Russia and ensure the government’s lights stay on past Sept. 30.&#8221;
The report said that Biden officials are now accelerating talks about what the Senate GOP leadership could look like if McConnell needs to step aside.
Biden&#8217;s inner circle reportedly believes that the most likely candidates to replace McConnell are Senate Minority Whip John Thune (R-SD), Republican Conference Chairman John Barrasso (R-WY), and Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX).
The Biden officials who spoke to Politico had positive things to say about Cornyn and Thune but did not say positive things about Barrasso. In fact, they said nothing about Barrasso, possibly because attacking him to the media could strengthen his support within the Republican Party.
&#8220;Most in Biden’s inner circle believe Thune would be the likely favorite to step in for McConnell,&#8221; the report said, &#8220;That, they feel, would be an acceptable option: Thune, they believe, largely shares McConnell’s worldview on the importance of institutions and the need, at times, to work across the aisle. They also feel that Thune is unchallenged politically back home, which aides believe is essential to leading from a position of strength. Similar views are held about Cornyn.&#8221;
A <a href="https://libertyscore.conservativereview.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">review</a> of the three senators&#8217; Liberty Score from the Conservative Review shows that Barrasso ranks in between the likes of Republican Senatorial Committee Chairman Sen. Steve Daines (R-MT) and Sen. Tom Cotton (R-AR). The same review ranks Cornyn — who got the first piece of major gun control legislation <a href="https://www.texastribune.org/2022/06/23/senate-john-cornyn-bipartisan-gun-deal/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">passed</a> in the Senate last year for the first time since 1994 — and Thune on the same level as Sen. Mitt Romney (R-UT).
McConnell&#8217;s health has been in the news ever since he was <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/senate-minority-leader-mitch-mcconnell-hospitalized-after-incident-at-dinner" target="_blank" rel="noopener">hospitalized</a> in early March after he fell during a private dinner at a hotel in Washington, D.C.
Following the incident this week, news reports began surfacing that the 81-year-old polio survivor has fallen at least two other times this year, including at an airport earlier this month and during an overseas trip in February, according to the <a href="https://www.courier-journal.com/story/news/politics/2023/07/27/what-happened-to-mitch-mcconnell-what-we-know-about-falls-wheelchair/70479364007/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Courier Journal</a>.

Sen. John Barrasso (R-WY)

Biden Admin Weighs Three GOP Senators Who Could Succeed McConnell. One Seems To Scare Them.

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