California Senator and once-Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris is calling for a temporary freeze on all federal judicial nominations put forward by President Donald Trump, saying it would be “wholly inappropriate” for the Senate to consider his picks until they’ve wrapped up their impeachment trial.
“The president is charged with high crimes and misdemeanors, and the Senate must take seriously its constitutional role in this process,” Harris said in a statement. “During the time when articles of impeachment are before the Senate, it would be wholly inappropriate to advance the president’s nominees to the federal judiciary.”
Harris followed her statement up with a tweet, writing:
The Senate is receiving the articles of impeachment against President Trump today. We should not advance any more judicial nominees while we take on this solemn responsibility of the president’s trial for high crimes and misdemeanors.
— Kamala Harris (@SenKamalaHarris) January 15, 2020
To which Texas Republican Sen. Ted Cruz had the perfect response:
— Ted Cruz (@tedcruz) January 16, 2020
The Democrat-controlled House voted Wednesday to sent the articles of impeachment over to the Senate, following the vote up with an overly dramatic and procedurally unnecessary scene of several congress members solemnly walking the articles over to the other side of the U.S. Capitol building.
The Senate is expected to start opening arguments and discussions over trial rules Tuesday.
(Cover Photo: Gage Skidmore)