“When we started out, we knew it would be a very difficult job to do more than Trump had done,” said Schumer.
Webster, who is 100 years old, praised Patel’s patriotism but wrote that his allegiance to Trump was concerning.
Webster was appointed FBI director in 1978 by President Jimmy Carter and remained director under President Ronald Reagan until 1987.
Johnson has worked hard to keep Trump on his side.
Campaign ad that caught our eye: Justice encouraged folks to vote early in the Senate race alongside his omnipresent pet dog, Babydog.
In less than a month, elected Democrats will have much less influence in Washington due to the GOP controlling the House, Senate, and White House. This will make their battle with President-elect Donald Trump essentially a rhetorical one.
Republicans have taught Democratic leaders one thing over the years, though: the judiciary can occasionally be the best barrier preventing the other party from achieving its goals. 235 of Biden’s judicial nominees have been approved by Senate Democrats, surpassing Trump’s 234 first-term judicial nominations, as our Anthony Adragna reported on Friday.
It’s unclear to me exactly what [Trump] will do. But I can assure you that one of our best, if not the best, defenses against his actions will be the judiciary,” Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer told Playbook in an exclusive interview this week.
Schumer and President Joe Biden came up with a plan four years ago to use the party’s Senate majority to enact as many judicial nominations as possible in addition to passing legislation.
What came of it?
Schumer remarked, “We knew going in that it would be a very tough job to do more than Trump had done.”. However, we succeeded: We received 235 — the president and our Senate appointed over 25% of the federal judiciary. “.”.
Read the remainder of Schumer’s interview with POLITICO in Thursday’s Playbook. Just so you know, here is more coverage of judicial nominees over the past week.
The federal judiciary is being Trump-proofed by Democrats.
A bill that would have added dozens of new federal judge positions is vetoed by Biden.
The qualifications of Kash Patel and Tulsi Gabbard, the FBI and national intelligence directors chosen by President-elect Donald Trump, to serve in the Cabinet are being questioned by a former head of the FBI and CIA.
William Webster, the only person to lead both the FBI and CIA, told senators in a letter on Thursday that neither nominee satisfies the requirements of top intelligence positions.
The 100-year-old Webster wrote that Patel’s loyalty to Trump was alarming but commended his patriotism.
According to him, “his track record of carrying out the president’s orders suggests a loyalty to individuals rather than the rule of law — a dangerous precedent for an agency tasked with impartial enforcement of justice,” an official said.
Gabbard’s “profound lack” of intelligence experience, according to Webster, contrasted with the experienced leadership required for the position.
He wrote, “Unmatched expertise is necessary for effective management of our intelligence community in order to navigate the complexities of global threats and to maintain the trust of allied nations.”. Our capacity to protect confidential information and work together globally is significantly weakened in the absence of that trust. “”.
An inquiry for comment was not immediately answered by Trump’s transition.
President Jimmy Carter named Webster director of the FBI in 1978, and he served in that capacity until 1987 under President Ronald Reagan. He was appointed by Reagan to lead the CIA until 1991 under President George H. W. bush.
“I implore you to consider how crucial nonpartisan leadership and experience are,” Webster wrote. It is essential to the safety of the American people, including your own families. “”.
Andy Harris, the chair of the House Freedom Caucus, told Fox Business on Thursday that the Republicans in the chamber must decide whether the current leadership “is what we need” when they form a unified GOP government the following year.
“I supported him until the past few weeks, but we should now think about the best course of action,” Harris (R-Md. referring to Speaker Mike Johnson. “We must think about whether the current leadership is sufficient if we are to further Mr. Trump’s agenda. “.”.
Harris’ remarks follow his indication last week that he was undecided about supporting Johnson in the January election. In a statement, he said he was “now undecided on what House leadership should look like in the 119th Congress,” referring to the three speaker votes. “”.
Following his management of temporary government funding, Johnson’s relationship with his right flank is strained. Despite the fact that the speaker managed to keep opposition to the final proposal, which would provide government funding until mid-March, at just 34 GOP no votes, his handling of the funding debate caused fury throughout the conference.
Johnson’s political future is in jeopardy as a result of the mounting anger directed at him. since it is anticipated that Republicans will hold a 219–215 majority in January. 3. Johnson can only afford one Republican vote against him because Matt Gaetz resigned early.
Rep. The R-Ky. Thomas Massie. became the first Republican to promise to support a different candidate. However, in the wake of the continuing resolution, a number of Republicans, including Harris, have stated that they are unsure or have not stated whether they will support Johnson.
A few of Johnson’s supporters have openly called on Trump to support him prior to the vote in order to strengthen his position and lessen the likelihood of a drawn-out speaker gavel battle. Additionally, they have issued a warning that they may not be able to validate Trump’s electoral college victory in January if they are unable to swiftly resolve the speaker race. 6. .
Johnson has put a lot of effort into maintaining Trump’s support. Additionally, one Trump adviser told POLITICO earlier this month that there wouldn’t be any pushback if someone challenged Johnson, despite the fact that the president-elect hasn’t publicly criticized Johnson since the funding dispute.
Harris suggested that the incoming president is “evaluating whether that exists” and stated on Thursday that Trump will require “strong leadership” in light of the slim margins held by House Republicans. “”.
During a campaign stop with outgoing Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio), Harris suggested that Johnson be considered as a speaker candidate, despite his declaration on Thursday that he was backing Johnson up until his handling of the spending debate. Bob Good (R-Va. and other members of the Freedom Caucus in March. Jordan has stated time and time again that he is not seeking the speaker’s gavel or any other position of authority.
“I think Jim Jordan is cool. He ought to be considered for the position of speaker, in my opinion. When asked why he didn’t back a possible ouster vote against Johnson at the time, Harris stated in March, “I think he will have a shot at being speaker after the election.”.
After Speaker Kevin McCarthy was removed last year, Jordan was one of the GOP’s nominees for speaker, but he failed to receive 218 votes on the floor.
Sen is the most recent member. -elect Jim Justice (R-W). Virginia. ().
How they got there: By easily defeating Democrat Glenn Elliott by over 40 percentage points, Justice, the current governor of West Virginia, turned the Senate seat over to the Republicans.
Inside the campaign Justice has been the overwhelming favorite for this crucial GOP flip opportunity since declaring his intention to run for the Senate in April 2023. Rep was easily dispatched by him. Mooney Alex (R-W. Virginia. by over 35 percentage points in the GOP primary.
The Senate presents an alluring opportunity since Justice is termed out as governor. Longtime Sen made his push even simpler. In his announcement, Joe Manchin (I) said he would not seek reelection. I’ll tell you this: you and we rocked the world, and now that D.C is happening, the challenges are unimaginable. During his victory speech, Justice stated.
Justice has stated to reporters in West Virginia that he hopes to secure positions on the Finance and Energy committees. He has particularly criticized the Biden administration’s energy and southern border policies, which he will undoubtedly bring up once he is a senator.
Justice’s attendance is one non-policy issue of interest. Earlier this year, members of both parties told POLITICO about the governor’s inconsistent attendance record in the state. Others worry that his health may make it more difficult for him to participate in regular Senate business.
Background: Justice, who inherited a coal mining company and owns the financially troubled Greenbrier luxury resort, is among the wealthiest individuals in West Virginia.
Initially elected as a Democrat in 2016, he swiftly changed his party affiliation and became a Republican less than seven months later. He has had strong approval ratings during his time as governor and won reelection with ease in 2020.
One particularly striking campaign ad featured Justice and his ubiquitous pet dog, Babydog, urging voters to cast their ballots early in the Senate contest. “Bring it home for me and Babydog,” he said.
Fun fact: Even while serving as governor, Justice has consistently been the head coach of the girls basketball team at Greenbrier East High School in Fairlea, West Virginia, since 2003.
During the transition, we’re highlighting new members. Meet the Reps if you want more. Wesley Bell (D-Mo.) is elected. Latimer, George (D-N. Yep. ).
