Republican senators signed a public letter to the White House on Friday, vowing to prevent the upper chamber from accomplishing anything — from appropriations to confirmations — in the wake of former President Trump’s guilty verdict.
“As a Senate Republican conference, we are unwilling to aid and abet this White House in its project to tear this country apart,” read a letter led by Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah.
On Thursday, Trump was found guilty of 34 counts of falsifying documents to cover up payments made to former porn star Stormy Daniels, a woman with whom he allegedly had an affair in 2006.
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Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, said he won’t allow the Senate to function and accomplish Democratic priorities, including confirming President Biden’s nominees, following former President Trump’s guilty verdict. (Getty Images)
The lawmakers laid out that they will no longer allow the Senate to run smoothly, by confirming President Biden’s nominees or allowing Congress to move forward with funding for the next fiscal year.
“Strongly worded statements are not enough. Those who turned our judicial system into a political cudgel must be held accountable. We are no longer cooperating with any Democrat legislative priorities or nominations, and we invite all concerned Senators to join our stand,” Lee announced on X.
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Sens. JD Vance, R-Ohio; Tommy Tuberville, R-Ala.; Eric Schmitt, R-Mo.; Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn.; Rick Scott, R-Fla.; Roger Marshall, R-Kan.; Marco Rubio, R-Fla.; Ron Johnson, R-Wis.; and Josh Hawley, R-Mo., joined Lee in stating they will refuse to allow any increases for funding that are unrelated to security.
The senators further claimed they wouldn’t allow “any appropriations bill which funds partisan lawfare.”
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President Biden was recently grilled by The Washington Post for all the embellished stories he has told audiences throughout his career. (Ting Shen/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
No political or judicial nominees proposed by Biden will receive their votes for confirmation either, they wrote.
Lastly, the Republicans said they won’t allow any “expedited consideration and passage of Democrat legislation or authorities that are not directly relevant to the safety of the American people.” This plan, if adhered to, would force Democrats to go through regular order to pursue legislative priorities, which can take a long time. The Senate relies on the common use of unanimous consent requests to expedite these processes.
Two of the signatories, Vance and Rubio, are being speculated as potential running mates for Trump as the Republican National Convention draws near.
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Former President Donald Trump arrives at Trump Tower in New York City on Thursday after being found guilty on 34 counts of falsifying business records in the first degree. (Felipe Ramales for Fox News Digital)
Scott is notably running for the position of Republican Senate Leader, vying to replace outgoing Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky.
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Congress will need to pass appropriations bills or a stopgap funding bill before the start of the next fiscal year in October, otherwise the government will shut down ahead of the November election.
White House spokesperson Andrew Bates told Fox News Digital in a statement, “President Biden knows the American people rightly expect their leaders in Washington to put the needs of constituents above partisanship, and to protect the rule of law – not to sabotage government or undercut law enforcement based on extreme, debunked conspiracy theories.”
“That’s why President Biden brought bipartisanship back to Washington, using his experience to deliver the biggest infrastructure investment in 70 years, the most significant gun crime legislation in 30 years, a landmark China competitiveness law, and historic legislation to care for our veterans,” he added.
“The radical and hyper partisan threats made in this letter would harm the American people in the name of politics and proven lies – whether it’s by blocking the appointment of U.S. Attorneys who prosecute criminals, district judges who sentence them, and U.S. Marshals who protect courthouses and track down fugitives, by damaging the effectiveness of government agencies, or by denying critical funding to Americans in areas ranging from small business growth to health care to education,” Bates said. “These Senators should reconsider putting themselves above their country.”
Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., did not provide comment to Fox News Digital.
