'Conveyor belt of radicals': GOP slammed over Senate absences that helped Biden score more judges in lame duck

Senate Republicans faced criticism implicit respective ballot absences this week that allowed Democrats to corroborate judges oregon hold to extremity statement connected nominees that different could person been blocked if each of the missing GOP lawmakers were there. 

One peculiarly important ballot was connected Monday for a beingness assignment to the 11th U.S. Circuit Court, a coveted appeals tribunal slot to which Democrats did not person the votes to corroborate President Biden's nominee, since outgoing Sen. Joe Manchin, I-W.Va., voted against. 

However, since Sens. Mike Braun, R-Ind., Steve Daines, R-Mont., Bill Hagerty, R-Tenn., JD Vance, R-Ohio, and Marco Rubio, R-Fla., did not vote, the nominee was confirmed by 49 votes to 45 votes. 

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Joe Biden and Chuck Schumer scored judicial wins arsenic a effect of GOP Senate absences. (Reuters)

"This leftist justice would person been voted down and the spot connected the important 11th circuit would person been filled by Donald Trump adjacent twelvemonth had Republicans showed up," wrote Gov. Ron DeSantis, R-Fla., connected X. "Now, the leftist justice volition person a beingness assignment and the radical of FL, AL and GA volition endure the consequences."

Mike Davis, the erstwhile main counsel for nominations to erstwhile Senate Judiciary Chairman Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, told Fox News Digital, "A senator’s lone occupation is to amusement up and vote."

"President Biden is jamming done bottom-of-the-barrel extremist left-wing judges for beingness appointments to the national seat aft the American radical voted for melodramatic change. Senate Republicans indispensable bash everything they tin to halt this lame-duck conveyor loop of radicals. But if these Senate Republicans cannot adjacent amusement up to vote, fto unsocial statement for 4 hours connected each judge, wherefore should we ballot for these deadbeat senators?"

Davis is besides laminitis and president of the Article III Project. 

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DeSantis criticized Republicans implicit a circuit tribunal confirmation. (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall)

A elder Senate root confirmed to Fox News Digital that determination was irritation among the Republican league astir their colleagues' absences. The astir vocal astir it was Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., they said.

In a statement, Vice President-elect Vance said, "As a co-chairman of the transition, it’s captious that I’m focused connected making definite President Trump’s authorities is afloat staffed with radical who enactment his America First docket and volition beryllium acceptable to deed the crushed moving connected January 20th."

"However, it’s besides important to maine to bash everything successful my powerfulness to artifact much extremist judges from getting confirmed. So portion it whitethorn beryllium extracurricular of the norm for an incoming VP to instrumentality Senate votes successful the lame duck period, if my colleagues present successful the Senate archer maine that we person a existent accidental of beating 1 of these nominees, I’ll determination eden and world to beryllium determination for the vote," helium added. 

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In a abstracted statement, Brian Hughes, Trump-Vance Transition spokesperson said, "We cannot let Chuck Schumer to play games with the transition’s quality to unit the incoming administration. Under nary circumstances should we let extremist near judges to beryllium jammed done the Senate astatine the 11th hour, but the Vice President-elect is needed for the modulation to proceed moving up of schedule." 

Vance is notably the archetypal legislator successful implicit a period to ballot connected a judicial information aft being elected to beryllium vice president. 

The vice president-elect was astatine the Capitol during the second portion of the week facilitating meetings betwixt senators and Trump selections for cardinal medication posts. 

Vance was successful attendance for pivotal votes connected Wednesday, portion immoderate Republicans were inactive absent. 

A spokesperson for Daines pointed Fox News Digital to an X station from the senator, successful which helium elaborate question issues helium ran into connected his mode to Washington, D.C. "Runway closed owed to ice, past prolonged de-icing, past a aesculapian emergency…then Delta formation attendants timed out. Landed DC astatine 10 p.m. and voting until ~ midnight," helium said. 

Vance said helium would ‘move eden and earth’ to beryllium astatine important votes. (Stephen Maturen/Getty Images)

Daines' bureau said helium went instantly to the Senate level to ballot erstwhile helium yet landed successful the capital. 

The offices of Braun, Hagerty and Rubio did not supply remark to Fox News Digital successful clip for publication. Rubio was precocious selected by Trump to beryllium his nominee for Secretary of State.

While the circuit tribunal confirmation was the astir important ballot that GOP absences helped to advance, it wasn't the lone lawsuit of it happening this week. 

Braun, Hagerty, Vance, Rubio and Sens. Kevin Cramer, R-N.D., and Ted Cruz, R-Texas were absent for a ballot connected a territory tribunal nominee connected Tuesday that was yet confirmed, contempt Manchin opposing and Democrats not different having capable votes. 

Cruz was successful Texas connected the time of the ballot with Trump and billionaire Elon Musk for the motorboat of a SpaceX rocket. The legislator is the soon-to-be president of the Senate Committee connected Commerce, Science, and Transportation and told reporters this week that abstraction authorities "will beryllium a importantly higher precedence of the afloat committee." 

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He cited his travel to the launch, saying, "My number-one precedence is jobs. And commercialized abstraction generates tens of thousands of jobs crossed Texas and crossed the country."

Cramer's bureau did not supply remark successful clip for publication. 

On Wednesday, some Cruz and Braun missed different territory justice confirmation that Manchin opposed, handing Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., and Biden different accomplishment. 

Braun further missed different Wednesday ballot connected a territory justice that was opposed by outgoing Sen. Kyrsten Sinema, I-Ariz., allowing the nominee to beryllium confirmed. 

Braun was elected to beryllium Indiana's adjacent governor. (Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)

On Wednesday, Tillis spoke connected the Senate level connected the subject. "Schumer's trying to ram done Biden's wide judicial nominees. We tin artifact immoderate of them, but it requires ALL GOP senators to beryllium here. VP-elect [Vance] is simply a engaged antheral close now, but he's inactive present connected the Senate level holding the line, and truthful should each of our GOP colleagues," helium wrote connected X. 

The outgoing Indiana legislator returned connected Wednesday evening earlier Republicans managed to marque a woody with Schumer connected further judicial confirmation votes, securing 4 vacancies connected invaluable circuit courts for Trump successful speech for allowing votes connected a fig of territory tribunal judges without further stalling. 

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One GOP legislator told Fox News Digital that Senate Minority Whip John Thune, R-S.D., who was precocious elected to beryllium the adjacent GOP Senate leader, applied unit to absent senators specified arsenic Vance, Rubio and Braun, which resulted successful the eventual woody with Schumer. 

A elder Senate Republican root acquainted told Fox News Digital that Thune underscored the value of attendance astatine the GOP conference, particularly concerning judicial confirmation votes.