Senator Chuck Schumer of New York, the chief of the Democratic minority, intends on Tuesday to seize all the appointments of the Ministry of Justice pending confirmation from the Senate until he obtained more information on President Trump’s plans to accept a luxury airliner in Qatar.
The expected announcement of Mr. Schumer of his blockage of candidates for the administration comes after him and other Democrats in the Senate assaulted Mr. Trump on Monday for his decision to accept the jet, which is estimated at $ 500 million and would serve as the first air force.
“It is not only bare corruption,” said Schumer, according to remarks prepared for a Senate speech. “It is also a serious threat of national security.”
In the speech, Mr. Schumer should call to the unity of the law on the registration of agents of the Ministry of Justice to report on any activity of Qatari agents in the United States who could benefit the president or to one of the companies in his family. The minority leader also plans to ask for information from the administration on the Jet itself, for example if they are delivered with safety improvements or if it is to be provided by the United States. And he wants information on what the jet means for future presidential planes that the government has already agreed to buy from Boeing.
Among the requests of Mr. Schumer is that the Attorney General Pam Bondi, who clearly signed the gift, testify to the Congress on the reasons why the reception of such an extravagant article of a foreign entity would not violate the constitutional prohibition of presidential gifts unless the congress is authorized by other laws on ethics.
“Until the American people learn the truth about this agreement, I will do my part to block politicization and really breathtaking at the Ministry of Justice,” intends to say Mr. Schumer.
According to Mr. Schumer’s office, three candidates from the Ministry of Justice await votes on the ground, but his catch could ultimately be extended to dozens of others, including candidates for the American lawyer and the American marshal.
Taking a candidate does not mean that they can possibly be confirmed, since the Republicans control the Senate. But that requires more floor time to lead the votes required to overcome objections. Democrats are already the slowness of Trump’s candidates, a fact noted on Monday by Senator John Thune of the southern Dakota, the head of the Republican majority.
In remarks on the ground, Mr. Thune underlined the continuous democratic objections to almost all Trump’s candidates and urged Democrats to cooperate and allow some of the president’s choices to be taken by lots. He said, however, that the Republicans would continue to confirm the candidates for the administration even if the Democrats did not know. This could mean late evening or weekend votes or lost play days to eliminate any backwards.
“If we have to do so, we will,” said Thune. “We will set up the president’s team.”