Democratic members of the Senate Judiciary Committee are delaying the vote to advance President Donald J. Trump’s Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Director nominee, Kash Patel, for one more week. Under committee rules, the minority party can hold over a nomination vote for one additional week until its next meeting. The Judiciary Committee’s minority ranking member, Senator Dick Durbin (I-IL), was the lawmaker who made the “hold over” request.
The committee’s chairman, Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-IA), blasted Democrat members for the delaying tactic: “Democrats are establishing a double standard by forcing us to meet this morning,” the Judiciary Committee chairman said, noting in the last Congress, Republicans did not force the committee to meet in person just to hold over nominations. However, Grassley relented, acknowledging: “The minority as well as myself has exercised their right and my right under the committee rules to hold over the nomination of Kash Patel to be Director of the FBI. So that nomination is held over.”
Sen. Durbin contends the delay is justified, claiming Patel made a “direct contradiction under oath” regarding his involvement with a choir comprised of individuals prosecuted and imprisoned by the Biden Department of Justice (DOJ) for their actions during the January 6 Capitol riots. Additionally, the Illinois Democrat contends the week delay will give lawmakers more time to review a book Patel wrote.
“It’s filled with grievances, filled with conspiracy theories, and filled with information about how he sided with the January 6th rioters against the police,” Durbin insisted after leaving the Judiciary Committee meeting on Thursday.
Despite the Democrat “hold over” on his nomination, Patel appears to already have enough votes to be approved by the full Senate. A final confirmation vote could come as soon as next weekend.
