In response to Sen. Chuck Schumer’s (D-NY) threatening message directed at two pro-life Supreme Court Justices, over a dozen Republican senators introduced a resolution Thursday to censure their Democratic colleague. But one Republican senator has gone on the record to explain why he would vote against the measure — and it has to do with making life a little easier for President Trump.
The comments that inspired the Republicans’ resolution came during an event hosted by abortion activists outside the Supreme Court on Wednesday. “Over the last three years, women’s reproductive rights have come under attack in a way we haven’t seen in modern history,” Schumer told the radical abortion activists. “Republican legislatures are waging a war on women, all women, and they’re taking away fundamental rights.”
After leveling the usual dire accusations against Republicans, Schumer directed his statement to Trump-nominated Supreme Court Justices Neil Gorsuch and Brett Kavanaugh. “I want to tell you Gorsuch, I want to tell you Kavanaugh, you have released the whirlwind and you will pay the price. You won’t know what hit you if you go forward with these awful decisions,” Schumer declared.
In response, Sen. Josh Hawley (R-MO) sponsored a motion Thursday to censure Schumer for undermining the independence of the judiciary. Fourteen other Republican senators signed on: Ted Cruz (TX), Mike Braun (IN), Joni Ernst (IA), Ben Sasse (NE), Mike Lee (UT), Rick Scott (FL), Steve Daines (MT), Thom Tillis (NC), Kevin Cramer (ND), Kelly Loeffler (GA), David Perdue (GA), Jim Inhofe (OK), Tim Scott (SC), and Martha McSally (AZ).
The motion, Majority Whip John Thune (R-SD) said, first has to move through committee, as reported by the Washington Times.
Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC), meanwhile, says he’s against the resolution, but not why one might think. The problem with censuring Schumer over his comments, the senator suggested, is that it opens up a can of worms, particularly for Trump.
“I don’t want to start censuring everybody,” said Graham, as reported by CNN. “If we start censuring him, they’re going to want to censure Trump, and this stuff never ends,” he added.
Another reason he’s not enthused about the resolution, Graham said, is that Schumer has since walked back, at least partially, his incendiary statement.
“Now, I should not have used the words I used yesterday. They didn’t come out the way I intended to,” Schumer said Thursday after significant backlash. “My point was that there would be political consequences, political consequences for President Trump and Senate Republicans if the Supreme Court, with the newly confirmed justices, stripped away a woman’s right to choose.”
Schumer did not explain how there could be “political consequences” for Gorsuch and Kavanaugh.
Among those who called out the Democratic senator for his comments was Chief Justice John Roberts, who issued a rare rebuke Wednesday condemning Schumer’s threat as “inappropriate” and “dangerous.”
“This morning, Senator Schumer spoke at a rally in front of the Supreme Court while a case was being argued inside,” said the Chief Justice in a statement Wednesday. “Senator Schumer referred to two Members of the Court by name and said he wanted to tell them that ‘You have released the whirlwind, and you will pay the price. You will not know what hit you if you go forward with these awful decisions.’ Justices know that criticism comes with the territory, but threatening statements of this sort from the highest levels of government are not only inappropriate, they are dangerous. All Members of the Court will continue to do their job, without fear or favor, from whatever quarter.”
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