Following a protest walkout by the Democrats over Emil Bove’s nomination for a federal appeals court judge position, the Senate Judiciary Committee, chaired by Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, moved forward with the votes. This subsequently advanced the candidacy of former Fox News host Jeanine Pirro to potentially become the top federal prosecutor for the nation’s capital.
Reports indicate that the Republican members of the Senate Judiciary Committee voted unanimously on Thursday to send Pirro’s nomination to the Senate floor. Grassley, presumably anticipating a straight party-line “no” vote from the Democrats, called for the vote while Sen. Cory Booker, D-N.J., was speaking, leading to the Democrats walking out of the hearing.
This development follows earlier reports that Grassley accused Booker of “obstruction.” Booker eventually joined his Democratic colleagues in walking out and did not return. The significance of this should not be overlooked.
Pirro has been serving as the acting U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia since May. This came after President Trump withdrew his first choice, Ed Martin Jr., due to a key Republican senator’s non-support, based on Martin’s vocal backing for the rioters who stormed the U.S. Capitol.
Pirro, who was once a TV host, was elected as a judge in New York’s Westchester County Court in 1990 before serving three terms as the county’s elected district attorney. The implications of her potential appointment raise important questions about the future dynamics of the Senate Judiciary Committee.
In conclusion, Jeanine Pirro’s nomination has advanced to the Senate floor, amidst a protest walkout by Democrats.