Hawkeye Reporter

Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) has, for the second time in a week, requested unanimous consent to confirm 10 U.S. Attorney nominees who advanced from the Judiciary Committee by voice vote following bipartisan vetting. Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) objected to Grassley’s request, blocking confirmation of the nominees.

“As I explained just a few days ago, communities around our country are in desperate need of U.S. Attorneys to protect the public and uphold the rule of law. Eighty-one percent of Americans think that crime in large cities is a major problem,” Grassley said on the Senate floor.

“For months, I’ve repeatedly tried to engage my Democratic colleagues to end their obstruction. I’ve warned that their tactics ultimately hurt the American people and will lead to lasting damage to the Senate as an institution ... I’m disappointed that my Democratic colleagues have chosen to place partisan obstruction over public safety,” Grassley continued.

The nominees have been awaiting confirmation for months after being approved by committee, due to what Republicans describe as historic obstruction from Senate Democrat leadership. This includes a blanket hold on all 93 U.S. Attorney positions.

After Schumer objected, Grassley sought unanimous consent for only two of the 10 nominees: Daniel Rosen for U.S. Attorney for Minnesota and David Waterman for U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Iowa. Rosen was supported by home state Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) and Tina Smith (D-Minn.), and would be involved in managing the federal response to a mass shooting at Annunciation Catholic Church where two children were killed and 18 others injured. Waterman was previously nominated by former President Joe Biden last Congress and had also advanced through committee this session; both nominations were blocked.

Schumer and Judiciary Ranking Member Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) have opposed such holds in past sessions, stating these practices undermine public safety and are unsustainable.

“U.S. Attorneys and Marshals aren’t political positions – their job is literally to keep Americans safe. They are federal prosecutors. They are federal law enforcement... Delaying the appointment of U.S. Attorneys and U.S. Marshals over cheap partisan games ultimately makes Americans less safe and weakens law enforcement,” Schumer said on February 16, 2022.

“[Senate Republicans] are putting us on the path to requiring cloture and confirmation votes for every U.S. Attorney nominee. This is entirely unsustainable, which is something everyone here knows. Without Senate-confirmed leadership of U.S. Attorneys, public safety will suffer across the United States,” Durbin stated on September 11, 2024.

The blocked nominees include Daniel Rosen (Minnesota), Erik Siebert (Eastern District of Virginia), David Metcalf (Eastern District of Pennsylvania), David Waterman (Southern District of Iowa), Ronald A. Parsons Jr. (South Dakota), Bart McKay Davis (Idaho), Kurt Alme (Montana), Nicolas Chase (North Dakota), Lesley Murphy (Nebraska), and Kurt Wall (Middle District of Louisiana). Some received blue slips from Democratic senators indicating support from their home states.

Grassley criticized comparisons made between current holds led by Democrats with previous Republican actions as not equivalent; he argued that prior GOP holds affected only a small number of nominations while Democrats’ current strategy affects all pending appointments.

He reiterated his willingness to compromise by holding roll call votes on five nominations but expressed disappointment that no agreement had been reached so far.

Grassley concluded his remarks by urging an end to what he described as partisan obstruction so that qualified law enforcement officials can take up their posts: “Debate and disagreement about policy is to be expected, but it should never come at the expense of public safety.”