North Columbus News

Senator JD Vance (R-OH) has rejected what he calls "banana republic" tactics from President Biden and continues his hold policy for nominees to the Biden Department of Justice (DOJ). This policy was originally announced in response to the DOJ's political prosecution of former President Donald J. Trump.

In his objection to Senate Democrats' unanimous consent requests for DOJ nominees, Senator Vance expressed his concerns. He highlighted the fentanyl crisis in the country and placed blame on President Biden's border policies for allowing record levels of fentanyl into the United States. He stated, "I think it takes a special amount of gall to be from Joe Biden's political party and to complain about the fentanyl crisis...because it is Joe Biden's border policies that have invited this fentanyl into our country at record levels."

Senator Vance also addressed Senator Durbin's mention of the unprecedented nature of his hold policy. He acknowledged that previous DOJ nominees had been approved through unanimous consent, but argued that the Department of Justice was not attempting to imprison the political rival of the President at that time. He stated, "What the senator from Illinois doesn't mention...is that in that time, when these nominations sailed through unanimous consent, the Department of Justice was not trying to throw the political rival of the President of the United States in prison."

Senator Vance firmly stated his objection to the unanimous consent requests, emphasizing his belief that the Department of Justice is being used by President Biden to target his political opponents. He said, "I object to this because we are living in a banana republic where the President is using his Department of Justice to go after his chief political rival, the person he will appear on the ballot with in about a year." He further added, "If the Department of Justice will use these nominations for law instead of politics, I am happy to end this hold policy, but so long as the Department of Justice uses its nominations and uses its personnel to go after its political opponents from the President of the United States on down, I will object."

Senator Vance's objection reflects his concerns about the politicization of the Department of Justice and the need for nominees to be selected and appointed based on their qualifications and adherence to the law, rather than serving political interests.

The issue of DOJ nominees and the hold policy implemented by Senator Vance is part of a larger debate surrounding the role and independence of the Department of Justice in the current political landscape. As the situation unfolds, it remains to be seen how this disagreement will be resolved and what implications it may have for the functioning of the DOJ.

For additional details, please follow this link: https://www.vance.senate.gov/press-releases/senator-vance-rejects-banana-republic-tactics-from-joe-biden-continues-hold-policy-for-doj-nominees