Hawley Announces Motion to Censure Schumer for ‘Pathetic Attempt at Threatening’ Justices
Senator Josh Hawley (R., Mo.) said Wednesday that he would be introducing a motion to censure Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D., N.Y.) for “disgusting, shameful, and frankly, WEAK” comments directed at Justice Neil Gorsuch and Brett Kavanaugh.
“I would call on Schumer to apologize, but we all know he has no shame,” Hawley tweeted. “So tomorrow I will introduce a motion to censure Schumer for his pathetic attempt at intimidation.”
Schumer, addressing a crowd of abortion-rights advocates in front of the Supreme Court on Wednesday, threatened President Trump’s two appointees as the Supreme Court heard oral arguments for June Medical Services v. Russo, the first major pro-life case since 2016.
“You won’t know what hit you if you go forward with these awful decisions,” he said. “You won’t know what hit you if you go forward with these awful decisions.”
After a deluge of criticism, including a statement from Chief Justice John Roberts on the “dangerous” comments, Schumer held his ground and did not apologize.
“For Justice Roberts to follow the right wing’s deliberate misinterpretation of what Senator Schumer said, while remaining silent when President Trump attacked Justices Sotomayor and Ginsberg last week, shows Justice Roberts does not just call balls and strikes,” a spokesperson for Schumer responded.
President Trump also took aim at Schumer Wednesday evening, echoing the minority leader’s own language in saying that he should “pay a severe price” for threatening the justices.
There can be few things worse in a civilized, law abiding nation, than a United States Senator openly, and for all to see and hear, threatening the Supreme Court or its Justices. This is what Chuck Schumer just did. He must pay a severe price for this!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 5, 2020
Politico’s Playbook reported Thursday that Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R., Ky.) also plans to take aim at Schumer, and will denounce him in opening comments on the Senate floor.
“Contrary to what the Democratic leader has tried to claim, he very clearly was not addressing Republican lawmakers or anybody else,” McConnell’s comments read. “He literally directed the statement to the justices, by name. And he said, quote, ‘if you go forward with these awful decisions,’ which could only apply to the court itself. The minority leader of the United States Senate threatened two associate justices of the U.S. Supreme Court. Period.”
