Senate panel votes 21-1 to back Justice IG measure over Graham objections

[gratuitous]

Wow, the only "no" vote was the chairman of the committee. Losing control, Lindsay?

Senate panel votes 21-1 to back Justice IG measure over Graham objections

The Senate Judiciary Committee approved legislation on Thursday to expand the authority of the Justice Department inspector general over opposition from Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) and the Department of Justice (DOJ).

The committee voted 21-1 on the legislation, which would give the DOJ watchdog the authority to investigate attorneys within the department. Graham was the only senator to vote against the measure.

The vote sends it to the full Senate, where supporters acknowledge they don't know if it will get taken up for a vote in the face of opposition from Graham, who chairs the Judiciary Committee, and Attorney General William Barr.

It's not a done deal by any stretch of the imagination, but it's encouraging to see that the likes of Sen. Graham are getting some pushback at long last.

[Retrograde]

1. Now if they could use their newly grown spines

to push back on McConnell I'd say something nice about them.

[nykym]

2. We need to keep pushing these measures

if not to continually piss off repugs, but to show that we as Democrats believe in the rule of law.

[erronis]

3. How much of this is just theatre? Throw a bone out there to keep them off guard, knowing

that this will never pass.

I really think most senators and representatives (mainly [r]epuglicon) are just kabuki actors. They don't care about what they're saying as long as the paint job is good enough. They don't even care about their US paycheck or pension or healthcare since they are mainly slurping at the big $$$$ trough.

[gratuitous]

4. It certainly might be an act

But then again, it also might prove embarrassing for some of the committee members to have to explain their "yes" vote in committee and their failure to bring the measure to a vote of the full Senate. The Majority Leader will probably run interference to avoid even bringing the matter up for a vote, but even then, the question can be fairly asked of the Republican members of the committee why they were willing to buck their committee chairman but not the Majority Leader to do right by the American people.

But for today, the time was right to do the right thing.

[chowder66]

5. If his seat was perfectly safe he would have voted with the rest.

This is because Lindsay has lost donors and could be in trouble.

[musclecar6]

6. Lindsey

Is good at one thing, at least figuratively.

[obamanut2012]

7. What's that?

[sandensea]

8. They don't call him Lady G for nothin'

[johnthewoodworker]

9. Somebody is pressuring LadyG. I wonder what they have on him?

[NNadir]

10. The glare of history on the likes of Graham and McConnell will be very unkind.

They will be in historian hell along with other traitors.