Senator Chuck Schumer of New York, the Democratic minority leader, intends on Tuesday to put a hold on all Justice Department political appointees awaiting Senate confirmation until he gets more information on plans by President Trump to accept a luxury airliner from Qatar.
Mr. Schumer’s expected announcement of his blockade of administration nominees comes after he and other Senate Democrats assailed Mr. Trump on Monday for his decision to accept the jet, which is estimated to be worth as much as $500 million and would serve as Air Force One.
“This is not just naked corruption,” Mr. Schumer plans to say, according to remarks prepared for a Senate floor speech. “It is also a grave national security threat.”
In the speech, Mr. Schumer is expected to call for the Justice Department’s Foreign Agents Registration Act Unit to report on any activities by Qatari agents in the United States that could benefit the president or any of his family’s businesses. The minority leader also plans to demand information from the administration about the jet itself, such as whether it comes with security enhancements or whether they must be provided by the United States. And he wants information about what the jet means for future presidential planes that the government has already agreed to buy from Boeing.
Among Mr. Schumer’s requests is that Attorney General Pam Bondi, who evidently signed off on the gift, testify before Congress on why receiving such an extravagant item from a foreign entity would not violate the Constitutional prohibition on presidential gifts unless approved by Congress or allowed by other ethics laws.
“Until the American people learn the truth about this deal, I will do my part to block the galling and truly breathtaking politicization at the Department of Justice,” Mr. Schumer intends to say.
According to Mr. Schumer’s office, three Justice Department nominees are awaiting floor votes, but his hold could ultimately be extended to dozens more, including nominees for U.S. attorney and U.S. marshal.
Putting a hold on a nominee does not mean they cannot eventually be confirmed, given that Republicans control the Senate. But it does require more floor time to conduct the required votes to overcome the objections. Democrats are already slow-walking Trump nominees, a fact noted on Monday by Senator John Thune of South Dakota, the Republican majority leader.
In remarks on the floor, Mr. Thune pointed to continuing Democratic objections to virtually every Trump nominee and urged Democrats to cooperate and allow some of the president’s choices to be considered in batches. He said, though, that Republicans would continue to confirm administration nominees even if Democrats did not relent. That could mean late-night or weekend votes or lost recess days to eliminate any backlog.
“If we have to do this the hard way, we will,” Mr. Thune said. “We’re going to get the president’s team in place.”
