(Roll Call) — “This is a clear signal that the White House isn’t properly vetting nominees but instead counting on Senate Republicans to jam them through with minimal review,” Sen. Dianne Feinstein of California [said].”


In another example of the increased scrutiny President Donald Trump’s nominees are facing, the Senate Banking Committee on Tuesday rejected the nomination of former Rep. Scott Garrett, R-N.J., to lead the Export-Import Bank, with Republicans Tim Scott of South Carolina and Mike Rounds of South Dakota joining Democrats to vote him down.

Garrett was a vocal opponent of the bank when he was in Congress, and his nomination was in trouble from the start. But it follows a pattern of other nominees running into headwinds in the Republican-controlled Senate.

Three of Trump’s picks for federal judgeships in the last two weeks have withdrawn their nominations. Matt Petersen, a district court nominee, withdrew on Monday after facing fresh scrutiny due to an exchange with Sen. John N. Kennedy, R-La., during which Petersen was unable to answer basic legal questions.

Click to continue reading. By Joe Williams – Dec 19, 2017.