Cornyn and Tillis are using their leverage to effectively block judicial nominations

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Several Republican senators are complicating a White House plan to leave an enduring imprint on the judiciary long after President Donald Trump leaves office by throwing up obstacles for a handful of his judicial nominees in the final weeks of their Senate majority.

In Texas, outgoing Sen. John Cornyn has expressed reservations about a top Justice Department official who has been nominated for a federal judgeship in the Dallas area. The two Arkansas senators, both Republicans, opposed a Trump nominee to a powerful appeals court seat, forcing the White House to withdraw Trump’s pick this week. And in Oklahoma, an appointed GOP senator has thrown up sudden objections to a district court nominee after earlier giving him the green light.

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Central to this effort are Cornyn and retiring North Carolina Sen. Thom Tillis, both of whom serve on the Judiciary Committee and are using their leverage to effectively block nominations on behalf of Republicans who aren’t on the panel. Though it comes after the midterm losses that weakened Trump’s political standing, this under-the-radar judiciary fight is more about Republicans asserting their powers over the administration’s judge selections, which has long been a cherished prerogative for senators, particularly for their home states.

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