Pirro to Get Do-Over US Attorney Vote After Procedure Dispute (1)

Jeanine Pirro and several other US attorney nominees are scheduled for a do-over vote in the Senate Judiciary Committee after Democrats complained the majority didn’t follow chamber rules.

Pirro, a former Fox News host tapped to be US attorney for the District of Columbia, is among nominees relisted on the agenda for the committee’s scheduled July 24 meeting.

The development comes one day after the panel voted Thursday in favor of Pirro and the other US attorney nominees, even though committee Democrats left the meeting in protest over the committee proceeding to a vote on the nomination of Justice Department official Emil Bove for a federal appeals court seat while they were trying to speak.

All 12 Republicans voted in favor of Pirro, and Senate Judiciary Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) announced the nomination as favorably reported at the time.

“After consultation with the Senate Parliamentarian, the Senate Judiciary Committee relisted this week’s U.S. Attorney nominees and looks forward to reporting them out of Committee next Thursday,” said Clare Slattery, a Grassley spokesperson. “It’s unfortunate Democrats chose to obstruct regular Committee procedure and oppose law and order nominees who will make American communities safer.”

Josh Sorbe, a spokesperson for Judiciary Democrats, said in a statement Friday that Republicans violated chamber rules by proceeding with votes without a quorum. Committee rules state that no business should be conducted without at least two members of the minority party.

Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), the panel’s top Democrat, said in a statement Thursday that Grassley “blocked Democratic members from discussing the controversial records.”