Flake Alone
Flake said he was determined to resist the tariff situation Trump supports and seek to bring about a reversal to those implementations.
“I do think that unless we can actually do something other than just approving the president’s executive calendar, his nominees, judges, that we have no reason to be there,” Flake said. “So I think myself and a number of Senators, at least a few of us, will stand up and say let’s not move any more Judges until we get a vote, for example, on tariffs.”
However many prominent Senators weren’t onboard with Flakes idea.
“My preference would be that the trade issues be handled in the Finance Committee. I’ve been meeting with my staff, and we’re trying to come up with a consensus approach,” John Cornyn said. “I think rather than offering those amendments on the floor on unrelated legislation, it’s better to have the Finance Committee, which has primary jurisdiction, take that up.”
Another Senator made it clear he was not in support of Flake’s decision to counter Trump.
“I am not holding up judicial nominees for that purpose,” Sen. Patrick Toomey said. “It is very important to me that we get a vote, and I think we’re going to get a vote.”
With such a strong lack of support maybe Flake may find the going better with Democrats, but without the support of his colleagues it was unlikely.
