Sen. Hawley to censure Schumer after ‘intimidation’ of SCOTUS justices
Chief justice of the Supreme Court rebukes Senator Chuck Schumer
Reaction and analysis from the ‘Special Report’ All-Star panel.
Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., said he plans to introduce a motion to censure Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., for saying Wednesday that Supreme Court Justices Brett Kavanaugh and Neil Gorsuch would «pay a price» during a pro-choice rally.
Schumer singled out President Trump’s two nominees to the high court on Wednesday as the justices heard arguments Thursday related to a Louisiana abortion law case.
«I want to tell you, Gorsuch. I want to tell you, Kavanaugh. You have released the whirlwind and you will pay the price!» Schumer warned. «You won’t know what hit you if you go forward with these awful decisions.»
SUPREME COURT AT APPARENT ODDS OVER KEY ABORTION CASE ON CLINIC ACCESS RESTRICTIONS
In a tweet, Hawley called on Schumer to apologize.
«I would call on Schumer to apologize, but we all know he has no shame. So tomorrow I will introduce a motion to censure Schumer for his pathetic attempt at intimidation» of SCOTUS, he tweeted.
Only nine members of the Senate have been censured since 1789, according to the Senate Historical Office.
Schumer’s remarks sparked criticism from Trump, the GOP and rebuke from Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts, who called the «threatening statements» «dangerous» and «inappropriate.»
Schumer’s spokesman Justin Goodman responded to Roberts by accusing him of bias. He said the «price» the justices would pay would be political in nature for the GOP.
«Women’s health care rights are at stake and Americans from every corner of the country are in anguish about what the court might do to them,» Goodman said in a statement to Fox News. “Sen. Schumer’s comments were a reference to the political price Senate Republicans will pay for putting these justices on the court, and a warning that the justices will unleash a major grassroots movement on the issue of reproductive rights against the decision.
“For Justice Roberts to follow the right wing’s deliberate misinterpretation of what Sen. Schumer said, while remaining silent when President Trump attacked Justices [Sonia] Sotomayor and [Ruth Bader] Ginsberg last week, shows Justice Roberts does not just call balls and strikes,» he added.
The references were related to Trump’s call for the liberal justices to recuse themselves from some cases.
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Schumer’s remarks came as the court heard June Medical Services LLC v. Russo, a dispute dealing with the restrictions over who can perform abortions in Louisiana. The case involves a law similar to one in Texas that the court ruled was unconstitutional in 2016.
The case is part of a larger effort by conservative-led states to pass restrictive abortion laws in to test how supportive the new justices will be of precedents such as Roe v. Wade
Fox News’ Gregg Re and Ronn Blitzer contributed to this report.
