Pence breaks Senate tie to advance Trump's judicial nominee for North Carolina
by Susan Ferrechio
| November 28, 2018 01:42 PM
Vice President Pence on Wednesday cast the tie-breaking vote in the Senate to advance the nomination of Thomas Farr, who was nominated by President Trump to be a judge North Carolina’s Eastern District and has drawn staunch opposition from Democrats.
Pence was needed after Sen. Jeff Flake, R-Ariz., voted against Farr to protest the GOP leadership’s decision to block a unrelated bill to protect special counsel Robert Mueller. In the 51-49 Senate, Flake's opposition created a 50-50 tie that was broken by Pence.
That vote set up a final vote on Farr that is expected later this week.
Pence has been needed to break tie votes on several occasions, although it should get easier for Republicans next year, when they'll have a 53-47 majority. Flake, a constant critic of Trump's, is retiring after this year and won't hold a Senate seat.
Farr has been awaiting final confirmation since January, when the Senate Judiciary Committee approved him along party lines.
Democrats and civil rights groups have aggressively opposed the nomination based on Farr’s past work defending North Carolina’s voter ID law, which was invalidated by a federal court for suppressing black votes.
more
https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/pence-breaks-senate-tie-to-advance-trumps-judicial-nominee-for-north-carolina
