A radical, left-wing judge was just awarded a lifetime appointment to the 11th Circuit, and Republicans have no one to blame but themselves.
As RedState recently reported, Judge Embry Kidd’s nomination for the 11th District was scheduled to be voted on by the full Senate on Monday evening. Let’s get to the point: Embry did it approved by a vote of 49 to 45, but here’s the kicker: Five Republicans didn’t show up to vote.
The vote was 49 to 45 #Senate confirmed the appointment of Embry J. Kidd as United States District Judge for the Eleventh Circuit.
Senator Manchin voted no.
Braun, Daines, Fetterman, Hagerty, Rubio and Vance did not vote.
— Senate Press Gallery (@SenatePress) November 18, 2024
The door was opened for Kidd’s nomination to be rejected by outgoing West Virginia senator, former Democrat Joe Manchin, who voted no for Kidd. All Republicans would have to do is walk right through that door and the good people of Florida, Alabama and Georgia would be saved from having to endure decades of Embry Kidd’s tender legal advocacy on crime.
The Republicans who did not show up to vote were:
- Senator Mike Brown
- Senator Steve Daines
- It is. Bill Hagerty
- Sen. Marco Rubio
- You. JD Vance
It’s particularly confusing that Rubio, recently appointed as Donald Trump’s secretary of state, didn’t show up for a vote that could have a lasting impact on Floridians. Judge Kidd is only forty-one, just a year older than JD Vance, and therefore could serve in the 11th Circuit or higher for many decades to come.
The governor of Florida took note.
This left-wing judge would have been voted out and the seat in the crucial 11th District would have been filled by Donald Trump next year if Republicans had shown up.
Now the left wing judge will have a lifetime appointment and the people of FL, AL and GA will suffer… https://t.co/7h8uyfvLUq
— Ron DeSantis (@RonDeSantis) November 19, 2024
Now the leftist judge will be appointed for life and the people of FL, AL and GA will suffer the consequences.
And it’s not like there wasn’t ample reason for Republican senators to show up and vote against Kidd:
Although Republicans are currently in the minority, they successfully delayed the vote on Judge Kidd for several months because of concerns that he had failed to disclose that two of his convictions had been overturned; Both cases involved predatory sexual behavior towards children. Judicial nominees are required to submit a completed questionnaire to the Senate Judiciary Committee so members can properly vet the nominees, which Embry Kidd conveniently does failed to do.
If Republicans don’t have the hunger and determination to scuttle this lame-duck Senate session by preventing Joe Biden’s radical judicial appointments from being confirmed, then that hardly speaks to their tenacity to boldly enact meaningful change once they take control of the chamber January.
The second Trump administration could begin now, but Republicans need to be there in person to show who is in charge. Senator Manchin has stated He will not choose a Biden judicial nominee who does not have the endorsement of Republicans. So it’s challenging to imagine a more perfect opportunity for Republicans to stop the kind of left-wing judicial activism they’ve railed against for years.
Yes, Sens. Rubio and Vance are certainly distracted by their impending promotions, but Mar-a-Lago can wait. The dispute is currently taking place in the Senate.
RedState has reached out to the offices of Sens. Braun, Daines, Hagerty, Rubio and Vance for comment.
