Cameron Smith: Senate Republicans issue another strongly worded statement that isn’t

This is an opinion column

After Donald Trump’s conviction in New York, Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT) is throwing down the gauntlet in the United States Senate. “Strongly worded statements are not enough,” Lee posted on X. “Those who turned our judicial system into a political cudgel must be held accountable.” As frustrated as Republicans are at Trump’s conviction, we shouldn’t fall for partisan performance art from our own politicians.

“We are no longer cooperating with any Democrat legislative priorities or nominations,” Lee and Senate colleagues boldly declared, “and we invite all concerned Senators to join our stand.”

So Lee and company were previously cooperating with Democrat legislative priorities and nominations? Nobody in the entire country actually believes that. And let’s be clear, Democrats in the United States Senate didn’t have anything to do with New York District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s politicized prosecution of Donald Trump.

The whole premise is foggy brained.

Bragg is a state-level New York Democrat who ran on holding Trump accountable for any criminal activity. The White House is currently occupied by a Democrat. Therefore, the White House has turned the entire American judicial system into its political weapon. As a consequence, Republicans will no longer work with any Senate Democrats. That’s the logic that Republicans must entertain to believe there’s an important nexus between Democratic members of the United States Senate and Bragg’s prosecution of Trump.

What they’re really implying is that Democrats are all singing from the same hymnal, so every Democrat is liable for Bragg’s activities. That would make sense other than the fact it’s completely disconnected from reality.

I’m a conservative Republican. I disagree with most Democrats on a number of critical issues. Immigration law enforcement, respect for the Second Amendment, abortion policy, and public school choice are just a few examples. There are myriad policy areas that don’t fall conveniently along partisan lines. Transportation policy, foreign policy, regulation of artificial intelligence, regulatory reform, and even fish and wildlife issues immediately come to mind.

A blanket refusal to work with Democrats is nothing short of ineffective representation. Lee, Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-AL), Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), and the other senators signing the letter should work with Democrats wherever they can to advance priorities important to their respective states. If we take a closer look at what the letter actually says, it’s political speak at its worst.

Here is the letter:

The White House has made a mockery of the rule of law and fundamentally altered our politics in un-American ways. As a Senate Republican conference, we are unwilling to aid and abet this White House in its project to tear this country apart. To that end, we will not 1) allow any increase to non-security related funding for this administration, or any appropriations bill which funds partisan lawfare; 2) vote to confirm this administration’s political and judicial appointees; and 3) allow expedited consideration and passage of Democrat legislation or authorities that are not directly relevant to the safety of the American people.

I’ll concede the argument that the White House has made a “mockery of the rule of law.” Look at President Joe Biden’s student debt forgiveness efforts. Both the Supreme Court and lower appellate courts have emphasized that Biden doesn’t have legal authority to unilaterally discharge student loan debt. He doesn’t care what the law happens to be when politics are on the line. A special counsel also found evidence that Biden willfully retained and shared highly classified information as a private citizen. The counsel didn’t recommend charges because of Biden’s poor memory about what transpired. Neither example has anything to do with Trump’s conviction in New York.

Altering “our politics in un-American ways” could describe just about any current politician and most of social media. That part is nothing but fluff. But then Lee offers three specifics:

1. No increase in non-security funding while Biden is president or any appropriations bill which funds partisan lawfare. Our federal government is already operating on radically bloated post-COVID-19 spending levels that haven’t come back down to reality. With this “fight,” all the signatories could still vote for continuing appropriations that don’t increase spending or have the phrase “partisan lawfare” in them. Not impressive.
2. No support for Biden political appointees or judges. Again, a blanket refusal to consider nominees is weird. The signatories of the letter aren’t going to support unqualified nominees. Why oppose nominees who are qualified based on an unrelated state prosecution in New York?
3. Deny unanimous consent for legislation that isn’t related to the safety of the American people. Forcing the Senate to vote isn’t a bad practice generally, but gumming up the works in a slow election year isn’t exactly a radical departure from current political norms. And whenever the signatories want to support something, they’ll just find a way to connect it with public safety. Not difficult.

In an effort to show voters they’re “fighting back,” Lee and company issued yet another strongly worded statement threatening to do much of what they’re already doing. The American political class isn’t actually doing that much in the first place. Senators declaring that they’ll do even less as a matter of protest is hilarious.

Developing a plan to reduce federal spending? Let’s go. Want to enact immigration reform that works for America? I’m on board. I’d even settle for more oversight into federal red snapper management in the Gulf of Mexico. Republicans should be interested in exactly two priorities from senators: Advancing conservative policies or raising the money to elect Republicans who will advance conservative policies.

Republicans need to laser focus on those metrics and cut bait with elected officials who can’t do at least one of them. We also need to get over the bad habit of clapping for people who issue strongly worded statements with no practical impact. Until we expect our own politicians to do more than make bold declarations we like to hear, we’re not going to get the policy changes and majorities we want.

Smith is a recovering political attorney with four boys, two dogs, a bearded dragon, and an extremely patient wife. He’s a partner in a media company, a business strategy wonk, and a regular on talk radio. Please direct outrage or agreement to csmith@al.com or @DCameronSmith on X or @davidcameronsmith on Threads.