Republican Sen. Tom Cotton suggested Republicans should literally force Democrats to vote on President Trump’s nominees Tuesday, by ordering the sergeant at arms to “haul” them into the committee room.
“I don’t know how long they plan to do this,” Cotton said on the Senate floor, after Democrats began a “boycott” of committee-level votes on several of Trump’s nominees. “I don’t know if they intend to abscond out of the District, if we’re going to have to vote to have the sergeant at arms track them down, haul them to work to do their business.”
The sergeant at arms takes orders from the Senate majority leader, currently Republican Mitch McConnell, who has the authority to enforce a quorum call. If Republicans agree to support the move, McConnell could order the sergeant at arms to physically bring Democrats into the room for a vote, although the move is somewhat unlikely.
Nevertheless, Cotton remarked on the sergeant at arms standing in the chamber: “He has a distinguished record in military and law enforcement. He could probably do that effectively.”
