A dozen Senate Dems support expelling Menendez

A twelve Senate Democrats person signaled they are unfastened to taking nan drastic measurement of expelling Sen. Bob Menendez, convicted Tuesday connected 16 corruption charges, if he won't resign.

And that now includes a personnel of Democratic leadership. Sen. Debbie Stabenow, nan No. 3 successful nan caucus, said she backed expulsion successful a connection to POLITICO.

“After being recovered guilty, Senator Menendez should resign from nan U.S. Senate. If he does not, he should look expulsion. He has betrayed nan spot of his constituents and his work to this country,” she said.

Others calling for Menendez to either measurement speech aliases look expulsion see 7 incumbent Democrats facing reelection this fall: Sens. Sherrod Brown (Ohio), Tim Kaine (Va.), Tammy Baldwin (Wis.), Bob Casey (Pa.), Martin Heinrich (N.M.), Jacky Rosen (Nev.) and Jon Tester (Mont.). Additionally, 4 rank-and-file senators who aren't up for reelection this twelvemonth besides want to footwear Menendez if he doesn't resign, according to their spokespeople: Sens. Cory Booker (N.J.), Catherine Cortez Masto (Nev.) and Mark Kelly (Ariz.). Sen. Peter Welch (D-Vt.) is besides successful that group, according to a personification acquainted pinch his thinking.

And Sen. Michael Bennet (D-Colo.) “likely would,” according to his spokesperson.

A spokesperson for Sen. John Fetterman (D-Pa.) — Menendez’s main Senate antagonist arsenic he’s faced national charges — declined to remark connected Wednesday astir expelling Menendez, but nan Pennsylvania Democrat suggested earlier this year that he would support nan Senate taking specified a step.

Those early calls bespeak nan reality of a sadistic governmental ambiance for Democratic senators this fall. Democrats request to clasp onto astir each contested Senate seat, galore of them successful purple aliases reddish states, to support power of nan chamber. Allowing Menendez to stay successful nan Senate contempt his blameworthy verdict would make at-risk Democrats much susceptible to Republican attacks, peculiarly fixed Democrats' disapproval of erstwhile President Donald Trump's position arsenic a convicted felon.

Leading nan complaint connected expulsion is Booker, a longtime Menendez state who ultimately collapsed pinch nan incumbent past fall and called for his resignation.

“He must guidelines up now and time off nan Senate. He must do that,” Booker said Tuesday connected MSNBC. “And if he refuses to do that, I will lead that effort to make judge that he’s removed from nan Senate. It is conscionable nan point to do.”

If Booker aliases different legislator does move guardant pinch an expulsion resolution, nan process could spell a fewer different ways.

The solution could beryllium referred to committee — a time-consuming effort that would hold immoderate imaginable level votes. A legislator could alternatively effort and bring nan solution to a ballot done unanimous consent, but a azygous legislator could artifact it from moving forward. There are different procedural quirks senators could effort to navigate, but yet getting a ballot won’t beryllium nan speediest process and would yet require astatine slightest a two-thirds period to pass.

Asked astir expulsion, Rep. Andy Kim (D-N.J.), who’s moving to switch Menendez this fall, said successful a property convention Tuesday he hopes nan incumbent will measurement down successful bid to debar a drawn-out process. Menendez is still moving a longshot reelection bid arsenic an independent candidate.

“We’ve had a batch of votes, a batch of issues successful nan Senate complete nan past mates weeks, mates months, and nan legislator has not been present,” Kim said, referring to Menendez’s absence while connected trial. “We've seen really that's affected nan practice that New Jersey has and our sound successful nan U.S. Senate, which has been trim successful half because of that. And we conscionable can't person that resistance connected immoderate longer.”

If Menendez does resign aliases get expelled, New Jersey Democratic Gov. Phil Murphy would beryllium tasked pinch appointing a successor. He could name Kim, though successful a connection connected Tuesday he said he would nominate a “temporary” replacement, indicating he could beryllium eyeing a placeholder candidate.

Menendez’s agency did not respond to requests for comment, though nan legislator vowed to entreaty his condemnation connected Tuesday pursuing nan verdict. He besides maintained: “I person ne'er violated my nationalist oath.”

And while Menendez is facing a caller activity of calls to resign from his Democratic colleagues — including Majority Leader Chuck Schumer — astir of them aren’t publically backing booting him if he won’t measurement down voluntarily. At least, truthful far.

POLITICO contacted nan offices of each Democratic legislator Wednesday to inquire if they supported expelling Menendez. Most didn’t respond aliases referred backmost to statements that didn’t mention whether aliases not they yet supported expulsion.

Republicans person mostly stayed coy connected nan Menendez flap and whether they’d lend their votes to expelling nan New Jersey Democrat. Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.), who’s seeking to go GOP leader successful nan adjacent Congress, said Tuesday that Menendez should resign and that it would beryllium “appropriate” to expel him if he doesn’t.

Minority Leader Mitch McConnell’s agency did not respond to requests for remark connected really nan Senate should grip Menendez.

Expelling Menendez would require support from two-thirds of nan Senate. Even if Republicans yet unified down nan measurement — which they haven’t done truthful acold — astir 18 Democrats would person to ballot pinch them to successfully region Menendez, assuming afloat attendance.

Such a ballot could besides beryllium delayed until aft a pending morals report. Sens. Chris Coons (D-Del.) and James Lankford (R-Okla.), who lead nan Ethics Committee, said successful a connection Tuesday that nan sheet would decorativeness its investigation into Menendez “promptly” and “will see nan afloat scope of disciplinary actions disposable nether nan Rules of Procedure.”

Expulsion is simply a historically different and uncommon measurement for nan Senate to really take, but nan threat is simply a acquainted 1 for New Jersey politicians.

Back successful 1981, nan Ethics sheet called nan nationalist corruption of then-Sen. Harrison A. Williams (D-N.J.) “ethically repugnant” and demanded his expulsion. The legislator yet resigned earlier nan matter was put to a level vote. He served 2 years successful national prison.

And successful 1995 — nan past clip a legislator faced nan threat of expulsion — nan committee voted to urge expulsion for Sen. Robert Packwood (R-Ore.), who subsequently announced he would resign.

Just 15 members of nan Senate person ever been successfully expelled from office, 14 of whom were booted for allegiances to nan confederacy during nan Civil War. The past existent expulsion ballot occurred successful 1942 against Sen. William Langer (R-N.D.) complete allegations of corruption — and was unsuccessful.