Sen. Kamala Harris calls for halt on President Trump's judicial nominations during impeachment

Sen. Kamala Harris (D-Calif.) on Wednesday called for the Senate Judiciary Committee to stop the consideration of President Donald Trump's judicial nominees, arguing that the upper chamber made the same move during the impeachment of former President Bill Clinton.

What are the details?

"Today, the United States Senate will receive articles of impeachment against President Donald Trump and begin to determine whether the president's actions warrant his removal from office," Harris said in a statement.

"The president is charged with high crimes and misdemeanors, and the Senate must take seriously its constitutional role in this process. During the time when articles of impeachment are before the Senate, it would be wholly inappropriate to advance the president's nominees to the federal judiciary."

According to a press release from the senator's office, "From the time the Clinton impeachment articles were delivered to the Senate in 1999 to the date of the Senate's verdict, the Senate Judiciary Committee did not hold any nominations, hearings, or advance any nominations to a confirmation vote."

The Hill reported that "while Senate committees cannot hold votes during impeachment trials, they are free to hold hearings." The outlet reached out to Judiciary Committee Chairman Lindsey Graham's (R-S.C.) office for comment. The committee has a markup scheduled for Thursday.

Anything else?

Harris' request comes the same day President Trump celebrated being "in major record territory" for the number of judges he has successfully placed on the bench.

The president retweeted a message from Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) who declared, "In the last three years, President Trump has appointed and the Republican Senate has confirmed 50 circuit judges. That is already the most in any president's whole first term since 1980."