WASHINGTON (NEXSTAR) - On Thursday Democrats pushed through an effort to subpoena two conservative activists as part of the Judiciary Committee's investigation into Supreme Court ethics.
Tensions boiled over at the start of the meeting, when Senator Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) called for a vote on judicial nominees. Republican lawmakers erupted in anger when Durbin stopped them from commenting, insisting there had already been two other opportunities for debate on those nominees.
"Mr. chairman don't we get the opportunity to speak?" Tennessee GOP Senator Marsha Blackburn asked.
"We're in a roll call," Durbin responded.
"So you're telling us to shut up?" Blackburn retorted.
"I guess Senator Durbin is not going to allow women to speak either. I thought that was sacrosanct in your party," Senator Tom Cotton said.
"Congratulations on destroying the United States Senate Judiciary Committe," Senator John Cornyn quipped after one of the votes on a nominee was finished.
"I mean this is so unnecessary to ruin the committee over a political exercise that's going nowhere," Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC) said.
The chaos came ahead of a vote to subpoena Harlan Crow and Leonard Leo as part of the committee's probe into Supreme Court ethics.
"I think this is despicable what they're doing to these people. I think it's bad for the country," Graham said.
Both Crow and Leo are Republican activists connected to lavish gifts given to conservative justices.
"Without a new stronger ethics regime, how can the public trust that the justices will indeed refrain from such impropriety in the future?" Durbin said.
Republicans tried to run out the clock for the meeting, but Democrats eventually pushed through a vote to issue the subpoenas.
"I don't buy one bit this is about fixing a problem. This is about an ongoing effort to destroy this court," Graham said.
Senator Graham pointed out that the court just established new ethics rules on its own.
But Senator Durbin argues without an enforcement mechanism that effort falls short.
"The committee's investigation of the court's ethical crisis, and these subpoenas in particular are key pieces of our legislative effort to establish an effective code of conduct," Durbin said.