Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) exclusively told Breitbart News on Tuesday evening that Sen. Rick Scott (R-Tenn.) will be the candidate for Senate Republican leadership in the next vote to be held by the Senate Republican Conference on Wednesday morning. , Florida).
Mr. Blackburn, who called Breitbart News shortly after a Senate Republican leadership candidate forum organized by Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah), said that Mr. Scott and other candidates, Sen. John Thune ( Republican, SD) and John Cornyn (R-TX).
“I thought it was one of the most useful and informative meetings I've ever had,” Blackburn told Breitbart News about the forum. “Of course, people were waiting until they could hear each of the three candidates talk about the election, how they would address President Trump's agenda. Of course, we were going to be at this meeting starting at 6 p.m. ”
The forum lasted more than two hours, and Blackburn said he fielded more than a dozen questions from his fellow senators. Her questions focused on process and borders, particularly funding for wall construction and mass deportations.
“They each gave opening statements and then went into question and answer session,” Blackburn said. “In my questions, I mentioned how conservatives are tired of being left out of the floor process and not getting amendments, and how when they do get amendments, they get 60 votes. We didn't have a timeline, we didn't have a schedule, we didn't have the power to democratize. Conservatives have felt left out because the issues I've talked about are about people, and what Tennesseans have to say about the border, about deportation and deporting illegal aliens who are criminals. I know they talk a lot about what's going to happen. They want to build a border wall.”
She said each candidate answered her questions in the affirmative, but after the meeting she decided to select Mr. Scott as her candidate.
“So I asked them if they were willing to move forward in line with President Trump. There are things that have to be done legally to make sure that deportation happens, so how do we deal with that?” Are you going to do that?'' Blackburn said. “Are they going to veto a spending bill that doesn't include money for deportations or money to build a wall? Each candidate has supported President Trump's cause and is there to support that. But after tonight's meeting, I decided to support Rick.
Blackburn told Breitbart News that he supports Scott over Thune and Cornyn because Scott is putting more energy into President Trump's policies than others. Ta.
“He's putting a lot of energy into making sure that President Trump's agenda passes,” Blackburn said. “I think it’s important that the energy is there and that there is a willingness to actively support and pass Trump’s policies.”
When asked who she thought many of her colleagues would vote for, Blackburn was unsure.
“I don't know, but most people were like me. They appreciated that Sen. Lee called for this forum,” Blackburn said. “They appreciated that each member stepped forward and that they had the opportunity to hear everyone's opinions before making a decision.”
She also deeply thanked Mr. Lee for organizing the candidate forum, which she said was very informative.
“It really helped all of us, and I think that's why people stayed until the end,” Blackburn said. “It was really helpful for senators to be able to come into the chamber and allow people to ask questions. There were a lot of different questions, probably 15 to 20 during the session. To hear how they responded, this was an opportunity for us to change our leadership, both the American people and Tennesseans, to address this issue effectively. It was important for us to come together for a family meeting, listen to people's voices, and see how each one of them is responding to the mandate that the American people have given their president.''
Blackburn also said the candidate forum is more beneficial than anything else, including social media and public pressure on some senators.
“I think you’ll find that people are looking forward to hearing from members, and a lot of that is to show trust and respect for colleagues who have chosen to stand up and run for office,” Blackburn said. “You're going to start hearing people make those decisions and make those decisions known. This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. You can't waste every minute.”
