Why a bipartisan Senate tradition is getting weaponized by the right

Justice is the latest of the 11 Republican lawmakers who will sit in the Senate GOP's unlikeliest hotseat during the chamber's five-week summer recess and preside over what's known as a pro forma session of Congress.

Key points

• The Wisconsin Republican is no stranger to the outrage, having presided over the chamber briefly in early July as part of Independence Day recess.
• John Boozman of Arkansas and Jim Banks of Indiana.
• These brief sessions lasting a few minutes or less have traditionally been little-noticed, low-drama affairs.
• I think individuals just do it to secure clicks, right?

These brief sessions lasting a few minutes or less have traditionally been little-noticed, low-drama affairs. They require one senator from the majority party to create the trek back to Washington every few days during an extended break. Their purpose is to effectively limit a president from either party from temporarily installing a Cabinet pick or filling other vacancies without securing Senate confirmation.

For context, a 2014 Supreme Court decision laid out restrictions on recess appointments that have limited presidents' employ of the maneuver, and the House would need to agree to terms that would allow them. But those restrictions are lost on hard-line online activists who now view presiding over a Senate pro forma session as a failed loyalty test to President Donald Trump, and they're willing to publicly skewer even typical Trump allies they incorrectly perceive as undermining the president.

Some GOP senators, rather than laugh off a massive misunderstanding, have informed colleagues in recent weeks they don't want to be included in the conference's rotation for presiding over the chamber since it will result in being flamed on the internet, according to two residents granted anonymity to disclose private conversations.

"I think individuals just do it to secure clicks, right? And they are additionally misinformed. There was no matter with recess appointments, but we are getting blasted 'why would you do this to prevent President Trump from doing recess appointments?'" Sen. Ron Johnson remarked in an interview concerning the online furor, adding that Republicans "broke the logjam" by confirming most of Trump 's nominees before break.

For context, the Wisconsin Republican is no stranger to the outrage, having presided over the chamber briefly in early July as part of Independence Day recess. Asked if he obtained flack online for it, Johnson stated, "oh yeah, " but continued that he wasn't bothered by the criticism. It included being called one of the " five filthy failures " who oversaw a session during the chamber's two-week break.

After Sens, justice – whose office did not respond to a request for comment regarding the Monday backlash – is the third GOP senator who has done a pro forma session during the current, ongoing summer recess. John Boozman of Arkansas and Jim Banks of Indiana.

In short, why a bipartisan Senate tradition is getting weaponized by the right is the central thread here, and readers can expect follow-up reporting as the picture becomes clearer.