U.S. Sen. Mike Braun, addresses healthcare conference in Indianapolis on May 13, 2024. Courtesy-Whitney Downard-Indiana Capital Chronicle
INDIANAPOLIS – Indiana U.S. Sen. Mike Braun is facing criticism from Republican colleagues and President-elect Donald Trump after his recent absences from Capitol Hill helped Democrats secure their picks for multiple lifetime federal judges.
The outgoing senator won his bid to be Indiana’s next governor earlier this month. For now, however, he’s still an active member of Congress.
“Senator Braun returned to D.C. yesterday and is there today,” his office said in a statement. “He continues to balance his Senate responsibilities with his Transition responsibilities.”
GOP senators from other states — now fuming on social media and in the halls of the capitol building — maintain that Braun’s work in Washington, D.C. should be prioritized until his tenure there is officially complete. They said the same applies to a handful of other outgoing senators who haven’t shown up for key votes, as well.
Although Republicans in the U.S. Senate have tried to delay the confirmation process by slow-rolling procedural votes, they haven’t been able to block the nominees outright due to missing caucus members.
Senate Republicans gained enough seats during the 2024 elections to win a majority, but Democrats still control the chamber until January’s swearing-in ceremony for new members.
Braun was absent from key Senate floor votes on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday, according to voting records, though a spokesperson for his office said he made it to some votes late Wednesday after attending the Republican Governors Association’s annual conference in Florida.
Read more of the Casey Smith story for the Indiana Capital Chronicle, here.
