Senate Republicans are considering various strategies to counter the significant delays that Democrats are imposing on the confirmation process for President Donald Trump’s nominees.
Trump has pressed GOP leaders in the Senate to make headway on the backlog of about 150 candidates waiting for a vote. During discussions on Tuesday, many Republican senators suggested that they might need to change Senate rules to expedite the confirmation of Trump’s nominees, rather than allowing continued delays from Democrats.
“Everything is on the table,” Senate Majority Whip John Barrasso remarked. “We’re facing an unprecedented blockade by the Democrats. The president should have the opportunity to form his team, just like any other president has.” Barrasso also mentioned that if Democrats don’t alter their approach, they may have to rethink how things operate.
As many Republicans express confidence in their ability to navigate the delays caused by Democrats, the latter have historically refused to confirm Trump’s nominees via unanimous consent or voice vote. Yet, they have permitted Republicans to rapidly confirm hundreds of President Biden’s appointments.
By July 29, former President Biden had secured confirmation for 44 candidates through audio voting. Senate Republicans managed to confirm 57% of Biden’s nominees by either voice vote or unanimous consent during his presidency, according to the Senate Republican Communications Center.
In a peculiar instance, Democrats allowed Secretary of State Marco Rubio to bypass procedural votes, but still insisted that he participate in the final confirmation vote, even though he hadn’t voted against the nomination.
So far, 109 of Trump’s nominees have faced multiple roll-call votes, consuming a significant amount of time on the Senate floor, as the Democrats’ tactics, combined with nominations made in January, have led to considerable delays.
“There’s been a lot of obstruction, historically speaking,” remarked Republican Senator Shelley Moore Capito, highlighting the unfairness toward the president.
The Republican conference is looking into various methods to streamline the confirmation process, considering that some changes might be passed with a simple majority vote.
Senator Rand Paul from Kentucky mentioned that he is keen on revising Senate rules to enhance the process for confirmations. He proposed eliminating various motions that slow down candidates’ confirmations.
Paul added, “If there’s no negotiation before then, the push is likely to be blocked. I genuinely believe the rules will be altered.”
Similarly, Senator Ron Johnson from Wisconsin expressed interest in reducing the number of administrative positions that require Senate confirmation.
Republicans have also discussed modifying debate rules to hasten the consideration of each candidate on the Senate floor.
“We need to identify ways to secure 51 votes in the Supreme Court, similar to reforms in the past,” noted Senator Daines.
Enthusiasm is building among Senate Republicans to amend the rules, with some members expressing their willingness to continue confirmation votes throughout their scheduled August recess.
Senator Kennedy mentioned he was prepared to remain in session during August if necessary.
As the Senate reviewed multiple candidates on Tuesday, Republicans continued to seek the best methods to counteract Democrat delay strategies.
Thune commented at a GOP press conference, indicating the need for action: “We need to keep pushing. The far left of their caucus is blocking our nominees, even bipartisan ones. If this doesn’t change, we could be here for a while.”
