The Senate confirmed around 48 candidates for President Donald Trump in a single vote on Thursday, following a change made by Senate Republicans last week.
The final tally was 51 to 47, sticking to party lines for these nominees who are set to fill various federal roles and represent the U.S. abroad. Republican leaders are looking to continue addressing the backlog of civilian candidates awaiting consideration, planning more votes for upcoming groups.
“Let me be clear. Democrats are done today,” Senate majority Whip John Barrasso stated on the Senate floor. “By the end of this week, we’ll likely see over 100 more candidates confirmed.”
The candidates received bipartisan backing from the committee, which facilitated their confirmation due to the rule adjustments. Many of those confirmed will serve in lower-tier positions within the Trump administration, ranging from secretarial roles to assistant positions across the federal landscape.
The confirmed group also features six ambassador candidates, including Kimberly Guilfoyle, who is designated as the U.S. ambassador to Greece, and Kalista Gingrich, the current U.S. ambassador to Switzerland.
Guilfoyle, notably, was previously engaged to Donald Trump Jr., the president’s eldest son, and was married to Gavin Newsom, the Democratic governor of California. Ginrich is married to former House Speaker Newt Gingrich.
Republicans argue that changing the rules was necessary to alleviate the unprecedented delays created by the Democrats during the confirmation process.
“For nearly eight months, the Democrats have prolonged confirmations for all of Trump’s nominees,” Senator John Thune expressed on the floor. “By restoring the Senate’s confirmation precedent, we are ensuring that we fulfill our responsibilities.”
In contrast, Senate minority leader Chuck Schumer defended the slow confirmation process, asserting that “poor candidates merit thorough scrutiny.”
It’s worth noting that Trump is the only president in about a century entering his second term without any candidates approved through audio voting or unanimous consent.
