During an appearance on Saturday, Sen. Mark Wayne Mullin (R-OK) discussed the challenges Republicans face in getting qualified candidates approved by Democrats for President Trump. He noted that nearly 1,200 candidates need to go through the approval process. Typically, many of these votes have been done via audio voting.
“Democrats have opted for a very aggressive approach,” Mullin stated, referencing historical data that shows a high percentage of candidates during previous administrations were approved without much resistance. For instance, 91% of President HW Bush’s candidates received unanimous consent, while under Clinton, this figure was around 98%. In comparison, things have shifted with Trump, as now only one candidate has seen an audio vote due to extensive filibustering by Democrats.
“The current situation is nearly paralyzing the Senate,” he said, emphasizing that it’s crucial for President Trump to have the ability to appoint his chosen candidates, which includes ambassadors and personnel within the Department of Defense.
Despite this, Mullin acknowledged that Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) has been managing the circumstances well. “It’s not just about this weekend; we’ve been voting more than any Senate has in the last 35 years, with the most consecutive votes in 15 years,” he remarked.
He also touched on the difficulties of calling for a recess, pointing out that agreement is needed from both the Senate and the House, which currently are not aligned, as members are dispersed worldwide. “One option we have is for the President to call a break under Article 2, Section III,” he explained.
Mullin indicated that Democrats could prolong discussions, which could push the resolution further down the line. Once they are finally ready to take action, both chambers will need to come to an agreement on the next steps. He suggested that negotiating with Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) may either lead to a resolution or a halt in any substantial rule changes.
“Altering the rules is a time-consuming process; it’s not straightforward,” he said. Ultimately, he expressed some optimism that an agreement might be reached in the coming weeks, mentioning that having multiple options is beneficial in negotiations.
