Senate Democrats Affect Trump’s Nominees, Giving Republicans a Win

Senate Democrats attempted to obstruct the confirmation of numerous nominees put forth by President Donald Trump, but in a twist, ended up giving Senate Republicans an unexpected win.

As Republicans were preparing to move forward with confirming 88 of Trump’s nominees, they faced a roadblock from Senator Michael Bennet (D-Colo.), who raised concerns about one nominee.

Earlier this year, Senate Republicans modified the confirmation rules through a nuclear option to overcome a blockade from Senate Democrats. This change allowed them to move forward with Cabinet-level positions using a simple majority of 50 votes.

Senate Approves Trump’s Nominees Amid New Rules

Prior to the vote, Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., suggested that Democrats’ inability to block Trump’s nominees might stem from what he described as “Trump Derangement Syndrome.”

“Democrats still can’t seem to accept that President Trump won last November,” Thune remarked. “So they blocked his nominations as retaliation. Yet, Republicans stayed committed and advanced the nominations, which significantly boosted our turnout this year.”

One nominee, Sarah Bailey, holds a “Level 1” status, indicating her importance as she is set to assume a cabinet-level role. President Trump appointed her as drug czar and director of the National Drug Control Policy Office in March.

Republicans Advancing Nominees Despite Challenges

Including Bailey in the nominee package requires Republicans to surpass the 60-vote filibuster threshold to secure confirmation for the remaining 87 nominees. However, this seems unlikely given the strong opposition from Senate Democrats regarding many of Trump’s picks.

Seizing the opportunity, Senate Republicans are determined to bolster the pool of nominees with a new package that includes 97 of Trump’s choices. “I think we can add more and get to it next week,” said Republican Senator Shelley Moore Capito of Virginia. “Since the drug czar is now a cabinet-level position, we’ve basically nullified the previous list.”

Bennet’s Opposition Delays Confirmation Timeline

Bennet’s pushback continues to delay the Senate Republicans’ timeline to confirm their nominees. Initially aiming to complete the process by the end of next week, the expectation has now shifted to the third week of December.

Once confirmed, Republicans will have approved over 400 of Trump’s nominees—significantly more than the roughly 350 nominees that former President Joe Biden had approved by this time last year.

While Senate Democrats believed they had dealt a blow to the Trump administration, Republicans reveled in this unexpected success. A spokesperson for Senate Majority Whip John Barrasso (R-Wyo.) commented, “Senate Republicans now have the chance to confirm even more qualified nominees! We thank Democrats for this opportunity.”