Thune Pushes for Faster Confirmation of Trump Nominees
Republican Senate Majority Leader John Thune is reportedly taking steps to expedite the verification of 108 nominees put forth by former President Donald Trump. This move aims to alleviate the backlog involving ambassadors, U.S. attorneys, and deputy secretaries.
According to Andrew Desiderio from Punchbowl News, Thune introduced a resolution late Thursday, intending to clear most of this backlog by early October, thus pushing these candidates closer to confirmation.
In total, 108 nominations are pending Senate approval. Desiderio noted on Twitter that this group includes numerous ambassadors among other nominees, and most are set for confirmation soon.
“Oops – there are 108 candidates in the next confirmation block in the Senate. Thune submitted executive resolution. They will be confirmed in early October. The backlog has been cleared almost completely.”
– Andrew Desiderio
Republicans have been vocal about the Democrats’ reluctance to advance the nomination process, largely attributing delays to opposition faced before the August recess. Critics within the conservative community have questioned whether Republicans are doing enough to push Trump’s nominees through.
Additionally, Thune submitted the nomination of Mike Waltz, Trump’s candidate for UN ambassador, to the executive calendar. If the Senate does not confirm Waltz before the UN General Assembly convenes for its high-level meeting, he may only be able to engage at a limited capacity.
“Team, what are they waiting for? Trump’s speech at the General Assembly is on Tuesday!”
– Jason Miller
The Senate Foreign Relations Committee first advanced Waltz’s nomination in July with a narrow 12-10 vote but faced procedural challenges. The committee approved him again on September 11, this time with an 11-10 margin, despite some opposition from both parties.
On the same day, there was a procedural change in the Senate allowing groups of candidates to be reviewed together rather than one by one, which makes it easier for leaders like Thune to push forward with initial nominations.
Recently, Stephen Milan was confirmed as the White House chief economist with a 50-44 vote, enabling him to participate in the Fed’s mid-September interest rate discussions.
Thune’s office was contacted for confirmation, although it was noted that no public reminder about this was expected.
