Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.), chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee and chairman of the Senate Republican Conference, told Breitbart News that the Senate minority party is to blame for delaying President Donald Trump's cabinet confirmations. General Secretary Chuck Schumer said it was up to him personally. .
At this point, just before Inauguration Day, President Trump is certain that the Cabinet will approve only one item on January 20th: confirmation of Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Florida) as Secretary of State. Other Trump Cabinet members include CIA Director nominee John Ratcliffe, Treasury Secretary nominee Scott Bessent, Homeland Security Secretary nominee Kristi Noem, and Secretary of Defense nominee Pete Hegseth. Even though the nominees have confirmation votes, Democrats could use Senate floor procedures to delay final confirmation votes on these people, possibly putting the American people at risk by doing so. .
Cotton now exclusively told Breitbart News just before President Trump was sworn in that if Democrats don't stop this shenanigans now, Trump will permanently enforce what he now calls the “Schumer precedent” into the future. He has said loudly that he would apply it to a Democratic president. Only one cabinet member will ever be chosen on the day of the inauguration.
“Chuck Schumer is playing with fire with these nominations,” Cotton said. “If they only allow Marco Rubio to be confirmed tonight, they will set a precedent for Schumer. As long as I am a U.S. senator, no matter their resume or accomplishments, no Democratic president It will not be approved by a single official in a day.”
The Senate has already held hearings on the aforementioned Trump Cabinet picks and several others, but there are several others who haven't even had a hearing yet. For example, President Trump's nominee for Director of National Intelligence (DNI), former Hawaii Rep. Tulsi Gabbard, does not even have a hearing scheduled at this time. Conversely, outgoing President Joe Biden was confirmed as a DNI on Inauguration Day in 2021. So this new standard, created primarily by Senate Democrats and deep state bureaucrats who are delaying President Trump's Cabinet picks, could deal a serious blow to future presidents, especially Democrats.
But more broadly than this new precedent Mr. Schumer is trying to set, Senate Republicans need to find a way around this obstruction and power through it, or else delay or fail Cabinet confirmations. will begin to face the wrath of Trump's supporters who try to block him. against Senate Republicans.
