Senate GOP Pushes Through 97 Trump Nominees In Year-End Power Move

 

 

 

Senate Republicans on Thursday confirmed 97 lower-level Trump administration nominees in a single en bloc vote, capping one of their final legislative acts before leaving Washington for the holiday recess.

 

The Senate voted 53–43 to advance the third tranche of nominees since Republicans changed chamber rules in September, allowing large groups of executive branch appointments to be approved at once. The move brings the total number of Trump nominees confirmed this year to 417 — outpacing confirmations at the same point in both Trump’s first term and President Joe Biden’s presidency.

 

Senate Majority Leader John Thune said the confirmations were necessary to allow the administration to function effectively.

“Every president needs to have his team in place to do the job that the American people elected him to do,” Thune said on the Senate floor.

 

The latest group includes dozens of assistant and under secretaries, U.S. attorneys and ambassadors. High-profile confirmations include former Rep. Anthony D’Esposito (R-N.Y.) as inspector general at the Department of Labor; Scott Mayer and James Murphy to the National Labor Relations Board; and Tammy Bruce, the former State Department spokesperson, as deputy U.S. representative to the United Nations.

 

The vote follows Wednesday’s bipartisan confirmation of Jared Isaacman to lead NASA.

 

Thursday’s action comes more than two months after the Senate approved a second en bloc group of 107 nominees. The first batch of 47 was cleared in mid-September after Republicans invoked the so-called “nuclear option,” changing Senate rules to bypass Democratic delays.

 

Previously, Democrats were able to force Republicans to process nominations one at a time, consuming floor time through procedural objections. The rule change now allows current and future majorities to move large slates of nominees with a single vote — a significant shift in Senate power dynamics.

Key Takeaways

• Republicans confirmed 97 Trump nominees in a single vote before the holiday recess

• Total confirmations now stand at 417, surpassing early-term records

• Rule changes allow en bloc votes, sharply curbing Democratic obstruction tactics

 

SOURCE: THE HILL

 

Don't like how things are going, change the rules. Typical...