Washington (AP) – Senate Republicans Change the rules for the chamber On Thursday, he reviewed a group of candidates for President Donald Trump, making it easier to overcome democratic delays.
The Senate John Cheens, the leader of the majority Move is the latest salvo after 12-year gradual changes by both parties to weaken the filibuster and make the nomination process more partisan. He said that the Democrat’s obstruction was “unsustainable” because it elicited a confirmation process and infuriated Trump because many positions in his administration were not filled.
Thune, who opened the Senate of South Dakota Republicans, said the delays were preventing the Senate from spending time on legislative operations.
“We’re revising this today and restoring the precedent of years of rapid confirmation in the Senate, and the role of the Senate is more than anything else,” Thune said.
Republicans won a series of procedural votes on Thursday in a group of 48 Trump candidates, and are expected to vote to either “overturn the chairman” or change the rules for taking simple majority votes. If everything goes according to their plans, the candidates (secretary and staff positions and several ambassadors of various agencies across the government) could be confirmed by next week.
The efforts to change the rules are because both Republicans and Democrats advocate for speeding up the process in the majority as both parties have been blocking their opponent’s candidates for years. The Republican rules change has stopped speeding up votes for high-level cabinet officials and lifetime judicial appointments, and is loosely based on Democrats’ proposals under President Joe Biden.
Republicans have been pushing for changes to rules since early August, when the Senate left after a month’s break Breakdown of bipartisan negotiations on the verification process And then Trump told Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer, “Go to hell!” On social media.
Democrats have struggled to find a way to oppose Trump and the GOP-controlled Congress, blocking more candidates than ever as voters urged them to fight Republicans at every turn. It is the first time in recent history that minorities have not allowed at least some quick confirmations.
Schumer said Democrats are delaying the nomination because Trump’s candidate is “historically bad.”
“If you don’t discuss candidates, don’t vote for individual candidates, if you don’t have some sunlight, what will stop Donald Trump from nominating individuals even worse than he’s seen before? Schumer said Monday.
Schumer told Republicans he “remorse” their actions. From GOP leader Mitch McConnell to the then majority leader Harry Reid and D-Nev. , reflecting similar warnings to Democrats in 2013 Senate rules have been changed Judicial candidates in the Enforcement Division and lower courts will remove the 60 votes threshold for confirmation. Back then, Republicans were blocking President Barack Obama’s pick.
Republicans won a Senate majority a year later, and McConnell ultimately I did the same for Supreme Court candidates. In 2017, Democrats tried to block Trump’s nomination of Justice Neil Gorsuch.
“I tell my Republican colleagues, think carefully before taking this step,” Schumer said.
