It was only a few months ago when hundreds of people nominated by President Trump to join his administration were caught in a logjam caused by Senate Democrats in resistance mode.
We had another reminder of the game-playing along these same lines earlier this week, when the president went off on the upper chamber tradition of blue-slip blocking, in the wake of the resignation of acting U.S. Attorney for New Jersey, Alina Habba.
But in Sept., as RedState wrote, Leader John Thune and Senate Republicans were done with the stalling, changing the rules on nomination votes and foregoing requiring 60 votes to avoid a filibuster by Democrats.
READ MORE: About Time: Senate GOP Triggers Nuclear Option on Trump Nominees
Trump Goes Scorched Earth Over Dems Blue-Slip Block of Habba, Other U.S. Attorney Picks
On Wednesday, on a party-line vote of 51-47 (two Republicans, Sens. Steve Daines (MT) and Rand Paul (KY), did not vote), they did it again, outmaneuvering the Dems while passing a procedural vote to confirm, get this. nearly 100 at one time
The move tees up a later vote on 97 of Trump’s picks and marks the third time Senate Republicans advanced a bloc of the president’s nominees since changing the confirmation rules in September.
…
Among the list of nominees are former Rep. Anthony D’Esposito, R-N.Y., to serve as inspector general at the Department of Labor, and two picks for the National Labor Relations Board, James Murphy and Scott Mayer, among several others across nearly every federal agency.
…
It’s also Senate Republicans’ second attempt to move this package after Sen. Michael Bennet, D-Colo., objected last week in a bid to derail the process.
Senate Republicans went nuclear and changed the rules surrounding the confirmation process in a bid to break through Senate Democrats’ monthslong blockade of Trump’s nominees and limited the scope to only sub-Cabinet-level positions that would be advanced through a simple, 50-vote majority.
SEE ALSO: New: House Overcomes GOP Hurdles to Pass $901B Defense Bill
What happens next? The Senate appears set to hold a floor vote on these nominations next week.
Senate Republicans took to their X account to remark on their success in outmaneuvering the obstruction tactics of the Left on Wednesday, writing:
We’re well on our way to confirming 400 Trump nominees this year.
Senate Republicans have confirmed more nominees this year than the first year of the Biden administration or Trump 1.0.
Good to see this!
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