A Senate confirmation stalemate has pushed back the chamber’s annual August recess. President Donald Trump insists his nominees “SHOULD NOT BE FORCED TO WAIT,” while Democrats slow the process by demanding procedural votes on nearly every candidate. This impasse keeps the Senate working overtime as political tensions escalate.
Caught in the middle, Senate Majority Leader John Thune plans to keep the Senate in session over the weekend. He aims to hold confirmation votes while negotiating with Democrats to speed up the approval of dozens of nominees. However, the two parties have not yet reached any agreement. Meanwhile, it remains unclear if Trump supports any bipartisan deal.
Thune said on Friday that he is leaving some negotiations to Trump and Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y. “That’s how this is going to get resolved,” he said. “We’ll see where that leads.” Senators from both parties want to leave Washington for the break. They want to tour their states and meet constituents, especially Republicans eager to promote their recent tax and spending cuts package. The House already left Washington a week ago, but Trump wants the Senate to stay.
On Thursday night, Trump posted on social media, demanding the Senate “must stay in Session, taking no recess, until the entire Executive Calendar is CLEAR!!!” He urged Republicans to confirm all nominees to “save our Country from the Lunatic Left.”
Looking ahead, Thune said Republicans consider changing Senate rules in September. These changes would speed up nominee confirmations and prevent future stalemates. Democrats have blocked more nominees than usual this year. They refuse to allow quick unanimous consent votes and force roll calls for each nominee, causing lengthy delays.
Sen. John Kennedy, R-La., confirmed GOP leaders are drafting a rule change to overcome this obstruction. For the first time in recent memory, the minority party denies even some quick confirmations. Thune has already extended Senate sessions and hours to confirm as many nominees as possible.
Democrats remain firm, saying bad nominees require thorough scrutiny. Schumer argues that the historic number of delays reflects the poor quality of Trump’s picks. With over 150 nominations pending, confirming them all would take more than a month if delays continue.
This standoff marks another chapter in a long trend of Senate confirmation fights. Both parties increasingly use delay tactics to block nominees. Democrats changed Senate rules in 2013 to ease judicial confirmations. Republicans did the same in 2017 for Supreme Court nominees. Yet, Thune calls this year’s delays a “historic level of obstruction.”
In his first year as Majority Leader, Thune has worked closely with Trump to confirm Cabinet members and pass key legislation. Despite this, Trump has increased pressure on Thune and other Republicans. He publicly criticized three GOP senators this week, including Senate Judiciary Chair Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa. Trump attacked Grassley for following Senate traditions and cooperating with Democrats on confirmations.
Grassley defended his approach during a committee hearing, expressing disappointment at Trump’s personal insults. Trump also criticized Sen. Josh Hawley for working with Democrats on a stock trading ban. Finally, Trump urged Republicans to oppose moderate Sen. Susan Collins, who often sides with Democrats on spending bills.
The Senate confirmation stalemate continues, with no clear end in sight as both parties dig in and Trump pushes harder. The August recess remains delayed, leaving lawmakers in Washington under mounting pressure.
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