President Trump currently faces a significant backlog in filling senior-level positions that require Senate confirmation. According to Senate Majority Whip John Barrasso, only 135 of more than 1,000 such appointments have been confirmed so far. Barrasso attributes this delay to what he describes as a “radical Democratic resistance strategy,” which has made the confirmation process for even routine nominees contentious.
Barrasso states, “Through dilatory warfare, Democrats have broken their ‘advice and consent’ responsibilities. This drastic a slow-roll has never happened under a modern president.”
Historically, the Senate confirmed most presidential nominees quickly and without controversy. Barrasso notes that 98% of nominees for Presidents George H.W. Bush and Bill Clinton were confirmed by voice vote or unanimous consent, methods reserved for noncontroversial candidates. For Presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama, about 90% of confirmations followed this expedited process. During President Trump’s first term, it dropped to 65%, and under Joe Biden it was 57%. In Trump’s current term, Barrasso claims none have been confirmed by these faster methods.
“The blockade’s scale is staggering,” Barrasso writes. He points out that Democrats have required roll-call votes for over 40 nominees who previously would not have faced such scrutiny. These votes can take days instead of seconds.
Currently, Barrasso says there are 145 qualified nominees who have already been approved by committees but are still awaiting full Senate approval. Nearly half received bipartisan support in committee and many have waited months for a final vote.
The delay leaves key government roles unfilled. Vacancies include the undersecretary for nuclear security at the Energy Department, ambassadors to NATO allies, the Commerce Department’s undersecretary for intellectual property, and the Central Intelligence Agency’s inspector general.
Barrasso also criticizes Minority Leader Chuck Schumer’s recent attempt to tie confirmation of bipartisan nominees to additional spending demands: “This month Minority Leader Chuck Schumer tried holding for ransom the confirmation of dozens of bipartisan nominees by demanding in exchange billions of dollars for unrelated spending. The president rightly rejected his ploy. This political theater wastes time and weakens the country.”
He argues that these tactics are harming the Democratic Party politically: “The obstruction effort is driving the Democratic Party further into an electoral ditch. Recent polls show the party’s popularity is sinking. Voter registration is tumbling with it.”
Senate Republicans are considering rule changes or recess appointments as possible solutions to bypass what they see as obstructionist tactics from Democrats: “Senate Republicans are determined to confirm Mr. Trump’s qualified nominees one way or another… But that’s only a temporary fix. It doesn’t fully break the Democratic blockade.”
Barrasso concludes by stating that voters elected President Trump and Republicans with expectations for action rather than gridlock: “The American people elected President Trump and Republicans with a directive to get the U.S. back on track. They didn’t vote for Democratic delay and obstruction.”
