Sen. John Barrasso, a U.S. Senator from Wyoming and the Senate Republican Conference Chairman, has criticized Senate Democrats for what he describes as procedural obstruction regarding presidential nominees. In a series of posts on X (formerly Twitter) on September 9 and 10, 2025, Barrasso highlighted his concerns about the confirmation process under President Biden’s administration.
On September 9, Barrasso stated, “What the Senate Democrats are doing is obstruction on autopilot. @POTUS was elected to get America back on track. He deserves to have his team on the job, and so do the American people. @SenateGOP is committed to make the Senate work again.”
Later that day, he added, “Democrats are obstructing regular order. This year, @POTUS has had ZERO nominees confirmed by voice vote. It is time NOW to return to this historic, long-standing tradition of the Senate of confirming nominees in groups.” The post referenced a traditional practice in which non-controversial presidential nominees were often confirmed en bloc through voice votes—a method that expedites approval without requiring roll call votes.
On September 10, Barrasso cited data from recent years: “When the Klobuchar-King resolution was introduced in 2023, 62% of Biden nominees had been confirmed by voice vote. 0% of Trump nominees have been confirmed via voice vote during @POTUS second term. This historic Democrat obstruction must end.”
Historically, voice votes have served as an efficient mechanism for confirming executive branch and judicial nominations when there is little opposition among senators. According to congressional records and analysis by outside observers, use of group confirmations by voice vote has declined in recent years amid heightened partisanship and gridlock over presidential appointments.
Barrasso’s remarks reflect ongoing tensions between Senate Republicans and Democrats over control of procedural tools in the chamber—particularly concerning how swiftly or slowly presidential teams can be installed at federal agencies and courts.
