Senate Republicans have announced a new approach to confirming sub-cabinet presidential nominees, aiming to address what they describe as significant delays caused by Senate Democrats. Speaking on the Senate Floor, U.S. Senator John Barrasso (R-Wyo.), the Senate Majority Whip, outlined how the updated rules will return the chamber to its traditional process of confirming groups of nominees together.
Barrasso referenced historical practices, noting that since George Washington’s presidency, it has been customary for the president to assemble a team for government operations with prompt Senate approval. He said this tradition endured until recent years.
“The United States Senate has standards, customs, and long-established traditions. These include allowing the president to fill out the team he needs for the government to function. That tradition goes all the way back to George Washington. Exactly 235 years ago this week, the Senate used its ‘advice and consent’ powers for the first time. President Washington nominated Alexander Hamilton to be Secretary of Treasury. The Senate confirmed him immediately. The official Senate history says that, ‘Minutes later, perhaps even before the messenger returned to the president’s office, senators approved [Hamilton] unanimously.’ That was the standard for more than two centuries,” Barrasso said.
He criticized current confirmation procedures under Democratic leadership: “Senate Democrats have trashed that tradition. Confirming even the most routine nominees is now a long, bitter fight. From Hamilton’s confirmation in 1789 to Schumer’s unprecedented, obstinate obstruction in 2025, the Senate has gone from speed to stalemate.”
Barrasso described how routine nominees were once quickly confirmed—often by voice vote or unanimous consent—and stated that this changed during President Trump’s tenure: “Prior to Senator Schumer, routine nominees cleared the Senate quickly – by voice vote, by unanimous consent, and often in groups. More than half of every president’s nominees were confirmed that way until this year… Now, during his second term [of President Trump], it’s zero.”
He attributed these changes directly to Democratic opposition: “This is the Schumer Confirmation Shutdown. Senator Schumer and Senate Democrats are forcing the Senate to waste hundreds of legislative hours… Of the 109 nominees [confirmed this year], 81 had not a single word spoken about them from Democrats on the Senate Floor.”
According to Barrasso, there are currently 149 qualified nominees waiting for consideration and over 800 positions yet unfilled across federal agencies.
He explained that under new Republican rules only routine executive branch positions—such as deputy secretaries and ambassadors—will be grouped together for confirmation votes if they have already passed committee review; Cabinet-level and judicial nominations will still require individual votes.
“This week, Senate Republicans will restore the Senate to the way it is supposed to work,” Barrasso said. “Nominees who have been successfully approved by Senate Committees will be considered and confirmed in groups instead of being voted on one by one.”
Barrasso emphasized that background checks and ethics reviews would remain unchanged: “This rules update will clear the nominee backlog. It will allow us to scrutinize effectively and confirm qualified nominees efficiently… What changes is the pointless, partisan delays nominees face on the Senate Floor.”
The rule change reflects longstanding debates over how swiftly presidential appointments should move through Congress—a process with direct implications for government operations and policy implementation (https://www.congress.gov/resources/display/content/The+Senate+and+Treaty+Confirmations).
“President Trump was elected to get America back on track,” Barrasso concluded.” He deserves to have his team in place and on the job – and so do American people.”
