Thursday, SEPTEMBER 18, 2025 |
Photo – Senator John Barrasso – Bigfoot99 file photo
In the United States Senate, Republicans will invoke the so-called “nuclear option” to allow for the confirmation of President Donald Trump’s nominees.
For the past seven months, senate Democrats have obstructed or slow-rolled nominees. Republicans have described the situation as an “untenable situation.” Confirmation of numerous positions have been delayed because of the stonewalling.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) spearheaded the effort, arguing that the Senate must return to expeditious confirmations and function effectively as a legislative body.
Senate Democrats are currently holding up more than 150 nominees who have been approved by Senate committees. On September 11, Senate Republicans secured a 53-45 vote along party lines to change procedural rules and allow for the faster confirmation of Trump’s nominees.
Speaking on the senate floor Wednesday, Majority Whip John Barrasso of Wyoming said voting for the nominations will begin this week.
Historically, most nominations were confirmed on the Senate Floor by a voice vote or unanimous consent. In President Barak Obama’s first term, 856 nominees were confirmed that way. The number was 530 in President Joe Biden’s first term following the controversial presidential election in 2018 and the chaos that followed in January 2019.
None of President Trump’s nominees have been confirmed since he took office earlier this year.
Senator Barrasso ran through a list of nominees who have been approved by senate committees but blocked by Democrat leaders using existing rules. Among the nominees who have been blocked are Principal Deputy Administrator for the National Nuclear Security Administration. Another is the Inspector General at the Central Intelligence Agency. Many nominations are for ambassadors to NATO allies. Senator Barrasso said that even the Director of the National Counterintelligence and Security Center had been blocked from confirmation by senate Democrats.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) criticized the move by Republicans to take back their power. Schumer called it a “sad, regrettable day” that undermines Senate norms and enables unchecked executive power. Democrats argued that the rule change erodes minority rights and sets a precedent that could harm future administrations.
However, Republicans countered, saying that their plan was based on a 2023 proposal by Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn) and Angus King (I-Maine), which had aimed to streamline confirmations during President Biden’s term.
