Senate GOP Weighs Rule Changes as Frustration Mounts Over Nominee Delays
Senate Republicans are growing increasingly impatient with what they see as deliberate stalling tactics by Democrats over President Trump’s pending nominees and they’re now considering major changes to Senate procedures to force progress before the summer recess.
During a closed-door lunch this week, Republican senators reportedly discussed altering long-standing Senate rules to bypass what they describe as obstructionist behavior from Democrats. With more than 150 Trump nominees awaiting confirmation, many Republicans say the Senate’s normal pace simply won’t cut it.
“This can’t go on,” said Sen. John Barrasso (R-Wyo.), the chamber’s No. 2 Republican. “If Democrats don’t adjust their tactics, we may have to change the rules.”
Among the proposals on the table: reducing mandatory debate time for each nominee, grouping confirmations into single “en bloc” votes, or even scaling back the number of roles that require Senate confirmation altogether. While no decisions have been made, GOP leaders are signaling that patience is running thin.
“We’re trying to avoid the nuclear option,” said Sen. Mike Rounds (R-S.D.), “but at some point, the government needs to function.”
One increasingly talked-about option is allowing President Trump to make recess appointments a workaround that would bypass Senate confirmation entirely. Normally, pro forma sessions held during Senate breaks block that path. But Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) said there’s growing interest in fully adjourning the Senate, which would open the door for Trump to install his picks without a vote.
“There was a strong consensus in the room,” Kennedy said, acknowledging not every GOP senator is fully on board but that momentum is building.
Still, there are hurdles. Because both chambers of Congress must agree to adjourn, and the House has opted to hold pro forma sessions during the recess, any recess appointments remain unlikely for now.
The GOP’s internal frustration has been brewing for months, largely centered on Democrats’ refusal to allow quicker votes, even for mid-level appointments. Republicans argue that similar nominees under President Biden were often approved swiftly by voice vote or unanimous consent a courtesy they say is not being reciprocated.
Senate Minority Leader John Thune said Monday that Trump has faced significantly more procedural slowdowns than Biden did at the same point in his presidency. In a floor speech and follow-up interview, Thune warned that unless Democrats begin cooperating, Republicans will be forced to act.
“The pressure is rising,” Thune said. “If they don’t start playing ball, it’s going to come from all sides.”
Talks are reportedly ongoing between Thune and Democratic leadership, including Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), about reaching a deal to confirm a package of nominees before the Senate adjourns for summer.
Durbin admitted Democrats are asking what they’d receive in return for any such agreement. “The question is: what’s the quid pro quo?” he said.
For now, both sides remain dug in and the fate of dozens of Trump’s appointees may hinge on whether the Senate chooses compromise or confrontation in the weeks ahead.