John Thune Accuses Democrats of Unprecedented Obstruction of Trump Nominees

Record Number of Confirmations

• 📊 As of yesterday, the Senate has confirmed 314 of President Trump's civilian nominees.
• 🚀 An additional nominations package, when passed, will bring the total to over 400 confirmations.
• 📈 These numbers significantly outpace confirmations by this point in President Biden's and President Trump's first terms.

Democratic Obstruction Tactics

• ⚠️ Democrats have created "unprecedented" obstacles to the president's nominees.
• 🚫 For decades, nominees were confirmed by unanimous consent or voice vote, with 98% for Bush and Clinton, and 90% for George W. Bush and Obama.
• 📉 While Democrats eroded this tradition during Trump's first term, requiring roll call votes, over half of nominees were still confirmed by voice vote.
• ❌ This year, not a single presidential nominee has been confirmed by unanimous consent or voice vote, with Democrats dragging out every process.

Partisanship and "Trump Derangement Syndrome"

• 🧐 Democrats claim nominees are "historically bad," but have supported some in committee and voted for others on the Senate floor.
• 🎭 This suggests the obstruction is driven by "petty partisanship" or "Trump derangement syndrome" due to the 2020 election results.
• 😠 The obstruction is framed as revenge for President Trump's victory.

Restoring Senate Practice

• 💪 Republicans have continued to process nominations, achieving a historic number of votes.
• 🛠️ In September, steps were taken to restore Senate practice and codify rules allowing the Senate to act expeditiously on non-controversial nominees.
• ⚖️ This change aims to protect both Democrat and Republican presidents from partisan excesses.

Outlook for Future Confirmations

• ✅ The Senate is on track to confirm over 400 civilian nominees by the end of the President's first year.
• 🗓️ The nomination backlog is virtually cleared, contrasting with earlier terms.
• 🤝 The Senate looks forward to confirming additional members of the president's team in January to help him continue his elected duties.