US President-elect Donald Trump called on Republican lawmakers Sunday to allow him to appoint key officials without a Senate confirmation vote, aiming to curtail the limited power Democrats have to obstruct his administration.
Republican senators are currently selecting their next leader, who will hold considerable influence starting in January after the party regained control of the upper chamber from Democrats, albeit with a slim majority. According to the US Constitution, the Senate must approve nominations made by the president for senior executive positions, such as cabinet posts, and judicial appointments. However, a constitutional clause permits presidents to bypass a Senate vote if the chamber is in an extended recess.
In an effort to preserve the legislative branch's power against the presidency, the Senate typically employs a parliamentary tactic to avoid entering a sufficiently long recess. But Trump took to social media Sunday, stating that "any Republican Senator vying for the prestigious leadership role in the United States Senate must support Recess Appointments." He referenced his first term, saying, "Sometimes the votes can take two years, or more. This is what they did four years ago, and we cannot let it happen again."
The three senators aiming to lead the Republicans in the chamber expressed varying degrees of support for recess appointments. Rick Scott of Florida, who has received backing from several close Trump allies, including billionaire Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy, responded, "100% agree. I will do whatever it takes to get your nominations through as quickly as possible." John Thune of South Dakota, currently the number two Senate Republican, added, "We must act quickly and decisively to get the president's nominees in place as soon as possible, & all options are on the table to make that happen, including recess appointments."
Trump also urged the Senate to halt any pending judicial nominations, stating, "No Judges should be approved during this period of time because the Democrats are looking to ram through their Judges as the Republicans fight over leadership. This is not acceptable." Democrats have maintained a narrow control of the Senate throughout President Joe Biden's term, during which they have advanced hundreds of federal judges, aiming to counterbalance a surge of conservatives appointed by Trump during his first term.
The next Senate will commence its term in early January.
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