Senate Republicans Confirm 49 Trump Nominees After Rule Change Cuts Threshold to 51 Votes
Updated
Updated · Fox News · May 18
Senate Republicans Confirm 49 Trump Nominees After Rule Change Cuts Threshold to 51 Votes
1 articles · Updated · Fox News · May 18
Forty-nine Trump nominees won Senate confirmation on Monday, pushing through picks for 20 posts including the Bureau of Land Management, U.S. attorneys, marshals and ambassadors.
The batch brings Trump to about 60% of his civilian nominees installed after Republicans changed Senate rules last year to let certain confirmations advance by simple majority instead of 60 votes.
Republicans made the change after Democrats, led by Chuck Schumer, blocked many nominees last year; the tactic has now been used four times to clear slates in bulk.
More than 400 Trump nominees were confirmed in his first year under the new approach, topping his first-term pace of 323 and Biden's comparable 365.
The confirmation push comes as Republicans also race to finish a $72 billion immigration-enforcement package by June 1, though Senate rules have already stripped out some provisions.
As political appointees replace career staff, what are the long-term risks to government expertise and institutional stability?
With record funding for immigration enforcement, how will new deportation policies impact communities and the national economy?