Democrats are essentially trying to deny President Trump’s election by blocking every one of his nominees – and that needs to change, says Missouri Sen. Josh Hawley.
Some 145 Trump nominees for various jobs in the administration are still awaiting Senate confirmation – and that number may grow as more nominations are voted out of committees.
Democrats have filibustered – blocked – Trump nominees, requiring a 60-vote supermajority to move forward with them, which the slim GOP majority can’t overcome.
It’s time to stop the Democrat blockade, Hawley tells The Heartlander in an exclusive interview Thursday.
“Well, we’re going to have to change the rules,” he argues. “I mean, listen, it is absurd. It is a travesty. Donald Trump has had the fewest number of his appointees of any kind – judges, whatever – the fewest number confirmed ever by a president to this point. And it’s because the Democrats have literally filibustered every single nominee.
“Now, this is the party that said, just like a year ago, that the filibuster was a relic of Jim Crow. Well, they love it now. I mean, they love it. Can’t get enough.
“And my view is it’s incredibly abusive, and I’m not willing to go along with the abuse any longer. We need to put a stop to it. If the Democrats are going to abuse the filibuster, we’re going to change the rules.
“That’s all there is to it. Because here’s the bottom line: The American people voted for Donald Trump, and he has the constitutional right to staff his government, which the Democrats are currently trying to deny him.
“They’re effectively trying to deny the election results, and we just cannot allow that to continue.”
Conservative constituents in the know are furious at the Senate GOP’s failure to confirm Trump’s judicial nominees, in particular.
Republican senators met privately Wednesday to plan changes to Senate rules – such as more limited debate, confirmation of nominees in groups rather than one at a time, and ending the filibuster on certain types of nominations.
More hidebound Republicans are averse to wholesale changes in the confirmation process – and there’s even apparently not a consensus on whether to opt district court judges out of the filibuster process.
“This can’t continue. Democrats either have to change their behavior or we’re going to have to change other things,” Senate majority whip John Barrasso, R-Wyoming, said even back in July.
