Senate expedites confirmation of 48 Trump appointees by amending Senate procedures
The U.S. Senate has made history by confirming 48 of President Donald Trump's nominees at once, marking the first time such a large number of executive branch positions have been filled in a single vote. This significant move comes under new rules that allow Senate Republicans to move multiple nominees with a simple majority vote.
Among the confirmed nominees are Callista Gingrich, who will serve as the U.S. Ambassador to Switzerland, Christine Toretti as Ambassador to Sweden, and Peter Lamelas as Ambassador to Argentina. These appointments were confirmed with votes of 51 to 47, with 2 abstentions.
Interestingly, Kimberly Guilfoyle, a former California prosecutor and television news personality, was also confirmed as the U.S. Ambassador to Greece. Guilfoyle, who was once engaged to Trump's son, Donald Trump Jr., has also led the fundraising for Trump's 2020 campaign.
The confirmation vote was the first time under the new rules to clear a backlog of executive branch positions. The rules do not apply to judicial nominations or high-level Cabinet posts.
Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer has stated that Democrats are delaying nominations because they believe Trump's nominees are "historically bad." Schumer has also warned Republicans that they will "come to regret" their action, echoing a similar warning from GOP Leader Mitch McConnell to then-Majority Leader Harry Reid in 2013.
Schumer further stated that Republicans are chipping away at the Senate to give Trump more power and to rubber stamp his nominees. On the other hand, Senator John Thune stated that more confirmations will follow to ensure Trump's administration is filled at a pace similar to his predecessors.
Republicans first proposed changing the Senate confirmation rules in early August, and the Senate has now confirmed these nominees with the new rules in place. It's worth noting that this is the first time in recent history that the minority party hasn't allowed at least some quick confirmations.
The Senate's historic vote comes as Republicans hold the majority in the Senate, a position they gained a year later. As with the confirmation of Supreme Court nominees in 2017, McConnell played a key role in pushing through these executive branch nominees.
Looking forward, Republicans plan to confirm a second tranche of nominees in the coming weeks. The confirmation of these nominees will further shape the executive branch of the United States government under President Trump's leadership.
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