Incoming Senate Majority Leader John Thune said “all the options” are on the table to get President-elect Trump’s Cabinet picks through the confirmation process amid concern some appointees won’t receive enough votes to be confirmed.
Trump in recent days announced his choices for key government positions, from Tulsi Gabbard as director of national intelligence to Matt Gaetz as attorney general and Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. as Health and Human Services secretary.
Thune, R-S.D., told Fox News chief political anchor Bret Baier Thursday on “Special Report” that Senate Republicans are going to work with Trump to “see that he gets his team installed as quickly as possible so he can implement his agenda.”
“All these people have a process that they have to go through. All these nominees are – it’s a – you know, advice and consent. That’s the Senate’s constitutional role when it comes to confirmation of nominations to the executive branch of the government. And we take that role seriously,” he said. “But we also are not going to allow the Democrats to obstruct or block President Trump and the will of the American people.”
Republicans and Democrats from both sides of the political aisle expressed their shock at Trump’s choice of Gaetz as attorney general. The former Florida congressman reportedly resigned from Congress days before the House Ethics Committee was set to hold a meeting on its investigation into allegations he engaged in sexual misconduct and illicit drug use. Gaetz denies the allegations.
Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, told reporters she didn’t think Trump’s AG choice was a “serious nomination.” “We need to have a serious attorney general and I’m looking forward to the opportunity to consider somebody that is serious. This one was not on my bingo card,” she said.
Thune was asked about using “recess appointments” to get Trump’s picks through Senate confirmation if there aren’t enough votes for the nominee to get confirmed. “Recess appointments,” according to the Associated Press, allow a president to fill vacancies while the Senate is out or in recess.
“Well, it’s an option, but obviously, it takes, you know, you have to have all Republicans vote to recess as well. So the same Republicans that you mentioned that might have a problem voting for somebody under regular order probably also have a problem voting to put the Senate into recess,” the Southa Dakota native noted. “You have to have concurrence from the House. There’s a process. All this is a process. But I don’t think any of those things are necessarily off the table.”
“I think we have to have all the options on the table. And these nominees deserve their day in court. They deserve a hearing, a confirmation hearing, an opportunity to be vetted. And the Senate will perform its constitutional role under advice and consent. But we are not going to allow the Democrats to thwart the will of the American people in giving President Trump the people that he wants in those positions to implement his agenda,” Thune continued.
He added that the confirmation process for some of the nominees isn’t going to be easy but the American people gave Trump a “mandate” for change with his Electoral College and popular vote wins.
“The people in this country want change. He [Trump] wants to bring that about. And I always believe that you defer to a president when it comes to the people they want in their cabinet,” Thune said.
“But obviously, there is a process whereby we get down and scrub all these nominees and figure out whether or not, one, they’re qualified and are they people who are fit to hold these offices.”