Republicans are wasting no time accomplishing Trump’s agenda. And the Left can’t take it anymore.
Now the Senate floor erupted in chaos after Republicans went on the offensive.
Leading Senate Republicans are turning up the heat on Democrats for delaying the confirmation process for President Donald Trump’s Cabinet nominees during his second term.
The fiery clash underscores the deep partisan divide over Trump’s leadership team.
The latest flashpoint came on Tuesday when Sen. Chris Murphy (D-CT) objected to a time agreement that would have expedited a final vote on John Ratcliffe’s nomination for CIA director.
This move prompted a sharp response from Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD), who took to the Senate floor to express his frustration.
“We’ve now wasted a whole day where we could have been acting on that nomination,” Thune said, emphasizing the urgency of the matter. He pressed his Democratic colleagues, asking, “Do we want a vote on these folks on Tuesday or vote on them on Friday, Saturday and Sunday? Because that’s what we’re going to do. This can be easy or this can be hard.”
Thune highlighted Ratcliffe’s strong bipartisan support, noting that the former House Republican from Texas had sailed through the Senate Intelligence Committee with a 14-3 vote. “This is about America’s national security interests. And we’re stalling,” he said.
Determined to press forward, Thune outlined the path ahead. “We’re going to file cloture on them. You can force us to stay here… Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. But we’re going to vote on them,” he declared.
As I’ve repeatedly said, Senate Republicans are ready to work as long as needed to confirm President Trump’s nominees. Nights. Weekends. Recesses. pic.twitter.com/yLl2hIo0pc
— Leader John Thune (@LeaderJohnThune) January 22, 2025
The delays aren’t limited to Ratcliffe. Thune also initiated procedural steps to advance confirmation votes for South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem, nominated for Homeland Security secretary, and Pete Hegseth, nominated for Defense secretary. Both nominees have already cleared committee votes.
Thune’s resolve was further underscored in a post to X, where he suggested that recess appointments could be on the table—a tactic Trump has openly supported to bypass Senate delays.
Democrats defended their actions, with Murphy insisting on a “full” debate over Ratcliffe’s nomination, citing “serious concerns” about whether the nominee could “distance himself from the political interests of President Trump.”
However, Senate Intelligence Chairman Tom Cotton (R-AR) dismissed these claims, accusing Democrats of playing procedural games to block Trump’s nominees.
“What this is really about is trying to drag out all of these nominations… to try to deny President Trump his Cabinet in a prompt and timely fashion,” Cotton said.
My message to obstructionist Democrats:
Don’t make plans this weekend. We’re going to get President Trump’s nominees confirmed the easy collegial way, or apparently the hard way. pic.twitter.com/DJrA09bTqk
— Tom Cotton (@SenTomCotton) January 21, 2025
The Senate has so far confirmed only one of Trump’s Cabinet nominees: former Senator Marco Rubio, who was unanimously approved as U.S. Secretary of State and sworn in on Tuesday.
Meanwhile, additional delays loom. The Senate Judiciary Committee announced that Democrats had exercised their right to push back a vote on advancing Pam Bondi’s nomination for U.S. attorney general by another week.
As the standoff continues, Republicans remain determined to see Trump’s team confirmed, while Democrats insist on a slower process, citing the need for thorough debate.
The battle highlights the contentious nature of Washington’s partisan politics, even over critical national security and administrative roles.
Stay tuned to Prudent Politics.
