Senate Republicans voted Tuesday to confirm over 100 of President Donald Trump’s nominees in one large batch, clearing a significant backlog of pending appointments. This was made possible by a recent GOP rule change allowing most executive branch nominees to be approved collectively, rather than individually. However, this change excluded Cabinet secretaries and judicial nominees.
Among those confirmed were former Senate candidate Herschel Walker as ambassador to the Bahamas and Sergio Gor as ambassador to India. Republicans used the “nuclear option,” a party-line rules change, to accelerate the process after months of Democratic opposition had slowed confirmations. Although some Republicans considered allowing recess appointments to bypass delays, GOP leaders rejected this due to concerns it could harm their party later.
This mass confirmation was a major win for Trump as his administration continued filling key federal positions amid ongoing political gridlock. The Senate had been grappling with a backlog of judicial nominations, with Democrats using stall tactics. Trump criticized the Senate tradition allowing home-state senators to block nominees, known as the “blue slip.”
GOP lawmakers explored various proposals to speed up confirmations, including reducing debate times and making some nominations nondebatable. These changes required only a simple majority, but the Republicans’ “nuclear option” highlighted the partisan nature of the fight. Senator Katie Britt led a GOP working group that collaborated with Democrats to find a path forward.
Before the summer recess, Senate Majority Leader John Thune kept the Senate in session to advance Trump’s nominees, as Democrats demanded roll call votes on routine confirmations. Trump urged senators to delay their recess to avoid stalling nominees.
One notable confirmation was Jeanine Pirro, Trump’s pick for Washington D.C.’s top prosecutor. Pirro’s approval came shortly before the Senate recessed, as broader negotiations over nominees fell apart. Ultimately, only a handful of nominees were confirmed before the Senate adjourned for August.
