Trump wants to bypass Senate approval for his nominations

Photo: Charly Triballeau Agence France-Presse The Republican Party has regained the majority in the Senate, which will meet in January to take the oath of office.

Agence France-Presse In Washington

Published at 23:21

• United States

US President-elect Donald Trump on Sunday asked senators to waive their approval, which is normally required, to nominate the highest officials in his future administration.

A section of the US Constitution allows the president to make appointments without Senate approval when the Senate is not in session.

But this provision is rarely used, as senators usually arrange to be in session when appointments are made and thus exercise their power to control the executive branch.

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The Republican Party has regained its majority in the Senate, which will meet in January to take the oath of office, but elected Democrats could still slow down the process of approving appointments.

“Sometimes votes can take two years or more. “That's what they [the Democrats] did four years ago and we can't let that happen again,” the president-elect protested on X on Sunday, referring to his first term (2017-2021).

“Any Republican senator aiming to take the coveted place of leader of the American Senate must accept appointments” outside of parliamentary sessions, he added.

The three senators campaigning for this position responded by supporting Donald Trump's request.

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“100% agree. I will do anything to get your nominations approved as quickly as possible,” wrote Rick Scott, a senator-elect from Florida who is backed by billionaires Vivek Ramaswamy and Elon Musk and other Trump allies to lead the party’s Senate appointees.

“We need to act quickly and decisively to get the president’s nominees approved and all options are on the table, including recess appointments,” said John Thune, a South Dakota senator and the current No. 2 Republican in the Senate.

“It is unacceptable for Senate Democrats to block” nominations, said John Cornyn, a Texas senator. “If they do, we will stay in session on weekends until they give in.” And the Constitution gives the president the power to make appointments during recesses,” he added.

The US Senate examines and confirms by vote, first in committee, then in plenary session, the nominations of ministers, their deputies, but also ambassadors, military officials, directors of multiple federal agencies and judges, notably those of the Supreme Court.

“No judge should be approved” before the Republicans have chosen their leader and taken office in the Senate, Donald Trump added on Sunday.