Senate Republicans are taking the first steps to change the chamber’s rules on Thursday, making it easier to confirm groups of President Donald Trump’s nominees and overcome Democratic delays.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune’s move is the latest salvo after a dozen years of gradual changes by both parties to weaken the filibuster and make the nominations process more partisan. He has said the Democrats’ obstruction is “unsustainable” as they have drawn out the confirmation process and infuriated Trump as many positions in his administration have remained unfilled.
Opening up the Senate, Thune, a South Dakota Republican, said that the delays have prevented the Senate from spending time on legislative business.
“We’re going to fix this today, and restore the longtime Senate precedent of expeditious confirmation, and the Senate’s role as first and foremost a legislative body,” Thune said.
America is distracted, quick push through some bullshit that will bring us even closer to authoritarianism.
What’s even more funny is how the Republicans are the ones that drag out and reject confirmations when it’s a dem president.
They not only started this, they weaponized it during Obama. Democrats always uphold the (arbitrary) confirmation rules when they are in power, always limiting Democrats’ power. When Republicans are in power Democrats cave under threat of changing the (arbitrary) confirmation rules or Republicans change the rules, always expanding Republicans’ power. This is just business as usual.