President Trump is calling on Senate Republicans to speed up the considerable backlog of his nominees for executive posts and court seats who have not yet received confirmation hearings by changing that house’s rules.

A recent tweet reflects the President’s rightful frustration with Democrats and some slow to act Republicans who have allowed his nominees to become mired in the process.

“Hundreds of good people, including very important ambassadors and judges, are being blocked and/or slow walked by the Democrats in the Senate,” tweeted President Trump.

He continued his outrage with, “The Democrats continue to obstruct the confirmation of hundreds of good and talented people who are needed to run our government…A record in U.S. history. State Department, Ambassadors and many others are being slow walked. Senate must approve NOW!”

While the opposition claims that Democrats are moving as fast as advisable in filling the 1200 or so positions that remain to be ratified the fact is Trump faces an obvious determination to keep his appointments on the sidelines.

The President has had the lowest percentage of nominees confirmed by the Senate at this point compared to the last four presidents at the same point in their presidency.

Bill Clinton and George H.W. Bush – 81 percent)

George W. Bush – 78 percent

Barack Obama – 67 percent

Donald Trump – 57 percent

Maggie Haberman of The New York Times notes that the President’s nominees at every level of government have been held up by the Senate. There are “scores of President Trump’s nominees” for everything from ambassadorships to cabinet-level deputies “stalled, awaiting confirmation.”

It’s not just the percentage who have been voted on but the time taken for each to be confirmed that is out of kilter. Again, a comparison of how long it has taken for Trump’s nominees with other recent past presidents is revealing.

George W. Bush – 43 Days

Bill Clinton – 50 Days

Barack Obama – 65 Days

Donald Trump – 84 Days

Senate Republican Conference Chairman John Thune of South Dakota said:

“This idea that they can continue to use the clock the way they are to just stall us and kill time in the Senate … is crying out for action.”

Thune says that GOP leaders will first attempt to get at least 60 votes to shorten debate time but is already considering other options if Democrats continue to stall the system.

Early on Barack Obama’s first term, Senate Democrats led that body to change its rules concerning the votes required to break a filibuster of presidential nominees. Now, through a process called cloture, nominees can be approved by a simple majority of 51 votes rather than a “super majority” of 60 votes.

Once the majority party breaks a filibuster through cloture, the minority is mandated to have an additional 30 hour for post-cloture debate. Seventy-Nine cloture votes to date have been held, names placed in consideration by President Trump compared to seventeen for the last four presidents combined. Democrats have taken advantage of this loophole to bog down the process of confirmation and “drain the clock.”

Some legal experts say the delay has been caused by legitimate concerns about Trump nominee conflicts of interest and qualifications. They say if the President was nominating people with “impeccable credentials” and “broad support” there would be no such delays.

Others blame Trump’s choice of “non-traditional nominees” who have complex financials holdings and “less expertise than they need” has caused the delay.

Translation – since the President has picked people already proven to be knowledgeable and successful in the private sector, Washington insiders don’t trust them.

One notable exception is Trump’s results with staffing federal courts. Part of his success in that most important area is the amount of time and effort the President has placed there. Trump had appointed more circuit court judges in his first year than any other president and is ranked as the sixth most productive president in history in first-year federal judge appointments overall (trial court, appeals court and Supreme Court).

In spite of Trump’s record-breaking court appointments, over sixty percent of his judicial nominees still await Senate confirmation. President Trump has nominated 84 names to serve on U.S. District Courts and U.S. Courts Of Appeals and as of April 2, 52 are still waiting for Senate confirmation.

Republicans in the Senate have the numbers now to do just what Harry Reid did in 2013 – pass rules that favor the majority party. It’s time for Senator Mitch McConnell to get his colleagues to act.

~ American Liberty Report