Thune: The Only Thing Democrats Are Confirming Is Their Trump Derangement Syndrome

“[W]e’ve seen an unprecedented level of obstruction and delay and blocking from Democrats. And as a consequence of that, we’ve had to kind of grind through, and that’s what we’re going to keep doing.”

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WASHINGTON — U.S. Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) today spoke at a press conference with Senate Republican leadership:

Thune’s remarks below (as delivered):

“Well, good afternoon, everyone.

“As you all know, we are spending a good amount of our time and energy here in the Senate on nominations these days.

“And we’ve seen an unprecedented level of obstruction and delay and blocking from Democrats.

“And as a consequence of that, we’ve had to kind of grind through, and that’s what we’re going to keep doing.

“If you look at just the historical precedent with regard to noms, we have never seen in history anything like what the Democrats are now doing.

“As of this date back in 2021, Joe Biden had gotten 46 nominees confirmed either by voice vote or unanimous consent.

“Donald Trump has zero.

“Zero.

“Not a single one confirmed by voice or unanimous consent.

“And further, the Democrats are making it hard, even on bipartisan nominees that sometimes will get 60 votes-plus on the floor, one even up to 83 votes on the floor.

“So even the bipartisan noms are being blocked and delayed, so much so that the Democrats have been forcing me, when I file cloture, just to get a nominee considered on the floor, to go in and out of executive and legislative session.

“So these are just dilatory tactics designed to block and obstruct the president and his agenda.

“And the sad reality is that there are a lot of these people who fill important positions in our government who need to be able to be confirmed to get there so they can do their jobs.

“And that’s the way the American people, that’s what they voted for.

“They voted for this president, and he has not had an opportunity to get the people that he wants to have man his administration get there to do their job.

“So this has got to stop.

“And clearly the Democrats are starting something and creating a precedent that is going to come back to haunt them.

“This is … a bad practice on their part, because, as you all know, what goes around comes around, around here.

“And I think regrettably for the Democrats, they’re going to rue the day if they keep this practice up.

“So I am hoping that they will work with us, come to their senses, in the next few days here to try and put together a package of nominees.

“There are a whole bunch of bipartisan nominees that are out there that are available for consideration right now.

“But this simply is – again, I’ve said it before, but it is – it’s Trump Derangement Syndrome on steroids with the Senate Democrats.

“There are Senate Democrats who actually do want to work on getting some noms through the process, but their leadership is blocking that.

“And unfortunately here in the Senate, at least on the Democrat side of the aisle, it is the tail wagging the dog.

“It is the far left of their caucus that is preventing even good government people, people who are bipartisan, from getting confirmed.

“So that’s got to change, and if it doesn’t, we’re going to be here a while.”