12.10.25

Senate Republicans Continue to Swiftly Confirm President Trump’s Team

After Reforming Senate Rules and Clearing the Nominations Backlog, Senate Republicans Are Confirming Trump Nominations at a Faster Pace Than 2021 and 2017

TotalConfirmed_3admins_Dec10

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THE SENATE HAS CONFIRMED OVER 300 TRUMP ADMINISTRATION OFFICIALS, FAR OUTPACING THE RATE OF THE BIDEN AND FIRST TRUMP ADMINISTRATIONS – AND NEARLY 100 MORE ARE ON THE WAY

“Democrats – and their base – still can’t deal with the fact that President Trump won last November. And so they have held up every single one – every single one – of his nominations in revenge. But Republicans have not been daunted. We’ve just continued ploughing ahead on nominations – helping us rack up a historic number of votes this year in the process.” – Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.)

  • As of December 10, the Senate has confirmed 318 Trump administration civilian nominations. (Senate Majority Leader: President Trump's Senate-Confirmed Civilian Nominations – accessed 12/10/25)
  • At this point in 2021, the Senate had confirmed 278 Biden administration civilian nominations. At this point in 2017, the Senate had confirmed 274 first Trump administration civilian nominations. (U.S. Congress: President Joe Biden Nominations 2021-2024 – accessed 12/10/25; U.S. Congress: President Donald Trump Nominations 2017-2020 – accessed 12/10/25)
  • The Senate has confirmed 26 individuals to serve as federal judges on district and circuit courts. (Senate Majority Leader: President Trump's Senate-Confirmed Civilian Nominations – accessed 12/10/25)
  • The Senate has confirmed 53 nominations to serve as ambassadors to foreign countries and entities including the United Nations. (Senate Majority Leader: President Trump's Senate-Confirmed Civilian Nominations – accessed 12/10/25)
  • 18 individuals have been confirmed to serve as U.S. attorneys across the country. (Senate Majority Leader: President Trump's Senate-Confirmed Civilian Nominations – accessed 12/10/25)

THANKS TO REPUBLICANS’ RULES REFORM, THE SENATE IS BACK TO THE HISTORICAL PRACTICE OF CONFIRMING LARGE BATCHES OF NOMINATIONS AT ONCE

  • Thanks to Senate Republicans’ rules reform in September, the 119th Senate has confirmed 155 civilian nominations via two en bloc batches. (Senate Majority Leader: President Trump's Senate-Confirmed Civilian Nominations – accessed 12/10/25; 119th U.S. Senate: Roll Call Vote #526 – 9/18/25; 119th U.S. Senate: Roll Call Vote #547 – 10/7/25)
  • This reform was necessary due to historic Democrat obstruction: President Trump remains the only president on record to not have a single civilian nomination confirmed by voice vote or unanimous consent. (Senate Majority Leader: President Trump's Senate-Confirmed Civilian Nominations – accessed 12/10/25)
  • But Republicans’ rules reform is returning the Senate to its historical practice of confirming civilian nominations in batches:
    • So far, 49% of President Trump’s civilian nominations confirmed this year have been via en bloc batches. (Senate Majority Leader: President Trump's Senate-Confirmed Civilian Nominations – accessed 12/10/25)
    • 57% of the civilian nominations confirmed in President Biden’s term were via voice vote. (U.S. Congress: President Joe Biden Nominations 2021-2024 – accessed 12/10/25)
    • 65% of the civilian nominations confirmed in President Trump’s first term were via voice vote. (U.S. Congress: President Donald Trump Nominations 2017-2020 – accessed 12/10/25)
    • 90% of the civilian nominations confirmed in President Obama’s first term were via voice vote. (U.S. Congress: President Barack Obama Nominations 2009-2012 – accessed 12/10/25)
    • 90% of the civilian nominations confirmed in President George W. Bush’s first term were via voice vote. (U.S. Congress: President George W. Bush Nominations 2001-2004 – accessed 12/10/25)
    • Roughly 98% of the civilian nominations confirmed in President Clinton’s first term were via voice vote or unanimous consent. (U.S. Congress: President Bill Clinton Nominations 1993-1996 – accessed 12/10/25)
    • Roughly 98% of the civilian nominations confirmed in President George H.W. Bush’s term were via voice vote or unanimous consent. (U.S. Congress: President George H.W. Bush Nominations 1989-1993 – accessed 12/10/25)
  • This week, the Senate took the first procedural steps in confirming its third en bloc batch containing 97 nominations. (Fox News: Dem attempt to thwart Trump noms backfires, Republicans tee up nearly 100 for confirmation – 12/4/25; U.S. Senate: Roll Call Vote #642 – 12/10/25)
  • When the Senate confirms the third en bloc batch of Trump nominations next week, roughly 61% of his civilian nominations will have been confirmed in batches. (U.S. Congress: 119th Congress Nominees – accessed 12/10/25; Fox News: Dem attempt to thwart Trump noms backfires, Republicans tee up nearly 100 for confirmation – 12/4/25)
  • Confirmation of the 97 nominations in the third batch will clear more than 90% of the current civilian nominations backlog. (U.S. Senate: Pending Nominations on the Executive Calendar (Civilian) – accessed 12/10/25)

ClearingNomsBacklog_Batch3_Dec20

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HISTORIC DEMOCRAT OBSTRUCTION HAS NOT STOPPED SENATE REPUBLICANS FROM CONFIRMING PRESIDENT TRUMP’S TEAM

  • Senate Democrats continue to hold up nearly every single one of President Trump’s nominations, requiring time-consuming cloture votes on the vast majority of them, including many that eventually receive bipartisan votes on the Senate floor. (U.S. Senate: Cloture Motions - 119th Congress – accessed 12/10/25; Senate Majority Leader: President Trump's Senate-Confirmed Civilian Nominations – accessed 12/10/25)
  • Democrats have required that every single Trump civilian nomination have a roll-call confirmation vote, a level of obstruction unprecedented in modern times. Due to this historic obstruction, roughly 54% of the Senate’s votes this year have been related to nominations. (U.S. Senate: Roll Call Votes 119th Congress - 1st Session (2025) – accessed 12/10/25)
  • Senate Democrats have been delaying and obstructing President Trump’s nominations from the very beginning of his term, including waging “trench warfare” on critical national security nominations. (Punchbowl News’ Andrew Desiderio: post on X – 1/21/25; Politico: The Senate readies for a nominee siege – 1/21/25; Punchbowl News: Thune threatens weekend votes as Dems stall Trump Cabinet picks – 1/22/25)
  • Before President Trump was even sworn in, Democrat leaders outlined their strategy: “Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) is privately pressing his senators to create fireworks when they question President-elect Trump's nominees…” (Axios: Scoop: Schumer's plan to fire back at MAGA nominees – 1/8/25)
  • Then, they put their plan into action: Democrats have “shown that they are willing to use procedural tactics to slow other nominees even if they are destined for confirmation, including forcing time-consuming floor votes on action that is usually done by mutual agreement.” (The New York Times: Democrats Slow G.O.P. Rush to Confirm Trump Nominees – 1/22/25)