Dems Slow-Walk Uncontroversial Nominees

(Roll Call, 5/16/2017)

PREVIOUSLY: Democrats Slowed Cabinet Confirmations…

“Senate Democrats … are slow-walking the installation of Trump’s Cabinet to a historic degree…” (“‘The Senate Is Coming Apart,’” Politico, 2/5/2017)

• “Trump’s confirmations really are taking longer than his predecessors” (The Washington Post, 2/1/17)

• “The sluggish pace of Cabinet-level approvals is unusually slow...” (“Sluggish Pace Of Filling Trump’s Cabinet-Level Posts Shows No Sign Of Easing,” McClatchy, 2/4/17)

Prior to 2017, there had only been fifteen Cabinet Positions that were subject to cloture action in the Senate. (“Cloture Attempts on Nominations to Cabinet-level Positions,” CRS, 5/18/2017)

• This year alone, there have been fourteen Cabinet Positions that were subject to cloture action in the Senate. (“Cloture Attempts on Nominations to Cabinet-level Positions,” CRS, 5/18/2017; “Cloture Motions - 115th Congress,” Accessed 5/16//2017)

“Trump’s wait for his major Cabinet picks was nearly the longest in 30 years… The Senate confirmed the last of President Trump’s nominees to lead major Cabinet departments on Thursday… Of the five most recent administrations, only Obama has taken longer to fill out his Cabinet, though Trump was only one day shy of tying that mark.” (“Trump’s Wait For His Major Cabinet Picks Was Nearly The Longest In 30 Years,” The Washington Post, 4/27/2017)

• “Delays in Senate confirmation of veteran trade lawyer Robert Lighthizer more than 100 days after his nomination…” (“U.S. Senate Confirms Trump Trade Representative Ahead Of NAFTA Talks,” Reuters, 5/11/2017)

• “On his first day in office, President Jimmy Carter had eight of his Cabinet nominees confirmed. Within two days of his inauguration, Ronald Reagan had 12 of his nominees in place. Within 24 hours after his inauguration, Bill Clinton had 13 in place. Even President George W. Bush, whose transition period was swept up in a dramatic Supreme Court decision about his election, had seven of his nominees confirmed on Jan. 20, and four more in four days. President Obama — as Republicans are pointing out — had seven in place by the time he and Michelle Obama had their first dance.” (“Two Weeks In, Donald Trump Has The Smallest Confirmed Cabinet In Decades,” Washington Post, 2/2/17)

…Then Liberals Immediately Demanded Everybody Should Resign!

Hundreds of liberals demanded Betsy DeVos resign the day after she was confirmed as Secretary of Education on February 7, 2017.

MoveOn: “Betsy DeVos: Resign … We, the undersigned, demand your immediate resignation.” (“Betsy DeVos: Resign,” MoveOn.org, Accessed 2/8/17)

• 483 liberals signed on February 8, 2017

…But Only If Resignations Hadn’t Been Demanded Before People Were Even In Office…

Dozens of liberals demanded Scott Pruitt resign before he was even confirmed as EPA Administrator on February 17, 2017.

MoveOn: “We demand that Scott Pruitt resign as head of the EPA” (MoveOn, Petition, 2/17/17)

• 79 liberals signed on February 16, 2017 or earlier

FLASHBACK -- SEN. SCHUMER: ‘Things Should Never Have Gotten To This Point’

SEN. CHUCK SCHUMER (D-NY): “Things should never have gotten to this point. We've been forced here by an extreme group that has waged a successful war on government. We believe firmly that government has to function to help average families out of their morass. But, unfortunately, there's a group … who wants to stop everything dead in its tracks. Judicial nominees, executive nominees, and legislation. And we've seen their success. ... When a cabinet post goes unfulfilled for months on end, they think they win. Dysfunction is their goal, and they've been achieving it a lot recently.” (Sen. Schumer, Press Conference, 11/21/13)

• SCHUMER: “Who in America doesn't think a president, Democrat or Republican, deserves his or her picks for who should run the agencies? Nobody. But there's a long list of Cabinet and subcabinet positions that have been opposed. …the American people deserve a functioning government, not gridlock. And if our government continues to be gridlocked, people are gonna lose total faith in government and it'll be a different America.” (Sen. Schumer, Press Conference, 11/21/13)