Historic Democrat Obstruction

President Trump’s Nominees Have Faced 86 Cloture Votes In First 2 Years Vs. 24 For Previous 6 Presidents Combined

SENATE MAJORITY LEADER MITCH McCONNELL (R-KY): “Over and over again, we’ve had to file cloture and exhaust floor time on amply-qualified nominees who then soar through their confirmation votes by lopsided margins…. The numbers speak for themselves.” (Sen. McConnell, Remarks, 4/11/2018)

WALL STREET JOURNAL: “Democratic obstruction against nominees is nearly total, most notably including a demand for cloture filings … no matter how minor the position.” (Editorial, “Running The Schumer Blockade,” The Wall Street Journal, 7/10/2017)

Number of cloture votes taken in the Senate on judicial and executive nominations in the first two years of a president’s term:

(“Cloture Motions,” U.S. Senate Website, Accessed 4/13/2018)

Notes: Includes judicial nominees and failed cloture votes. Excludes cloture motions waived or vitiated.

Trump: Through April 13, 2018; includes 2 cloture votes on the nomination of Justice Gorsuch.
Clinton: Includes a cloture vote on 5 nominees at once (all of whom were subsequently confirmed by voice vote) and 2 failed cloture votes on the nomination of Sam Brown.

2017 FLASHBACK: Democrats Slowed Cabinet Confirmations ‘To A Historic Degree’

“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, 2/1/2017)

“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, 2/4/2017)

“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)

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SENATE REPUBLICAN COMMUNICATIONS CENTER

Related Issues: Judicial Nominations, Nominations, Senate Democrats

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