November 10, 2024
Senate majority leader contenders were quick to fall in line with President-elect Trump’s new demand that they be willing to use a Senate tool to allow him to quickly get his preferred, top administration officials in place.
Why it matters: Trump’s demand is a sign of just how aggressively he plans to take action once he’s in office. With Senate leadership elections on Wednesday, top contenders are trying to prove they’re his preferred partner.
- Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.): “We must act quickly and decisively to get the president’s cabinet and other nominees in place as soon as possible to start delivering on the mandate we’ve been sent to execute, and all options are on the table … including recess appointments,” he said in a statement.
- Conservative dark horse Sen. Rick Scott (R-Fla.) quickly posted his agreement with Trump on X, saying, “100% agree. I will do whatever it takes to get your nominations through as quickly as possible,” which earned him an endorsement from Elon Musk.
- Sen. John Cornyn (R-Tex.) has yet to respond to Trump’s call, but on Saturday he promised to keep senators in session to confirm Trump’s cabinet positions as quickly as possible.
Zoom in: Trump demanded that any Senate majority leader agree to what are called “recess appointments.”
- The measure would involve the Senate recessing for more than 10 days to allow Trump to speedily get people he wants in cabinet positions temporarily — avoiding prolonged confirmation processes.
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Bugs Marlowe