U.S. Senator John Barrasso (R-Wyo.), Senate Majority Whip, addressed the Senate on what he described as significant delays in confirming President Donald J. Trump’s nominees. He pointed to Wyoming’s Brian Nesvik, nominated for Director of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, as an example of a nominee whose confirmation has been held up.
“I had the honor of introducing Brian at his confirmation hearing in March. The Committee approved his nomination in April. That was 112 days ago. The people of Wyoming are asking, why the long delay? Why isn’t Brian Nesvik on the job today? I’ll tell you why. Unprecedented Democrat obstruction,” Barrasso said.
Barrasso criticized Senate Democrats for stalling 161 nominees who have cleared committee votes but have not received floor consideration. “For seven months, Senator Schumer and his band of Democrat obstructionists have thrown the kitchen sink at President Trump’s nominees. That is why 161 highly qualified nominees like Brian have not come to the Senate Floor for a vote. All of them have been voted on and approved by committee. Many received Democrat support in committee. Each and every one of them is now stuck in a Senate procedural purgatory – stalled, stonewalled, and systematically delayed by Senate Democrats,” he stated.
He argued that this approach diverges from past practices: “This is not Advice and Consent. This is obstruct and delay. If President Trump nominates you, they’re against you. That’s Democrats’ new litmus test. Trump Derangement Syndrome has consumed the Senate Democrat Caucus.”
Barrasso contrasted current confirmation rates with those under previous administrations: “Historically, the Senate has found ways to work together to fill important positions in a timely manner. During President Trump’s first term, by the time Congress recessed for the August break, the Senate had confirmed 133 nominees. 79 were confirmed by voice vote. During President Biden’s term, 150 nominees were confirmed by the time the Senate departed for August recess. 76 were by voice vote.”
“In President Trump’s second term, zero have been confirmed by voice vote,” he added.
Barrasso listed several positions where Democratic senators had used filibusters to block or slow confirmations regardless of bipartisan support or urgency.
“Obstructionist Democrats are turning the Senate into the world’s slowest human resources department… Even positions that have never been subject to a roll call vote in the United States Senate have not been spared,” he said.
He concluded that Republicans would act to move nominations forward: “President Trump deserves to have his team in place. And America deserves to have leaders on the job… Republicans will do what needs to be done to get President Trump’s team in place.”
