Senate Republicans voted Tuesday evening to confirm more than 100 of President Donald Trump’s nominees in a single action, clearing a significant backlog of pending appointments across the federal government.
The confirmations were made possible by a rules change adopted by the Senate GOP last month that allows most executive branch nominees to be approved in groups rather than through individual votes. The new procedure does not apply to Cabinet-level positions or judicial nominations, according to reports. The move represents the largest batch of confirmations since the rule modification took effect. Among those confirmed were former Republican Senate candidate Herschel Walker, who was appointed U.S. ambassador to the Bahamas, and Sergio Gor, the former director of the White House Presidential Personnel Office, who was confirmed as ambassador to India.
Republicans adopted the procedural change—often referred to as the “nuclear option”—to accelerate confirmations after months of delays they attributed to Democratic opposition. Some GOP lawmakers had also discussed allowing Trump to make recess appointments during Senate adjournments, but party leaders ultimately rejected the idea, citing concerns about how the precedent might affect Republicans if they return to the minority. The mass confirmation represents a notable victory for Trump as his administration continues to fill key federal positions despite ongoing partisan tensions in Congress.
