Senate Republicans are gearing up for a showdown over 145 stalled Trump nominees with a bold plan to rewrite the rulebook.
Under the leadership of Senate Majority Whip John Barrasso, the GOP is crafting a proposal to streamline the confirmation process for hundreds of executive branch picks before the Senate breaks for the Rosh Hashanah recess on September 22, 2025.
The Daily Caller reported that these nominees, many of whom are lower-level executive branch appointees, have been stuck in limbo thanks to what Republicans call deliberate delays by Senate Democrats.
Barrasso dropped the news on a recent Wednesday, signaling that the party plans to push for a vote on changing Senate rules within days, ensuring President Trump gets his team in place without further obstruction.
“We’re working up the proposal right now, going to talk to our members and make sure we have the votes ready,” Barrasso told reporters. If that’s not a signal of determination, what is? The GOP isn’t just asking for permission—they’re ready to bulldoze through Democratic resistance if needed.
The proposed change would bundle nominees from the same committee for a quick voice vote or unanimous consent on the Senate floor, a move that could save countless hours of procedural gridlock.
Democrats, led by Senate leader Chuck Schumer, have been dragging their feet on nearly every Trump nominee, forcing GOP leadership to slog through hours of floor time for each confirmation.
“Damn straight we’re blocking these nominees,” Schumer bragged on “The Parnas Perspective” podcast. Talk about wearing obstruction as a badge of honor—shouldn’t the focus be on governing, not grandstanding?
Schumer doubled down, saying, “We can use every tool in the toolbox to delay them, and we have.” While it’s their right to scrutinize, turning the Senate into a procedural quagmire hardly seems like the high road.
According to Barrasso, a staggering 218 hours of Senate floor time have been spent debating these nominations, with Democrats often offering little to no substantive critique.
“In fact, of the Democrats who filibustered all 109 sub-cabinet nominees, the average Democrat debate was two minutes,” Barrasso pointed out on the Senate floor. If that’s not a textbook case of stalling for the sake of stalling, what is?
He added, “Eighty-one nominees had zero Democrat debate.” With numbers like that, it’s hard to argue this is about principle rather than politics.
Even retiring Senator Thom Tillis from North Carolina, who hasn’t always backed Trump’s picks, is open to changing the rules unilaterally if Democrats refuse to negotiate fairly.
“If you’re now no longer for something that you all agree would fix the problem... it looks like you’re not negotiating in good faith,” Tillis told reporters. That’s a polite way of saying it’s time to stop playing games and start governing.
As the clock ticks toward the September recess, Republicans are rallying behind Barrasso’s call to ensure Trump’s second-term team isn’t left in bureaucratic purgatory.
It’s a fight over process, yes, but also a test of whether the Senate can function without being bogged down by partisan antics. While Democrats may claim they’re just doing their due diligence, the numbers—and the wasted hours—tell a story of obstruction that’s tough to justify.