President Donald Trump is leaving his predecessor in the dust with a staggering pace of Senate confirmations.
Senate Republicans are poised to greenlight a package of 97 Trump nominees this week, pushing his total to at least 417 for this term, as reported by the Daily Caller. That number towers over Joe Biden’s 365 by the end of December 2021 and Trump’s own 323 at the same point in his first term back in 2017.
Leading the charge, Senate Majority Leader John Thune declared on Fox News, “We will, by the end of this year, have a record number of [Trump’s] nominees approved to the executive branch.” Such bold efficiency signals a GOP Senate determined to cut through bureaucratic gridlock and prioritize results over endless posturing.
This latest batch includes notable figures like former New York Rep. Anthony D’Esposito, tapped for a key Labor Department role, alongside James Murphy and Scott Mayer for the National Labor Relations Board. Their confirmations, among 94 others across government sectors, showcase a broad effort to install Trump’s vision at every level.
Individual approvals this week also feature Elon Musk ally Jared Isaacman for NASA leadership and Douglas Weaver for the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. These picks reflect a deliberate push for innovative thinkers who challenge stale, establishment norms.
Earlier moves, like Trump’s January dismissal of Biden appointee Gwynne Wilcox from the NLRB—upheld as lawful by the D.C. Circuit Court—paved the way for fresh faces. Clearing out holdovers ensures policies align with the current administration’s goals, not lingering progressive agendas.
Back in September, Thune rewrote Senate precedent to allow unlimited simultaneous confirmations for non-Cabinet, non-judicial roles after months of Democratic stalling. Trump’s term marks a historic low, as not a single civilian nominee has passed via unanimous consent or voice vote due to these delay tactics.
Republicans countered with the “nuclear option,” speeding up the process to confirm 48 nominees in September and 108 more in a single October vote. Such decisive action cuts through partisan gamesmanship that wastes taxpayer time and resources.
The GOP has also secured 26 federal judges for district and circuit courts this year. Additionally, over 30 of Trump’s U.S. attorneys are set to be confirmed before the Christmas recess, fortifying law enforcement priorities nationwide.
Trump has pressed Senate Republicans to ditch the blue slip courtesy, a century-old practice granting senators veto power over U.S. attorney picks in their states. Democrats’ refusal to return blue slips for nominees in New York, New Jersey, and Virginia highlights how this tradition can be weaponized to obstruct progress.
Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley defends the custom, arguing it safeguards GOP interests under future Democratic administrations. Yet, some on the judiciary panel resist approving U.S. attorneys lacking home-state senator support, even if Grassley were to abandon the rule.
Grassley remains focused on ensuring Trump’s judicial nominees secure the votes needed in his committee, where Republicans hold a slim 12-10 edge. Balancing tradition with urgency, his stance reveals the tightrope conservatives walk between principle and practicality.
Trump’s confirmation tally isn’t just a number; it’s a mandate to reshape government with leaders who reject woke overreach and prioritize American interests. Each approval builds a framework for policies that value hard work over handouts and security over open-ended experiments.
The Senate’s accelerated pace proves that governance can move swiftly without sacrificing scrutiny, a lesson lost on those who cling to obstruction as a badge of honor. If Democrats think stalling serves their cause, they’re misreading a public tired of gridlock and hungry for action.
With hundreds of nominees in place and more on the horizon, Trump and the GOP are setting a standard for efficiency that future administrations will struggle to match. This is governance with teeth, proving that promises made can indeed become promises kept.