The Senate confirmed 74 nominees to the Trump administration on Friday, clearing 95% of the civilian nominees pending floor consideration at a historically fast pace.
The nominees were confirmed en bloc on a 51-47 party-line vote. It was the fifth such package, contributing to the overall 95% clearance rate for civilian personnel President Trump has nominated in his second term.
Those confirmed in the latest package include more than a dozen ambassadors; executive officers for the departments of Defense, Energy, Interior, State and Treasury; appointees to the National Labor Relations Board, National Transportation Safety Board and Consumer Product Safety Commission; and associate judges serving 15-year terms in District of Columbia courts.
Republicans changed the Senate rules last year to allow most lower-level nominees to be confirmed en bloc because Democrats refused to fast-track confirmation of any of Mr. Trump’s personnel picks by voice vote or unanimous consent.
They turned what they decried as “historic Democratic obstruction” into “the best confirmation track record in a quarter century.”
“At this same point in President Trump’s first term, there were 155 unconfirmed nominees on the calendar. This year that number is on track to be about ten,” said Senate Majority Leader John Thune, South Dakota Republican.
The Senate’s confirmation pace for Mr. Trump’s second term is also faster than the start of Barack Obama and Joseph R. Biden’s presidencies.
Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer accused Republicans of ramming through packages of nominees that cannot withstand individual scrutiny.
“All these nominees will have different jobs, but they share the same qualification: absolute loyalty to Donald Trump, no matter how ridiculous his policies are,” the New York Democrat said, slamming Republicans for putting “a grab-bag of charlatans and MAGA foot soldiers into the highest positions of power.”
Due to a series of Senate rule changes initiated by both parties over the past decade and a half, the 60-vote threshold to clear a filibuster no longer applies to nominations.
That means Democrats alone cannot block Mr. Trump’s nominees, so their only form of protest is to force Republicans to jump through every procedural hoop.
The Senate has individually confirmed 23 Cabinet members and 52 federal judges for lifetime appointments — positions excluded from the new en bloc voting process.
“We’re going to continue to ensure that nominees are confirmed in a timely fashion, and that the president is able to have his team in place,” Mr. Thune said.
GOP leaders are hoping to confirm Todd Blanche as attorney general in the coming days. They appear to have secured enough support after Sen. Bill Cassidy of Louisiana announced he would vote for Mr. Blanche.
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