House Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) has cancelled the Senate’s annual August recess due to “the historic obstruction by Senate Democrats of the president’s nominees.”
“Due to the historic obstruction by the Senate Democrats of the president’s nominees, and the goal of passing appropriations bills prior to the end of the fiscal year, the August recess has been cancelled,” McConnell said in a tweeted statement Tuesday.
My statement on cancelling the August recess: pic.twitter.com/yyAEUSMVQW
— Leader McConnell (@SenateMajLdr) June 5, 2018
“Senators should expect to remain in session in August to pass legislation, including appropriations bills, and to make additional progress on the president’s nominees.”
The office of Senator Orrin Hatch (R-UT) responded positively to the news in a humorous tweet, and included a graph about why cancelling the August recess is necessary.
— Senator Hatch Office (@senorrinhatch) June 5, 2018
The graph shows Dems have invoked almost 100 cloture votes – a rule that essentially filibusters President Trump’s nominees.
Helpful graphic from @SenateMajLdr and his team about why this is absolutely necessary– https://t.co/X0mTuEcmwU pic.twitter.com/fJx4BLgP9W
— Senator Hatch Office (@senorrinhatch) June 5, 2018
White House Legislative Affairs Director Marc Short lamented the Democrats’ unprecedented obstruction of the president’s nominees in March, highlighting that at the current rate, it would take over a decade to confirm all of them.
“Today, the Senate has had 79 cloture votes in the first 14 months of our administration. Seventeen, over the last four administrations, versus 79 in the first 14 months of our administration. That is roughly five times the number of the last four administrations combined,” Short said.
“Even Senate Democrats have begun to call this out and to say it is getting to the point of ridiculous. At this rate, the United States Senate would take 11 and a half years to confirm our nominees – 11 and a half years to confirm our nominees,” he added.
Trump has repeatedly excoriated Democrats for “slow walking” hundreds of nominations, and has called them the “Party of Obstruction” last year.
“Democrats are obstructing good (hopefully great) people wanting to give up a big portion of their life to work for our Government, hence, the American People,” he tweeted in April. “They are ‘slow walking’ all of my nominations – hundreds of people. At this rate it would take 9 years for all approvals!”
Democrats are obstructing good (hopefully great) people wanting to give up a big portion of their life to work for our Government, hence, the American People. They are “slow walking” all of my nominations – hundreds of people. At this rate it would take 9 years for all approvals!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 19, 2018
Twitter: Follow @WhiteIsTheFury
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