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13h ago

In First Test of New Rules, Senate Confirms 48 Trump Nominees in Single 51–47 Vote

The GOP’s new en bloc rule lets a simple majority speed lower-level confirmations over Democratic objections.

Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., is met by reporters as he walks to his office while Congress works on a government funding solution, at the Capitol in Washington, Thursday, Sept. 18, 2025. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)
The U.S. Capitol Building's dome is seen in Washington, U.S., September 9, 2025. REUTERS/Elizabeth Frantz/ File Photo
Sen. Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., center, speaks during a news conference after a policy luncheon at the Capitol, Tuesday, Sept. 16, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Mariam Zuhaib)
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Overview

  • Republicans changed Senate procedure last week to allow simple-majority, en bloc votes for non-judicial, non-Cabinet nominations.
  • The approved slate included ambassadors Kimberly Guilfoyle to Greece and Callista Gingrich to Switzerland and Liechtenstein, as well as agency leaders such as NHTSA administrator Jonathan Morrison and Energy undersecretary for nuclear security Brandon Williams.
  • The vote was 51–47 along party lines, with two Republicans not voting, marking the first use of the process.
  • GOP leaders said all 48 nominees had bipartisan support in committee and signaled more batches to clear a backlog of over 100 pending picks in the coming weeks.
  • Democrats objected that the rule change weakens oversight of what they call historically poor nominees, warning of further erosion of Senate norms.