South Dakota’s Mike Rounds presided over the Senate’s first pro forma session of August, a longstanding practice designed to block presidential recess appointments.
But Rounds said Republicans still plan to change the Senate rules when they return in September to speed confirmation of Trump’s nominees.
Among their options: eliminating a procedural vote on nominees, cutting down the two-hour debate time, or allowing one vote to confirm multiple nominees.
Sen. Eric Schmitt, R-Mo., suggested allowing just 15 minutes of debate time and said Democrats’ “level of obstruction, I think, requires a response.”
Long-term, Rounds said he’d like to cut down the number of jobs requiring Senate confirmation by as many as 400. He’s even talked to Democrats about a bipartisan rules change.
But let’s be honest: It’s hard to imagine Democrats going for anything that, for now, will just mean faster Trump confirmations.
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