As Senate Republicans prepare to vote Wednesday on a new majority leader, Trump is already weighing in with demands for recess appointments.
Cabinet
After a decisive in the , Trump is returning to the White House with a at his side. Senate Republican leaders are expected to ease the way for the president-elect’s and his Cabinet and judicial nominees. Trump has made it clear that he’d like his nominees to be installed immediately, suggesting that he may want the option to bypass the Senate’s advice and consent role entirely. victory2024 electionsGOP-led SenateagendaTrump weighs in on recess appointments
Perhaps the biggest factor remaining in the leadership race is whether Trump himself weighs in on the candidates. On Sunday, he stepped into the conversation, demanding in a Truth Social post that anyone seeking the position as leader «must agree to Recess Appointments.»
Recess appointments enable a president to temporarily install nominees without the Senate confirmation process. Trump argued in a post on social media that without recess appointments, «we will not be able to get people confirmed in a timely manner.»
«We need positions filled IMMEDIATELY!» the president-elect said.
The Constitution’s Recess Appointment Clause grants presidents the ability to «fill up all Vacancies that may happen during the Recess of the Senate.» The maneuver is considered to be a way to make swift appointments during the Senate’s absence, according to a report by the Congressional Research Service, which notes that recess appointments have also been used for political reasons — for instance, to make an appointment on a temporary basis for an individual who would not be confirmed by the Senate.
With a GOP majority of at least 52 seats, Trump shouldn’t have too much difficulty getting his nominations through the chamber through the regular process. But pushback from a handful of Republicans like Sens. Susan Collins of Maine, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, Todd Young of Indiana or Sen.-elect John Curtis of Utah could imperil some of his more controversial picks. The process could also be delayed by Democrats in the minority, who could rely on procedural maneuvers to extend the time it takes for Trump’s Cabinet to be confirmed.
But the recess appointment maneuver is a controversial one that both parties have combated in recent years. Recess appointments are allowed only when the Senate is out of session for 10 days. For the last decade, both chambers have headed off recess appointments by going into pro-forma sessions even when lawmakers are in recess. And a Supreme Court decision in 2014 gave the Senate more authority to prevent the maneuver, after controversial recess appointments by President Barack Obama.
