Sun Sentinel Palm Beach Edition
Nuclear option clouds air as parties duel
Trump floats rule change as Dems fight GOP on picks
WASHINGTON — Senate Republicans moved aggressively Wednesday to push through several of President Donald Trump’s Cabinet nominees, the latest round in an escalating showdown with Democrats trying to thwart Trump’s administration.
Republicans lashed out at Democrats trying to stall the president’s nominees at the committee level, suspending the rules to approve two nominees, Rep. Tom Price, R-Ga., for secretary of health and human services and Steve Mnuchin to lead the Treasury.
Republicans also advanced the nomination of Sen. Jeff Sessions, R-Ala., for attorney general, and they confirmed former Exxon Mobil CEO Rex Tillerson for secretary of state by a vote of 56-43.
The day was not without its setbacks for Republicans, however. Two GOP senators, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and Susan Collins of Maine, signaled they do not plan to support the president’s nominee for education secretary, Betsy DeVos — leaving Democrats one vote shy of the number needed to doom her nomination. Both senators cited their uncertainty about whether DeVos, an avid supporter of charter schools and school vouchers, is sufficiently committed to helping public schools.
The drama on Capitol Hill unfolded at a time when Democrats have become increasingly emboldened to block Trump’s agenda and appointees.
Democrats were enraged by the administration’s executive order issued over the weekend to bar travel to the United States by those from seven majority-Muslim countries. They galvanized around the firing of acting attorney general Sally Yates, who was dismissed for refusing to enforce the ban. And some Democrats were also angered by the president’s nomination of Judge Neil Gorsuch to the Supreme Court on Tuesday night, arguing that Republicans cannot expect them to swiftly approve the selection after their blockade of then-President Barack Obama’s nominee, Judge Merrick Garland.
Lawmakers began meeting with Gorsuch on Wednesday. Although several moderate Democrats said they remain open to the federal appeals judge, others, including Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., vowed to block him with a filibuster, which Republicans would need 60 votes to overcome.
Meanwhile, Trump urged Senate Republican leaders Wednesday to be prepared to “go nuclear” if Democrats try to block Gorsuch — that is, change long-standing Senate rules to permit the confirmation of a Supreme Court nominee with a simple majority vote.
“I would say, ‘If you can, Mitch, go nuclear,’ ” Trump said, referring to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky. “Because that would be an absolute shame if a man of this quality was put up to that neglect.”
Several Democrats did side with Republicans to approve Tillerson: Sens. Heidi Heitkamp of North Dakota, Joe Manchin of West Virginia and Sen. Mark Warner of Virginia. So did Sen. Angus King, IMaine.
There is little Democrats can do to prevent final confirmation of any of Trump’s picks because the GOP needs only 51 votes to approve them in the full Senate, and there are 52 Republican senators.
With Tillerson, six highranking Trump nominees have been approved by the full Senate: Elaine Chao as transportation secretary; retired generals John Kelly and Jim Mattis at the Department of Homeland Security and the Pentagon; Mike Pompeo to lead the CIA; and Nikki Haley to serve as U.S. ambassador to the United Nations.
In the Senate Judiciary Committee, Republicans celebrated Sessions’ approval on a party-line vote of 11-9, with Democrats present.
“Senator Sessions has devoted his life to public service, and his qualifications cannot be questioned,” Senate Majority Whip John Cornyn, R-Texas, said in a statement following the Sessions vote.
“He has a history of protecting and defending the Constitution and the rule of law for all people.”
But a committee hearing to approve Trump’s pick for the Environmental Protection Agency, Scott Pruitt, was delayed after Democrats failed to show up. So was a hearing to vet Rep. Mick Mulvaney, R-S.C., to lead the Office of Management and Budget, which was delayed Wednesday, although the delay happened before the panel convened.
And on Tuesday, the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee approved the nominations of former Texas governor Rick Perry to be energy secretary and Rep. Ryan Zinke, RMont., to be interior secretary.
Republicans came to the aid of Trump’s nominees after Democrats dipped into their procedural arsenal to stall many of them at committee hearings on Monday, echoing growing liberal anger in the streets.
“Democrats are going to keep fighting back,” said Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash.
“We are going to stand with people across the country. And we will keep pushing Republicans to put country above party and stand with us.”
At Senate Finance on Wednesday, chairman Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, rammed through Mnuchin and Price after Democrats did not show up for that hearing. Their nominations head to the Senate floor for an up-or-down vote, although it is unclear when that will happen.
“Republicans on this committee showed up to do our jobs. Yesterday, rather than accept anything less than their desired outcome, our Democrat colleagues chose to cower in the hallway and hold a press conference,” Hatch said.
GOP members spent Tuesday exploring how they could quickly approve Price and Mnuchin and punish Democrats.
After weeks of back-andforth about Trump’s nominees, “the boycott was the last straw,” said Sen. Johnny Isakson, R-Ga.