Senate heads home with no deal to speed confirmations as irate Trump tells Schumer to 'go to hell'
Share this @internewscast.com


WASHINGTON (AP) The Senate left Washington Saturday night for its monthlong August recess without a deal to advance dozens of President Donald Trump’s nominees, calling it quits after days of contentious bipartisan negotiations and Trump posting on social media that Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer can “GO TO HELL!”

Without a deal in hand, Republicans say they may try to change Senate rules when they return in September to speed up the pace of confirmations. Trump has been pressuring senators to move quickly as Democrats blocked more nominees than usual this year, denying any fast unanimous consent votes and forcing roll calls on each one, a lengthy process that can take several days per nominee.

“I think they’re desperately in need of change,” Senate Majority Leader John Thune said of Senate rules Saturday after negotiations with Schumer and Trump broke down. “I think that the last six months have demonstrated that this process, nominations is broken. And so I expect there will be some good robust conversations about that.”

Schumer said a rules change would be a “huge mistake,” especially as Senate Republicans will need Democratic votes to pass spending bills and other legislation moving forward.

“Donald Trump tried to bully us, go around us, threaten us, call us names, but he got nothing,” Schumer said.

The latest standoff comes as Democrats and Republicans have gradually escalated their obstruction of the other party’s executive branch and judicial nominees over the last two decades, and as Senate leaders have incrementally changed Senate rules to speed up confirmations and make them less bipartisan.

In 2013, Democrats changed Senate rules for lower court judicial nominees to remove the 60-vote threshold for confirmations as Republicans blocked President Barack Obama’s judicial picks. In 2017, Republicans did the same for Supreme Court nominees as Democrats tried to block Trump’s nomination of Justice Neil Gorsuch.

Trump has been pressuring Senate Republicans for weeks to cancel the August recess and grind through dozens of his nominations as Democrats have slowed the process. But Republicans hoped to make a deal with Democrats instead, and came close several times over the last few days as the two parties and the White House negotiated over moving a large tranche of nominees in exchange for reversing some of the Trump administration’s spending cuts on foreign aid, among other issues.

The Senate held a rare weekend session on Saturday as Republicans held votes on nominee after nominee and as the two parties tried to work out the final details of a deal. But it was clear that there would be no agreement when Trump attacked Schumer on social media Saturday evening and told Republicans to pack it up and go home.

“Tell Schumer, who is under tremendous political pressure from within his own party, the Radical Left Lunatics, to GO TO HELL!” Trump posted on Truth Social. “Do not accept the offer, go home and explain to your constituents what bad people the Democrats are, and what a great job the Republicans are doing, and have done, for our Country.”

Thune said afterward that there were “several different times” when the two sides thought they had a deal, but in the end “we didn’t close it out.”

It’s the first time in recent history that the minority party hasn’t allowed at least some quick confirmations. Thune has already kept the Senate in session for more days, and with longer hours, this year to try and confirm as many of Trump’s nominees as possible.

But Democrats had little desire to give in without the spending cut reversals or some other incentive, even though they too were eager to skip town after several long months of work and bitter partisan fights over legislation.

“We have never seen nominees as flawed, as compromised, as unqualified as we have right now,” Schumer said.

Share this @internewscast.com
You May Also Like

Renowned Fashion Designer Giorgio Armani Passes Away

MILAN (AP) — The legendary Italian designer Giorgio Armani, renowned for his…

Mall Shooting Suspects Appear in Court, Youngest Makes First Public Appearance

The last two suspects accused in the Oglethorpe Mall shooting incident, 20-year-old…

Jenkins Aims to Build on Success Following Victory Over Groves

SAVANNAH, Ga. () — Optimism on DeRenne Avenue, after Jenkins picked up…

If Major Trump Tariffs Are Rejected, Companies May Receive Refunds – Consumers Left Out

WASHINGTON – President Donald Trump often highlights the surge of funds flowing…

Joseph McNeil, a Key Figure in North Carolina Lunch Counter Sit-Ins, Passes Away at 83

RALEIGH, N.C. – Joseph McNeil, one of the quartet of North Carolina…

SRNS Hosts Job Fair for Safety, Industrial Hygiene, and Engineering on September 10

AIKEN, S.C. () – Savannah River Nuclear Solutions (SRNS) is seeking individuals…

Bill O’Reilly and Stephen A. Smith Criticize JB Pritzker for Opposing Trump on Crime Policy

Bill O’Reilly and Stephen A. Smith expressed their disapproval of Illinois Gov.…

New Mexico Officers Save Family Trapped in Flash Flood

IE 11 is not supported. For the best experience, please visit our…

South Carolina Woman Charged in Infant’s Hot Car Death Freed on Bail

A woman from Williamsburg County, South Carolina, who was responsible for a…

Upcoming Live House UAP Hearing Scheduled for Next Week

() A House task force on government transparency will hold a hearing…

European Leaders Confront Difficult Decisions as UK and France Hold Another Ukraine Meeting

LONDON – European nations find themselves in a difficult situation as a…

Savannah Christian’s Offense Excels with New Offensive Coordinator

SAVANNAH, Ga. () — Savannah Christian football has remained undefeated through its…