ROOKE: Republicans Won’t Help Trump On Nominees Backlog, So He’s Trying Different Path |
President Donald Trump’s early efforts to bypass an obstinate Senate to place loyalist U.S. attorneys in the Department of Justice are largely failing due to successful court challenges and an outdated Senate tradition. Not to worry, he’s got another plan.
Trump, in the face of unprecedented judicial obstruction and Democratic Senators using the “blue slip” tradition to prevent his nominees from the confirmation process, has taken decisive action to ensure that his chosen U.S. attorneys can serve the American people without endless delays.
The initial use of interim and acting appointments under statutes like the Federal Vacancies Reform Act was a legitimate exercise of presidential authority to keep critical Justice Department positions filled amid obstruction. These tools exist precisely for situations where the Senate drags its feet. While 13 U.S. attorneys have been confirmed by the Senate, with 18 more on track for confirmation, Trump has been forced to use interim appointments to cover over half the districts. None of this would be necessary if Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley and Senate Majority Leader........