WASHINGTON — By the time Donald and Melania Trump had their first dance at an inaugural ball Friday evening, Trump had approximately two Cabinet members in place.
That’s a historically low number for a president’s first day in office – and it’s largely thanks to Senate Democrats delaying confirmation of President-elect Trump’s picks.
Trump had nominated much of his Cabinet at a historically quick clip, and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., had hoped to have up to seven of those nominees in place hours after Trump takes the oath of office on Friday.
McConnell’s optimism was buoyed because Republicans control the Senate and Democrats can no longer filibuster Cabinet nominees by requiring 60 votes to pass instead of a simple majority.
All Democrats, who oppose Trump’s picks, can do is slow down the process, by asking some nominees back for questioning or dragging a vote on for days.
Turns out that’s exactly what they’re doing. The Senate voted Friday on two of Trump’s nominees – retired Gen. John Kelly to lead the Department of Homeland Security and retired Gen. James Mattis to lead the Department of Defense.
The rest, say Democrats, need more vetting.
“Let me be clear, Democrats will allow the confirmations of and vote for nominees who would not have been chosen by our party, but what we will not support are nominees who are so extreme in the viewpoints or their noncompliance with the ethics laws and practice that they have demonstrated themselves to be unfit,” said Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer, D-N.Y.
That has Senate Republicans incredibly frustrated.
On his first day in office, President Carter had eight of his Cabinet nominees confirmed.
Within two days of his inauguration, Ronald Reagan had 12 of his nominees in place.
Within 24 hours after his inauguration, Bill Clinton had 13 in place.
Even George W. Bush, whose transition period was swept up in a dramatic Supreme Court decision about his election, had seven of his nominees confirmed on Jan. 20, and four more in four days.
President Obama – as Republicans are pointing out – had seven in place by the time he and Michelle had their first dance.
Johnson says the only historical comparison to Trump’s thin Cabinet on day one could be George H.W. Bush, who had zero nominees confirmed on his first day.
Bush’s problem was that he was facing a Senate controlled by the other side. Then-Senate Majority Leader George Mitchell, D-Maine, was drawing out Bush’s nominees to, “send a message” that the Senate is a place to be reckoned with, Johnson said.
The fact Trump will start his presidency with so few Cabinet members in place underscores just how partisan this process has become. For most of this century, there was little to no drama surrounding nominees.
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