General Discussion

Buttoneer

(986 posts) Mon Apr 6, 2026, 02:05 PM Monday

Democratic Senators Need to Use their Power to Block Trump's Nominees and Demand Policy Changes? Remember

Tommy Tuberville's who blocked all of Biden's Department of Defense nominees until the Pentagon reverse the policy of refunding personnel seeking abortions?

Rand Paul put a 2 month hold on State Department nominees over the release of documents on the origins of Covid.

Can't Democratic Senators do the same thing to put pressure on Trump to change ICE polices? Deportations? DEMAND SOMETHING! GOP does it all the time to accomplish their goals when they're in the minority!!!! WTF?!

8 replies

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Democratic Senators Need to Use their Power to Block Trump's Nominees and Demand Policy Changes? Remember (Original Post) Buttoneer Monday OP

they were in the majority when they did that dsc Monday #1

No they weren't. In 2023 Dems had the majority in the Senate. Buttoneer Monday #4

They could, but they don't. LuvLoogie Monday #2

It's easy to gum up high volume low-level generally non-controversial nominees, not so much for high profile tritsofme Monday #3

Tuberville blocked Biden's pick for the Joint Chief of Staff and the Chief of Naval Operatiions. Not so "low-level" Buttoneer Monday #5

If I recall ITAL Monday #7

Yes, and if Schumer had wanted to bring his nomination to the floor, he could have, it just would have burned time tritsofme Monday #8

No they can't Wiz Imp Monday #6

dsc

(53,401 posts)

1. they were in the majority when they did that

Reply to Buttoneer (Original post)

Mon Apr 6, 2026, 02:06 PM

Monday

I think that makes a difference.

Buttoneer

(986 posts)

4. No they weren't. In 2023 Dems had the majority in the Senate.

Reply to dsc (Reply #1)

Mon Apr 6, 2026, 02:17 PM

Monday

LuvLoogie

(8,826 posts)

2. They could, but they don't.

Reply to Buttoneer (Original post)

Mon Apr 6, 2026, 02:09 PM

Monday

Child rape and abduction. Murder, theft, racism,

is not cause enough, I guess. Concentration camps? No.
Vandalism of the capital? No. War crimes? No.

tritsofme

(19,916 posts)

3. It's easy to gum up high volume low-level generally non-controversial nominees, not so much for high profile

Reply to Buttoneer (Original post)

Mon Apr 6, 2026, 02:12 PM

Monday

monsters that a majority of senators are determined to confirm.

Buttoneer

(986 posts)

5. Tuberville blocked Biden's pick for the Joint Chief of Staff and the Chief of Naval Operatiions. Not so "low-level"

Reply to tritsofme (Reply #3)

Mon Apr 6, 2026, 02:20 PM

Monday

Biden specifically named C.Q. Brown and Lisa Franchetti, his picks for Joint Chiefs chair and Chief of Naval Operations, respectively, whose nominations have been held up by Tuberville.

https://www.politico.com/news/2023/07/27/biden-tuberville-military-blockade-00108692

ITAL

(1,341 posts)

7. If I recall

Reply to Buttoneer (Reply #5)

Mon Apr 6, 2026, 02:47 PM

Monday

The issue was the Senate tried to approve them all at once and to do so, it requires everyone to say "Yay." If someone objects they have to be voted on one at a time. Out of principle Schumer and leadership said we're not gonna vote on each one individually because with hundreds of nominees that's gonna take forever. So they all were in limbo for months.

tritsofme

(19,916 posts)

8. Yes, and if Schumer had wanted to bring his nomination to the floor, he could have, it just would have burned time

Reply to Buttoneer (Reply #5)

Mon Apr 6, 2026, 10:00 PM

Monday

and validated Tuberville’s temper tantrum.

So yes, these are the type of positions that are normally approved unanimously and sometimes in packages and could be reasonably obstructed by a Senate minority, as long as the majority was unwilling to burn floor time to confirm them

It’s not a strategy that would be effective toward a truly high profile nominee like the new AG.

Wiz Imp

(10,080 posts)

6. No they can't

Reply to Buttoneer (Original post)

Mon Apr 6, 2026, 02:24 PM

Monday

At least not in the way you seem to think. Tubervilles hold worked because there were hundreds of people being nominated as a block. In order to get them passed, they would have needed to go through the process for each individual nominee which would have taken months or years. Each individual nominee can only be delayed for a few days to a week or so. Democrats have done that with some nominees. They can't block individual nominees for months like Tuberville did with the block nominees.

tuberville-military-holds-senate-officers-45c4230a8aee5222bf32b43823e29acc

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