Despite President Donald Trump blaming Democrats for not quickly pushing through confirmation of his appointees, the White House is responsible for some key delays, Politico reported.
Trump had taken to Twitter to blast Democrats for stalling on confirming his picks:
But the White House is frequently sitting on the necessary paperwork for Trump nominees — delaying the confirmation process, according to Politico. The website noted Senate Republicans are growing impatient with the White House's lag in filling administration posts.
Politico pointed to these examples:
- Kevin McAleenan was picked on March 30 to head Customs and Border Protection, but the White House did not submit his nomination to the Senate until May 22 — nearly eight weeks later.
- Dan Brouillette was selected by the chief deputy at the Energy Department on April 3, but his nomination was not formally sent by the White House until May 16.
- Kevin Hassett was named as Trump's nominee to be chairman of the White House Council of Economic Advisers on April 7. However, his paperwork was not sent until May 16.
"Do I know why it's taken so long for any of them?" said Sen. Lisa Murkowski R-Alaska, when asked about Brouillette's delay. "I don't know what happens. They go into some dark hole. And eventually they come out. But still."
At least 17 nominees took more than a month to be officially sent to the Senate, Politico noted.
"Our members are frustrated," said Sen. John Thune, R-S.D., who is supposed to oversee dozens of key nominations before the Senate as commerce committee chairman. "We're kind of waiting. In many cases, there's nobody on deck."
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y. blamed Trump for the delays, Newsweek reported.
"If the president is looking for someone to blame on the slow pace of confirmations, he needs only to look in the mirror," Schumer said. "President Trump ought to roll up his sleeves and get to work rather than pointing false fingers of blame."
© 2024 Newsmax. All rights reserved.