Leader Schumer Floor Remarks On Republicans Blowing Up The Senate Rules To Confirm Trump’s Unqualified Nominees Without Proper Scrutiny

Washington, D.C. – Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) today spoke on the Senate floor on Republicans’ ridiculous and partisan decision to change the Senate rules for nominees so that Donald Trump can confirm his unqualified loyalists. Below are Senator Schumer’s remarks, which can also be viewed here:

The story of this Republican majority has been a story of surrender of the Senate’s power over to Donald Trump.

That’s especially true with the nominations process.

What’s going on right now with nominations is beyond the pale.

Donald Trump has nominated, as a whole, some of the worst, some of the most unqualified, some of the most unscrupulous loyalists ever, to serve in the federal government. These nominees are just horrible, one after the other.

And now Republicans don’t want to even vote on them.

I understand why. They know how bad these nominees are. And they don't want to be held accountable.

They know the American people would be appalled if they knew what kind of people Trump is trying to confirm and bring into to the government.

So, what do Republicans do?

Do Republicans send these terrible nominees back to Donald Trump and say, “Try again? Try someone better?” Which previous Republican Senators had done, even under Republican presidents?

Nope. Of course not.

Not these Republicans. Oh no.

They would rather go nuclear and change the way the Senate confirms nominees to make the confirmation process easier, faster, more hidden, with virtually no scrutiny or accountability.

Republicans don’t want to be forced to vote on some of these awful people – they don’t want to go on record one at a time – so they would rather turn the Senate into a conveyor belt and escape accountability.

Just look at the kinds of nominees that have already gone through this chamber, and tell me if you think this is normal.

Senate Republicans have already approved anti-vaxxers and pseudoscientists to serve as public health officials to lead America’s healthcare policy. Not just quacks like RFK Jr., but people like Jay Bhattacharya, who opposed health guidelines during COVID and opposed COVID policies meant to keep our kids safe in school.

Thanks to Republicans, he is now helping lead America’s healthcare system. God help us.

And if Republicans go nuclear, it’s going to get even worse.

It is insane that Republicans have allowed the Department of Justice to be staffed by Donald Trump's own personal lawyers, who prosecute his enemies and exonerate his friends, regardless of the law. It's a disgrace. That's a mark of a dictatorship when that happens – when there's no rule of law in prosecutorial agencies.

Thanks to Republicans, we now have podcasters and influencers in senior leadership at the FBI – people like Dan Bongino, someone with zero experience at the agency.

And if Republicans go nuclear, it’s going to get even worse because nominees will be hidden – there won't be accountability and there won't be votes on individual nominees.

Finally, it is utterly insane that every Trump nominee has had to pass a litmus test about denying the legitimacy of the 2020 election.

Everyone knows that Donald Trump made up a whole bunch of lies about the 2020 election and keeps talking about it, unproven.

But you have to pass this litmus test to be nominated by Trump. Was the election faked? Did Trump really win? They have to say yes. That means they're willing to lie for Donald Trump.

And so, Republicans are going nuclear to hide people like this from the public eye because they don’t want to be forced to take a vote on them.

Well, sorry Republicans – in the Constitution, voting on nominees is our job.

And when we have a president like this one, who you know has no sense of integrity or honesty or fidelity to the truth, who you know doesn’t care about acting corruptly – look at what he's doing with his own personal wealth – then the Senate’s job to scrutinize and review nominees is doubly important under a president like this.

I warn my Republican colleagues: they will come to regret this move, because what goes around comes around.

They may not like being on the receiving end of the changes they bring to bear this week.

After all, when Democrats were last in charge, we were able to confirm a record number of judges to the bench.

I ask my Republican colleagues to think carefully – very carefully – before moving forward on this awful, awful provision that goes nuclear and blows up even worse the Senate rules.

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