Democrats let Secretary of State Marco Rubio blitz to Senate confirmation Monday. Now it’s time for trench warfare.
With President Donald Trump’s nominees slowly emerging from Senate committees, lawmakers on both sides of the aisle are preparing for a weekslong slog as Democrats force Republicans to work through procedural obstacles to fill out the new president’s Cabinet.
The warring began on the floor Tuesday, with Democrats objecting to a quick vote on CIA director pick John Ratcliffe, who had been expected to get a relatively smooth bipartisan confirmation. Even more controversial nominees await, with cooperation likely hard to come by.
Accelerating any confirmation requires unanimous agreement from senators, and after letting Rubio through, Democrats are not eager to ease the way for many other Trump picks.
