Staff Reports
Senate Democrats may want to reconsider their strategy of dragging their feet on President Donald Trump’s cabinet nominations, especially after he recently dropped a rather spicy hint about adjourning Congress to make some recess appointments. Yes, that’s right — while the left gets all flustered and dramatic, Trump is ready to play some constitutional chess against the Democrats’ apparent game of freeze-tag.
In a scenario that would send the Democrats into a frenzy reminiscent of a toddler losing their security blanket, Trump is prepared to invoke his powers and adjourn Congress. This would allow him to make appointments for his top Cabinet nominees, which he desperately needs to kickstart running the vast federal departments they’ve been sidelining with their slow-walk tactics. In a meeting with Senate Majority Leader John Thune and House Speaker Mike Johnson, Trump hinted that if Democrats choose to keep stalling on his national security and public health nominees, he just might pull the trigger on this unprecedented move.
This Is How Trump Plans to Combat Senate Dems Slow-Walking His Cabinet Appointments https://t.co/dLIEabLMMy
— The Voter's Guide: to politics 🇺🇸 (@TheVotersGuide) January 23, 2025
Currently, the only confirmed cabinet member is Secretary of State Marco Rubio, while the likes of Pete Hegseth for Defense Secretary, Kristi Noem for Homeland Security, and John Ratcliffe for CIA Director are left twiddling their thumbs waiting for the Senate to finally get off the pot. News reports suggest that Ratcliffe’s confirmation, in particular, has faced unusually long delays courtesy of the Democrats, and they may be gearing up for more stall tactics against the others.
The Constitution does grant the president certain powers concerning Congress, specifically the ability to convene both the House and the Senate. But the idea of outright adjourning the two chambers? That’s a whole new ballgame. It seems Democrats may have inadvertently forced Trump’s hand into uncharted constitutional waters, where every legal expert and law professor might come out of the woodwork to argue about the validity of his actions.
Here’s how it potentially plays out: the House is set to scuttle off for a ten-day retreat, which could give the GOP-controlled House an opening to formally adjourn. But if the Senate doesn’t agree, Trump could utilize his power to adjourn them unilaterally. The Democrats would moan and groan, courts would likely be involved, and while they play legal whack-a-mole, Trump may have just enough time to push his agenda through a few key appointments.
While some may argue that this is a gambit by Trump to scare Democrats into cooperation, it undeniably sets the stage for a showdown that’s reminiscent of the old days of congressional battles. After all, if the Democrats think they can block nominations indefinitely, they will have to think again; the Trump administration may just say enough is enough. They might want to buckle up, because the next round of this political game is about to get heated.
