Schumer Threatens Trump: We’re Drawing Out Confirmations for Cabinet Posts

Democratic Sen. Chuck Schumer, who’s due to take the leading role in the Senate for his party, issued a warning to Donald Trump about the president-elect’s Cabinet picks that went like this: We’ve got our eye on eight of your nominations, and we’re digging in to slow their confirmations.

Who are the eight?

According to the Washington Post, Schumer told Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell that Democrats would face off against Trump’s picks for the departments of State, Justice and Education, along with the Office of Management and Budget.

“Any attempt by Republicans to have a series of rushed, truncated hearings before Inauguration Day and before the Congress and public have adequate information on all of them is something Democrats will vehemently resist,” Schumer said to the newspaper.

He also threatened, the Hill reported:

“If Republicans think they can quickly jam through a whole slate of nominees without a fair hearing process, they’re sorely mistaken,” he added, alleging Trump’s picks “would break key campaign promises and have made billions off the industries they’d be tasked with regulating.”

But Schumer’s blunt talk is all smoke and mirrors.

Thanks to Harry Reid, who served as Senate Majority Leader until McConnell ousted him during the Republican take-over of the chamber, Trump only needs a majority vote to see his nominations approved. Reid in 2014, when Democrats controlled the Senate, pressed through the nuclear option which changed rules so that a 60-vote majority would no longer be needed for presidential nominations, except for those named to the U.S. Supreme Court.

Schumer issued a couple demands to Republicans, nonetheless.

He said Democrats want at least two days of hearings per Cabinet pick, and no more than two candidates’ hearings during the same week.

The Hill said Democrats are also seeking to oppose Trump’s names for the departments of Health and Human Service, Labor, Treasury and the Environmental Protection Agency.