WSJ (“Democratic Senator Says He Will Stall Trump Nominees Until USAID Is Back“):
Sen. Brian Schatz (D., Hawaii) said he would place a “blanket hold” on all of President Trump’s State Department nominees until his administration’s attack on the leading foreign-assistance agency ends, a move that threatens to stall Trump’s ability to get his foreign-policy team in place.
Schatz’s threat came as Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency aims to close the U.S. Agency for International Development; the agency’s existence as an independent government organization is codified in federal law. Over the weekend, DOGE staffers forced their way into USAID’s headquarters in Washington, gaining access to classified information and closing the building to employees on Monday.
Schatz said he would block any of Trump’s diplomatic confirmations until USAID again is allowed to operate normally and the administration ceases its “authoritarian behavior.” Such a hold would halt the Senate’s ability to move bills quickly, and require Senate Majority Leader John Thune to use precious floor time to advance the president’s nominees through the confirmation process.
“I will oppose unanimous consent,” he told The Wall Street Journal. “I will vote no. I will do maximal delays until this is resolved.”
Given how much of the illegal takeover of our institutions is coming from Musk and other unaccountable figures—or on orders from Acting officials not subject to Senate confirmation—it’s unclear how much impact this will have. But it’s both a principled stand and a targeted use of the minority’s power well within the norms of our system.
