Though the nominees included are lower profile, their confirmations have been delayed by a broader power struggle between the White House and Senate Democrats.
The U.S. Senate on Thursday evening approved a tranche of 97 of President Donald Trump’s nominees for the executive branch as hundreds more await confirmation.
In a 53–43 vote, the Senate gave the green light to the resolution authorizing the confirmation of these nominees together as a group, marking the third slate of nominees approved through such a measure.
The vote was party line, with Sens. Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), and Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) not voting.
Many nominees included in the resolution are lower profile.
Those on the list include Department of Homeland Security General Counsel nominee James Percival, who is expected to play a role in defending the administration in disputes over mass deportation, and Treasury Department anti-terrorism nominee Jonathan Burke, who would help combat funding for groups designated as terrorist organizations by the administration, including trans-national drug cartels.
They also include a slate of ambassador nominees, including Trump’s pick to serve as ambassador to South Africa, which made headlines recently as Trump accused the nation’s government of allowing persecution and attacks against its white minority.
The list also includes Yehuda Kaploun, who has been nominated as special envoy to monitor and combat anti-Semitism, which is described as an ambassador-equivalent position.
It would also give Tammy Bruce, who has served as the top spokesperson for the State Department during Trump’s second term, a promotion to deputy to UN Ambassador Mike Waltz. The post is equivalent to an ambassadorship, and Bruce would serve as Waltz’s No. 2 for all U.S. activity at the United Nations.
It was among the Senate’s final action items of the calendar year before the holiday recess.
By Joseph Lord
