Inside the Senate Showdown Over Nominations That’s Threatening August Recess

Republicans and Democrats haven’t been able to agree on a deal to confirm some of the backlog of nominees in the Senate.

John Thune
Senate Majority Leader John Thune talks with reporters in the U.S. Capitol. Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call via AP

The Senate is entering its final days of a showdown over President Donald Trump’s backlog of nominees.

There’s no sign of how or when it will end — and not even Republican leaders seem to have a sense of how many nominees would appease President Donald Trump, who is calling on senators to cancel their August recess and stay in town just to confirm his picks.

When asked on Tuesday how many nominees Trump would be satisfied with getting done this week, Senate Majority Leader John Thune told NOTUS that leaders were “having discussions” with the administration.