Senate GOP Confirms Near-Record Number of Trump Nominees In First Year
Senate Republicans closed out the year by confirming nearly 100 of President Donald J. Trump’s nominees, shattering confirmation benchmarks set by previous administrations—and even surpassing the pace of Trump’s own first term—as GOP leaders pushed through fierce Democratic resistance to staff the federal government.
In a 53–43 vote Thursday, the Senate approved 97 of President Trump’s nominees in one of the final bursts of floor activity before lawmakers depart Washington. The confirmations capped a frenetic end-of-year sprint led by Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., after Republicans reclaimed control of the chamber in January.
The push came amid an eventful legislative year that included passage of President Trump’s signature “one big, beautiful bill” and reopening the federal government following the longest shutdown in U.S. history, Fox News reported.
Despite holding the majority, Republicans repeatedly ran into procedural roadblocks as Democrats mounted across-the-board opposition—even to routine and low-level nominations that historically moved with little controversy.
Senate Majority Whip John Barrasso, R-Wyo., said Republicans initially moved at record speed to confirm President Trump’s Cabinet, only to face what he called unprecedented obstruction from Democrats.
“We began the year by confirming President Trump’s Cabinet faster than any Senate in modern history,” Barrasso said per Fox. “And by week’s end, President Trump will have 417 nominees confirmed by the Senate this year. That’s far more than the 365 that Joe Biden had in his first year in office.”
Frustrated by the gridlock, Republicans invoked the so-called nuclear option in September, lowering the vote threshold for sub-Cabinet confirmations. Since then, the Senate has moved swiftly, approving a total of 417 Trump nominees.
Thune squarely blamed Senate Democrats—led by Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y.—for deliberately paralyzing the confirmation process by blocking standard fast-track procedures such as voice votes and unanimous consent.
“Democrats cannot deal with the fact that the American people elected President Trump, and so they’ve engaged in this pointless political obstruction in revenge,” Thune said.
The aggressive confirmation push has nearly wiped out a backlog that ballooned to nearly 150 nominees over the summer. Just 15 Trump nominees now remain pending.
Among those confirmed were former Rep. Anthony D’Esposito, R-N.Y., tapped to serve as inspector general at the Department of Labor, along with James Murphy and Scott Mayer, nominees to the National Labor Relations Board. Senators were also expected to consider Joshua Simmons, President Trump’s pick for CIA special counsel, before adjournment.
At the same time, lawmakers continued negotiations over a large spending package combining five appropriations bills. Democrats raised objections to the so-called “minibus,” casting uncertainty over whether it could advance before Congress leaves town.
Negotiations stretched late into Thursday night, with Thune emphasizing that clearing the nominations was the immediate priority, Fox reported.
“We’ll see where it goes from there,” Thune said, per Fox.
The Senate also confirmed President Trump’s nomination of billionaire entrepreneur Jared Isaacman to lead NASA, along with Douglas Weaver to serve on the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Isaacman’s confirmation passed with bipartisan support in a 67–30 vote. It marked the second time the Senate considered his nomination after Trump initially selected him in December 2024. That nomination was briefly withdrawn earlier this year following what Fox described as a “thorough review of prior associations.”
Trump renominated Isaacman in November, praising his “passion for space, astronaut experience, and dedication to pushing the boundaries of exploration, unlocking the mysteries of the universe, and advancing the new space economy.”
Meanwhile, House Republican leaders announced that when Congress reconvenes in January, they plan to swiftly move legislation codifying dozens of President Trump’s executive orders—locking in key policies so they cannot be easily reversed by a future Democratic administration.