OPINION:
A mere four years ago, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer explained that: “Just about everyone in America, Democrat, Republican, liberal, conservative, believes that once you elect a president, he deserves his choices to run the executive branch.”
I guess he meant everyone other than President Trump.
Mr. Schumer and the Democratic Party have been obstructionists to the extreme. Not since George Washington has a president had so few of his Cabinet picks confirmed after his inauguration.
Mr. Trump on Tuesday evening said on Twitter: “It is a disgrace that my full Cabinet is still not in place, the longest such delay in the history of our country. Obstruction by Democrats!”
In his third week as president, Mr. Trump still has 10 out of 15 Cabinet positions still not filled. Former President Barack Obama had 12 out of 15 filled two weeks into his administration, and former President George W. Bush had 13 out of 14. Mr. Trump has also had the most “no” votes on his picks, racking up 111 so far, compared with former President Bill Clinton, who didn’t receive any — all of his initial nominees were confirmed by unanimous consent or voice vote.
Democrats have targeted every single one of Mr. Trump’s Cabinet picks — even Elaine Chao, the wife of Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, who was confirmed as secretary of transportation, had a tough confirmation hearing, with Mr. Schumer voting against her in a break of senatorial comity.
To be clear: All of Mr. Trump’s picks will go through, Democrats just want to cause chaos in the interim. And they’ve had some success. Sally Yates, an Obama-era holdover told the Department of Justice not to enforce Mr. Trump’s immigration executive order, which led to her just firing.
Now, as Mr. Trump’s immigration order is being heard in the 9th Circuit of Appeals, Sen. Jeff Sessions, Mr. Trump’s pick for attorney general, still hasn’t been confirmed. Sen. Elizabeth Warren had to be silenced Tuesday night for her continued attacks on Mr. Sessions on the Senate floor, as the Democrats looked to delay for as long as possible Mr. Sessions confirmation, which will come Wednesday evening.
Despite the slow confirmation pace, Mr. Trump’s White House is off to an aggressive start — that’s why it’s so important that he gets his Cabinet in place.
Treasury pick Steve Mnuchin has yet to be confirmed, even as the White House has levied new sanctions against Iran and issued an executive order for the Treasury and other agencies to review the financial legislation of Dodd-Frank.
Mr. Trump’s first executive order — to start repealing Obamacare — went into effect without Rep. Tom Price heading the Department of Health and Human Services, and his executive order demanding that for every new regulation, two must be retracted, really can’t be initiated until Rep. Mick Mulvaney is confirmed as director of the Office of Management and Budget.
It’s time for the Democratic Party to stop obstructing Mr. Trump’s Cabinet picks and for the Trump team to get to work on behalf of the American people.
As Mr. Schumer said — every single president deserves his choice on the executive branch.
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