After going “nuclear” again last week, the Senate is poised to confirm dozens of agency nominees this week, including top energy and environment picks.
Senate Republicans on Thursday swatted aside bipartisan negotiations on nominees and changed the chamber’s rules to confirm officials en bloc by simple majority. The move doesn’t apply to Cabinet-level or judicial nominees.
“I made it clear that one of my priorities was to get the Senate functioning again, and the Senate can’t function effectively as a legislative body with the confirmation process in the state that it’s in right now,” said Majority Leader John Thune said ahead of the vote.
Nominees to be confirmed en bloc this week include Jessica Kramer for EPA’s water office and Katherine Scarlett to lead the White House Council on Environmental Quality.
