Democrats Slow G.O.P. Rush to Confirm Trump Nominees

Senate Republicans had hoped to rush through confirmation of a flurry of Cabinet nominees in the days immediately after President Trump assumed office. But Democrats, expressing reservations about some picks, are slowing the push, frustrating Republicans and denying the new president the quick action he demanded.

“What this is really about is trying to drag out all of these nominations, to play procedural games,” Senator Tom Cotton of Arkansas, the No. 3 Republican, said Tuesday as Democrats blocked quick confirmation of John Ratcliffe to be director of the Central Intelligence Agency. “We are going to get these nominees done the easy, collegial way — or apparently the hard way.”

Hours after Mr. Trump was sworn in, Democrats agreed to the speedy 99-0 confirmation of Marco Rubio, their Senate colleague, to be secretary of state. But they have since shown that they are willing to use procedural tactics to slow other nominees even if they are destined for confirmation, including forcing time-consuming floor votes on action that is usually done by mutual agreement.

Democrats said some Trump picks merited closer scrutiny.

“If every one of President Trump’s nominees were as qualified and experienced as Senator Rubio, they would sail through the Senate with bipartisan support,” Senator Chuck Schumer, the New York Democrat and minority leader, said. “But sadly, too many of the president’s nominees do not match Senator Rubio’s caliber. Too many have troubling backgrounds. Too many seem unprepared for the job, and proved so during testimony.”

The slow early pace has drawn the attention of Mr. Trump, who in a meeting on Tuesday with the two top congressional Republicans at the White House resurrected the idea of bypassing the Senate altogether on nominations and trying to install his picks without votes while the Senate is in recess. Senate Republicans balked at the idea when the president first raised it after his election win, but Senator John Thune, the South Dakota Republican and majority leader, did not rule out the approach if Democrats persist with what his side considers needless delays.

“Obviously, that’s something that, as you know, he’s expressed an interest in in the past,” Mr. Thune said of Mr. Trump and recess appointments. “I think we’re going to find out here fairly quickly whether or not the Democrats want to help us get through some of these nominations in a way that gets us back on track with the way it was done prior to the last two presidencies.”

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