Cornhusker State News

U.S. Senator Pete Ricketts has criticized Senate Democrats for what he describes as deliberate obstruction of the federal nomination process, arguing that their actions are hindering government efficiency and risking public safety. In a recent opinion piece published in the Omaha World-Herald, Ricketts stated, "The Democrats are blockading the government. They are refusing to confirm nominees in a timely manner. Democrats are obstructing nominations just to score political points. They are risking Nebraskans’ safety. Without leadership, agencies underperform. Nebraskans won’t get the service they deserve. I’m fighting to make government work."

Ricketts highlighted past bipartisan cooperation on confirming presidential nominees, noting that historically most nominees were approved swiftly unless they were high-profile or controversial. He cited confirmation statistics from previous administrations: "Ninety percent of President Obama’s nominees were confirmed by voice vote or unanimous consent. For President Biden, it was 57%. President Trump is the first president in history not to have a single nominee confirmed in this way."

He referenced comments made by Senator Chuck Schumer (D-NY) during the Biden administration about the importance of promptly confirming nominees: "He said that regardless of the party in the White House, both sides have long agreed that a president deserves to have his or her administration in place, quickly." However, Ricketts claimed that this principle is no longer being upheld.

According to Ricketts, Senate Republicans have been active this year: "We spent more hours in session than any Senate in 15 years. We have held the longest stretch of continuous session in over 15 years. We have held over 500 votes. We held the most roll call votes in the first six months of a year since 1989." Despite these efforts, only 130 sub-Cabinet nominees have been confirmed so far.

He also noted that many important positions remain unfilled due to delays, including Lesley Woods Murphy's nomination for U.S. Attorney for Nebraska and other roles related to trade, criminal justice, and health.

Ricketts argued that Senate rules currently require individual votes and debates for each nominee: "Currently, we are only allowed to vote on one nominee at a time... This process requires two roll call votes and two hours of debate in between." He questioned whether Democrats' stated concerns about qualifications were genuine since "for 75% of the nominees, Democrats said nothing about them during the time allowed for debate," with an average speaking time per nominee of just over two minutes.

To address these issues, Ricketts pointed out previous proposals from Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Angus King (I-ME) aimed at streamlining confirmations and described current Republican efforts as modest procedural updates rather than changes to standing rules.

"In the days to come," he wrote, "we will allow nominees to be voted on in groups... These people should be confirmed quickly." He clarified that this change would not apply to Cabinet-level officials or judges but would follow existing processes used for military appointments.

Ricketts concluded by emphasizing his commitment to restoring efficient Senate procedures: "Our Constitution is very clear. The Senate’s role is to advise and consent on nominees... We are updating Senate procedure so that we can restore tradition. We are returning to a Senate that works for the American people."

For further details on Ricketts' perspective and proposed changes within Congress regarding nomination confirmations, see his full column at https://omaha.com/opinion/column/article_02aea5a9-d62e-4447-8f01-4e06b02104d6.html.