The Senate Democrats did everything they could to slow-walk the confirmation of President Trump's cabinet nominees, hoping their antics would cause at least three Senate Republicans to defect and vote against the nominees. It didn't work.
The Senate Democrats came close once, when Republican Senators Susan Collins of Maine and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska announced their intentions to vote against now-Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos. But that wasn’t enough to prevent a tie vote, and Vice President Pence broke the tie in favor of DeVos’s confirmation.
Let's not forget that now Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer did not agree with these stalling tactics in 2009, because there was a Democrat in the White House.
All of Trump's nominees have now been confirmed.
This is a great sign of unity by the Republicans in the Senate, because we know that some may waffle as we get closer to the midterm 2018 elections. We also know that the Senate Democrats will continue their stalling and obstructionist tactics, because that's all they’ve got.
It would be nice if the Senate Republicans were this united on every issue, but we know that's not political reality. If they were, then they might get additional Democrat support from those who are also looking to the 2018 midterms.
Senate Republicans have seemingly disappointed their voters many times due to fighting an uphill battle as the minority party. They are now in the majority.
Let's hope they stay unified and continue to leverage this new opportunity.
But for now, the United Republicans of America is a refreshing start.
