Pete, Tulsi, Kash, and RFK: The Sum of All Democratic Fears
Pete, Tulsi, Kash, and RFK: The Sum of All Democratic Fears
The left has good reason to be very afraid of this quick-witted quartet.
Once upon a time, Senate scrutiny of a president’s Cabinet appointments was essentially pro forma. The advice and consent of the upper chamber of Congress was necessary, but despite whether the incoming president was a Republican or Democrat, it was largely a formality. Senators from both parties mostly agreed with the basic premise that a president deserves to surround himself with whomever he desires. But that was in normal times. And as we well know, the second Trump presidency, like the first, is anything but normal.
A trip to the time capsule reveals that the only Cabinet nominee in the last 40 years to be rejected by the Senate was George H.W. Bush’s choice for secretary of Defense, John Tower, in 1989. All but one of Bush 41’s other nominees received unanimous approval. More recently, the Cabinets of three consecutive two-term presidents – Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, and Barack Obama – sailed right through. Only one of Clinton’s nominees received more than two votes in opposition. Only Bush 43’s three attorney generals and two other nominees got more than two downvotes. Things were not quite as smooth for Obama, but only five of his nominees over two terms exceeded 30 opposing votes. Many of those three presidents’ selections over 24 years were approved by voice vote.
Democratic Bipartisanship Dissolves
Things began to change in 2017, but even then, the only Trump nominee to come close to being rejected was Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos, who eked out approval 51-50. Five other Trump nominees received 40 or more votes in opposition but gained approval by margins of no less than five votes.
Article from LewRockwell
LewRockwell.com is a libertarian website that publishes articles, essays, and blog posts advocating for minimal government, free markets, and individual liberty. The site was founded by Lew Rockwell, an American libertarian political commentator, activist, and former congressional staffer. The website often features content that is critical of mainstream politics, state intervention, and foreign policy, among other topics. It is a platform frequently used to disseminate Austrian economics, a school of economic thought that is popular among some libertarians.
