Sen. Minority Chief Chuck Schumer of N.Y., speaks throughout a information convention on tariffs, Thursday, July 31, 2025, in Washington.
Mariam Zuhaib/AP
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Mariam Zuhaib/AP
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Senate left Washington Saturday night time for its monthlong August recess and not using a deal to advance dozens of President Donald Trump’s nominees, calling it quits after days of contentious bipartisan negotiations and Trump posting on social media that Senate Democratic Chief Chuck Schumer can “GO TO HELL!”
And not using a deal in hand, Republicans say they could attempt to change Senate guidelines after they return in September to hurry up the tempo of confirmations. Trump has been pressuring senators to maneuver rapidly as Democrats blocked extra nominees than traditional this yr, denying any quick unanimous consent votes and forcing roll calls on every one, a prolonged course of that may take a number of days per nominee.
“I feel they’re desperately in want of change,” Senate Majority Chief John Thune mentioned of Senate guidelines Saturday after negotiations with Schumer and Trump broke down. “I feel that the final six months have demonstrated that this course of, nominations is damaged. And so I count on there can be some good sturdy conversations about that.”
Schumer mentioned a guidelines change could be a “big mistake,” particularly as Senate Republicans will want Democratic votes to move spending payments and different laws transferring ahead.
“Donald Trump tried to bully us, go round us, threaten us, name us names, however he obtained nothing,” Schumer mentioned.
The newest standoff comes as Democrats and Republicans have steadily escalated their obstruction of the opposite celebration’s government department and judicial nominees during the last 20 years, and as Senate leaders have incrementally modified Senate guidelines to hurry up confirmations — and make them much less bipartisan.
In 2013, Democrats modified Senate guidelines for decrease court docket judicial nominees to take away the 60-vote threshold for confirmations as Republicans blocked President Barack Obama’s judicial picks. In 2017, Republicans did the identical for Supreme Court docket nominees as Democrats tried to dam Trump’s nomination of Justice Neil Gorsuch.
Trump has been pressuring Senate Republicans for weeks to cancel the August recess and grind via dozens of his nominations as Democrats have slowed the method. However Republicans hoped to make a take care of Democrats as a substitute, and got here shut a number of instances over the previous couple of days as the 2 events and the White Home negotiated over transferring a big tranche of nominees in trade for reversing a few of the Trump administration’s spending cuts on international assist, amongst different points.
Sen. Majority Chief John Thune, R-S.D., heart, speaks throughout a information convention after a coverage luncheon on the Capitol Tuesday, July 29, 2025, in Washington.
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The Senate held a uncommon weekend session on Saturday as Republicans held votes on nominee after nominee and because the two events tried to work out the ultimate particulars of a deal. However it was clear that there could be no settlement when Trump attacked Schumer on social media Saturday night and informed Republicans to pack it up and go dwelling.
“Inform Schumer, who’s underneath large political stress from inside his personal celebration, the Radical Left Lunatics, to GO TO HELL!” Trump posted on Fact Social. “Don’t settle for the provide, go dwelling and clarify to your constituents what unhealthy individuals the Democrats are, and what a terrific job the Republicans are doing, and have completed, for our Nation.”
Thune mentioned afterward that there have been “a number of completely different instances” when the 2 sides thought they’d a deal, however in the long run “we did not shut it out.”
It is the primary time in latest historical past that the minority celebration hasn’t allowed at the very least some fast confirmations. Thune has already saved the Senate in session for extra days, and with longer hours, this yr to try to affirm as a lot of Trump’s nominees as attainable.
However Democrats had little need to provide in with out the spending lower reversals or another incentive, although they too had been wanting to skip city after a number of lengthy months of labor and bitter partisan fights over laws.
“Now we have by no means seen nominees as flawed, as compromised, as unqualified as now we have proper now,” Schumer mentioned.
