John Thune Says Recess Appointments ‘On the Table’ To Get Trump Picks Through

Senator John Thune has suggested that recess appointments could be a potential strategy to push through President-elect Donald Trump’s cabinet appointments.

Some of Trump’s cabinet nominees for his second term have raised eyebrows in Washington. They include vaccine skeptic Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as health and human services secretary; former Representative Tulsi Gabbard, who previously ran for the Democratic nomination for president, as national intelligence director; and Florida Representative Matt Gaetz, who is under investigation by the House Ethics Committee for alleged sexual misconduct, as attorney general. Gaetz has denied all wrongdoing.

All of Trump’s cabinet nominations will require confirmation by the Senate. But even with a GOP majority in the upper chamber of Congress in the new term, the president-elect could face obstacles in getting his choices confirmed. Some Republican lawmakers, like Senator Susan Collins of Maine, have already expressed dismay over Trump picking Gaetz, while some others have refused to say how they will vote on confirming Kennedy Jr.

To get around this predicament, Trump could use recess appointments and bypass the Senate to get his Cabinet picks confirmed, according to Republican senator and incoming Majority Leader John Thune.

“I think that all options are on the table, including recess appointments. Hopefully, it doesn’t get to that but we’ll find out fairly quickly whether the Democrats want to play ball or not,” he said on Thursday during an interview with Fox News.

“…it’s a question of how much the Democrats resist or object, or try to block those nominations from going forward. We’re gonna grind them out. We’re gonna keep consistently moving and we’ll see what kind of cooperation we get, and we’ll make decisions about where do we go from there.”

Newsweek has contacted Trump’s transition team for comment via email.

Presidents are given the authority under Article II of the Constitution to make appointments “by and with the advice and consent of the Senate.” But if the Senate is out of session, the steps by lawmakers to confirm such appointments, such as committee hearings and a chamber vote, are bypassed. If Trump were to use recess appointments at the start of his term, those appointees could remain in their positions until the end of the next Senate session, or until 2026.

Per the Congressional Research Service, former President Barack Obama made 32 recess appointments, ex-President George W. Bush made 171 and former President Bill Clinton made 139 while the Senate was on recess.

Trump has already hinted that he may use recess appointments. “Any Republican Senator seeking the coveted LEADERSHIP position in the United States Senate must agree to Recess Appointments (in the Senate!), without which we will not be able to get people confirmed in a timely manner,” Trump posted to X, formerly Twitter, on Sunday.

“Sometimes the votes can take two years, or more,” he added. “This is what they did four years ago, and we cannot let it happen again. We need positions filled IMMEDIATELY!”

Meanwhile, several lawmakers have expressed support for recess appointments. Rick Scott wrote in a post on X that he “100%” agrees with Trump’s request: “I will do whatever it takes to get your nominations through as quickly as possible.”

John Cornyn also responded to Trump’s request on X, writing, “It is unacceptable for Senate Ds to blockade President @realDonaldTrump’s cabinet appointments.”

“If they do, we will stay in session, including weekends, until they relent,” he added. “Additionally, the Constitution expressly confers the power on the President to make recess appointments.”

Thune told reporters during a news conference on Wednesday that the Senate “will do everything we can” to process Trump’s nominations quickly “so they can implement his agenda.”

“How that happens remains to be seen,” Thune added.