Brian Schatz expands block on Trump nominees to 300 positions – Washington Examiner
Senator Brian Schatz (D-HI) has expanded his hold on President Donald TrumpS nominations for government positions to a total of 300, which includes an additional 50 nominees announced recently. Schatz’s procedural move delays consideration of these nominees, many of whom require Senate approval, along with certain bipartisan foreign affairs bills. He previously placed a hold on all State Department nominees, and his recent actions affect various agencies.
Among the nominees impacted are former GOP Congressman Anthony D’Esposito, designated for the role of Labor Department inspector general, and Scott Kupor, nominated to lead the Office of Personnel Management. Schatz justified his block by expressing concerns over the governance’s governance and lack of oversight, stating, “Their lawlessness is escalating.” He is also blocking nine recently passed bipartisan bills from the Senate Foreign Relations Committee until the committee addresses his concerns regarding oversight of the Trump administration. Other Democratic senators have similarly blocked nominees, reflecting broader resistance within the party to Trump’s administration.
Brian Schatz expands block on Trump nominees to 300 positions
Sen. Brian Schatz (D-HI) expanded his hold on President Donald Trump‘s nominees for government positions to 300, including an additional 50 people Monday.
Schatz invoked a hold, a procedural move that can delay the consideration of a nominee for days or weeks, on more than 300 nominees who need Senate approval and some bipartisan foreign affairs bills, his office confirmed to the Washington Examiner. He previously placed a hold on all State Department nominees, and his new hold spans dozens of agencies.
Nominees affected by Schatz’s block include former GOP New York Rep. Anthony D’Esposito, who lost his seat in the 2024 election and was tapped to be Labor Department inspector general, and Scott Kupor, who Trump nominated to lead the Office of Personnel Management.
“Their lawlessness is escalating, and they are intentionally destroying the economy, and so I don’t think we should make anything easy going forward,” Schatz told Axios.
Schatz is additionally blocking nine bipartisan bills that recently passed through the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, of which he is a member. He said his block on these measures is in protest of what he sees as the committee’s inattentive oversight of the Trump administration.
“Until they start complying with the law and until I hear from Marco Rubio in the Foreign Relations Committee, we’re just not going to be cooperative,” Schatz said.
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Sens. Adam Schiff (D-CA) and Ruben Gallego (D-AZ) also blocked several Trump nominees, including Ed Martin, Trump’s pick for U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia, and nominees for top Department of Veterans Affairs positions.
“With all of the power I am afforded as a United States senator, I intend to place a hold on his nomination and block attempts to jam through his appointment at every stage,” Schiff said of his hold on Martin.
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