Senate GOP leadership candidates scramble to support Trump’s demand for recess appointments

Sens. John Thune (R-S.D.), John Cornyn (R-Texas) and Rick Scott (R-Fla.), who are all running to become the next Senate GOP leader, say they will do whatever is necessary to allow President-elect Trump to fill positions within his administration and the federal judiciary quickly and would support Trump making recess appointments.

Senate leaders have agreed since the Obama administration not to let the Senate go on recess for more than a few days without holding ceremonial pro forma sessions to prevent presidents of either party from making recess appointments.

But that agreement is about to come crashing down, as Trump is calling on the next Senate majority leader to give him a free hand to make recess appointments without the advice and consent of the Senate.

Thune, Cornyn and Scott all said over the weekend that Trump should have that power if he needs it.

“We must act quickly and decisively to get the president’s nominees in place as soon as possible & all options are on the table to make that happen, including recess appointments. We cannot let Schumer and Senate Dems block the will of the American people,” Thune posted on the social platform X.

Cornyn, Thune’s chief rival in the race, posted on X: “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. Additionally, the Constitution expressly confers the power on the President to make recess appointments,” Cornyn wrote, citing Article 2, Section 2, Clause 3 of the Constitution.

Trump insisted Sunday that whoever leads Senate Republicans next year must pledge to support his power to make recess appointments to the executive and judicial branches, which would allow him to circumvent Senate confirmation votes.

“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 on X.

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

Scott, Trump’s closest ally of the three senators running to become majority leader, immediately agreed with Trump’s call for the power to make recess appointments.

“100% agree. I will do whatever it takes to get your nominations through as quickly as possible,” he posted on X.

Presidents have power under the Constitution to make emergency appointments to the executive branch and federal judiciary when the Senate is on break, but the Supreme Court has ruled that a recess must extend for 10 days or longer to justify a recess appointment.

Senate leaders from both parties in recent years have agreed to schedule ceremonial pro-forma sessions every few days to prevent the president, even one from their own party, from making recess appointments.

Without such an agreement in place, the minority party would block efforts to schedule recesses.

If the next Senate GOP leader insists on allowing Trump to make recess appointments, he would have to pressure Democrats to agree to prolonged breaks of 10 or more days, which could result in standoffs that spill into the first several days of a planned recess.