Focus on the BIG picture.
Thursday, Oct 01, 2026

Trump Considers Bypassing Senate for Cabinet Appointments

Exploring Recess Appointments for Cabinet Picks
President-elect Donald Trump has indicated he may bypass the U.S. Senate's approval process to install his Cabinet picks through recess appointments, a move that would sideline congressional oversight.

The U.S. Constitution requires Senate approval for approximately 1,000 top government positions, but Trump wants the Senate to adjourn after his inauguration to enable these appointments without scrutiny.

Recess appointments, permitted by the Constitution when the Senate is not in session, allow officials to serve for up to two years.

This path has historical precedence, with former Presidents Barack Obama and George W.Bush both making such appointments.

However, since 2007, Congress has used 'pro forma' sessions—a tactic upheld by the Supreme Court in 2014—to block this maneuver, allowing recess appointments only if the Senate adjourns for a minimum of 10 days.

Trump's plan would require both the Senate and House to adjourn simultaneously.

If the two chambers disagree, the President could adjourn Congress, though this power has never been used.

Opinions among Republicans are mixed, with some supporting the idea and others wary of relinquishing Senate confirmation powers.

If Democratic opposition slows Trump's appointments, Republicans may consider recess appointments to expedite the process.

In the House, Speaker Mike Johnson has yet to express a stance on the proposal.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Cornell Fraternity Assault Investigation Reopened After New Text Messages Emerge
D.C. Councilmember Trayon White Sr. Acquitted in Federal Bribery Case
Poll Finds Most Americans Reject False Vaccine-Autism Link
Kristi Noem Files for Divorce
EU Energy Costs Rise by $113 Billion as U.S. Pushes LNG Exports
Bloomberg Adds Stablecoin Analytics Dashboard to Terminal
Trump Campaign Buys Ads on CNN and MSNBC Amid Wider Media Disputes
Flash Flooding Hits U.S. Southwest After Storm Polo
Legal Immigrants Face Medicaid Coverage Risk Under New Federal Rules
Federal Watchdog Clears Fed Officials of Criminal Wrongdoing in Headquarters Renovation
Justice Department Files Complaint Against Minnesota Judges Over Immigration Dispute
OpenAI Launches Autonomous Digital Agent and $500 Monthly Premium Tier
Senate Rejects Measure Seeking State Department Report on West Bank Violence
Trump and Xi Extend Tariff Truce but Reach No Major AI Agreement
Trump and Technology Executives Sign Voluntary AI Safety Accord
U.S. Supreme Court Allows Third-Country Migrant Deportations to Resume Pending Review
FTC Opens Antitrust and Safety Investigation Into OpenAI and Anthropic
U.S. Military Completes Withdrawal From Iraq as Pentagon Shifts Focus to Indo-Pacific
House Democratic Women Push for Stronger Title IX Protections After University Assault Allegations
Air Force Major Faces Possible Court-Martial Over Public Call for Trump’s Impeachment
Public Interest Coalition Sues OpenAI Over Alleged Data Security Failures
Democratic Lawmakers Introduce Bill Targeting Corporate Ownership of Medical Practices
CMS Approves Higher Payments for AI-Assisted Medical Imaging
HHS Launches Program to Accelerate U.S. Clinical Trials
White House Nominates New Commander for U.S. Space Command
Federal Watchdog Clears Jerome Powell in Renovation Investigation
Federal AI Service Draws Scrutiny Over Conflicting Election and Constitutional Answers
Qatari Mediation Between Washington and Tehran Stalls
Senate Rejects Measure Seeking White House Report on West Bank Violence
Supreme Court Agrees to Hear Challenge to EPA Regulatory Authority
Federal Reserve Signals Rates Could Remain Unchanged Through Fourth Quarter
Trump Administration Plans $500 Rebates for One Million ACA Enrollees
ICE Plans to Hire 5,000 New Deportation Officers by Year-End
Pentagon Reshapes Naval Procurement Around Autonomous Drone Swarms
Trump Administration Cancels $100 Million in Previously Approved Education Funding
FTC Opens Investigation Into OpenAI and Anthropic Over AI Safety
Senators Reach Bipartisan Deal to Speed Energy Permitting for AI Data Centres
U.S. and China Agree Tariff Relief on $30 Billion of Goods
U.S. Federal Trade Commission Opens Broad Investigation Into Leading AI Developers
Russia and Germany Hold First High-Level Talks Since Ukraine Invasion
U.S. Completes Military Withdrawal From Iraq After Two Decades
Floods and Landslides Kill at Least 16 Across Thailand and Myanmar
Trump Rejects Iran Offer to Reopen Strait of Hormuz for Sanctions Relief
U.S. and China Agree Tariff Cuts and Launch Artificial Intelligence Dialogue
Suncor v. Boulder Climate Case Tests Scope of Local Government Claims
Trump-Xi Summit Leaves US-China Relations Stable but Without Major Breakthrough
Spain’s Pedro Sánchez Accuses Israel of Genocide in UN Address
National Polls Point to Intensifying Competition Ahead of US Midterms
Trump Repeats $5,000 Payment Pledge Tied to Republican Congressional Control
US Treasury Grants Limited Sanctions Waiver for Religious Flights Between Iraq and Iran
×