Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.) claims senators have no right to oppose President-elect Donald Trump’s cabinet picks after some questionable selections by the incoming commander-in-chief.
On Wednesday, Trump announced that he has chosen GOP lawmaker Matt Gaetz (R-FL.) to lead the Department of Justice. Gaetz once faced a sex trafficking investigation by the Justice Department and is a staunch supporter of Trump who has regularly attacked the Justice Department and FBI.
The nomination sent shockwaves through the Capitol and at least two Republican senators so far have come out and say they will not support Gaetz’s nomination to the powerful post.
But, according to Tuberville, that is not their decision to make.
“You’re finding all the swamp creatures coming out right now. Everybody’s got an opinion up here,” the Alabama senator told Fox Business’ The Evening Edit in a clip highlighted by Mediaite. “But at the end of the day, President Trump was elected by an enormous vote, and he deserves a team around him that he wants. It’s not us to determine that. We’ve got 53 votes in the Senate. We can confirm with 51.”
He continued: “I’ve already seen where a couple says, ‘I’m not voting for him.’ Wait a minute. You are not the United States of America. You have one vote in the U.S. Senate. You did not get elected the president.”
Tuberville also warned senators that they will be booted from the upper chamber if they do not fall in line and support Trump’s nominees.
“Vote with President Trump,” he said. “This is the last chance we’re gonna have of saving this country. And if you wanna get in the way, fine. But we’re gonna try to get you out of the Senate, too if you try to do that.”
Article II Section 2 of the Constitution says certain roles, including cabinet positions, ambassadorships, and inspector general jobs, are subject to the “Advice and Consent of the Senate.”
However, Republicans have signaled that they are willing to ditch their ‘advice and consent’ role in the confirmation process by allowing President-elect Trump to avoid the Senate’s confirmation process entirely through recess appointments.
The Constitution’s recess appointments power allows a president to make a temporary appointment to a position that would normally require Senate confirmation while Congress is in recess.
But, such a step is rarely taken because it expands presidential powers and runs the risk of appointing an unqualified or corrupt nominee to a key position in the US government.
