Not a Single Nominee Should Be Confirmed

Republicans on Twitter are up in arms that Democrats might slow-walk Senate confirmation for Donald Trump's cabinet. In normal times, I actually might agree with them. Presidents should usually get the cabinet members they pick, unless there is a major problem with those cabinet picks. This is even true for Donald Trump's cabinet picks, who mostly should be approved, short of a major problem with them that makes it impossible to see them fairly or legally carrying out their job. Elections must have consequences.

Of course, you have to be able to know if a nominee is actually qualified and capable, which is not something Senators can currently know. FBI background checks, ethics paperwork, and other critical information on these nominees has not been made available yet, information that Senators have to see on nominees like Rex Tillerson and Steven Mnuchin who have major questions. Still other nominees, like Jeff Sessions, are having major questions raised in the process of looking into their past. This group can't be viewed as much more than an overall disaster, a group of people who would never have been picked by even previous Republican Presidents.

In the end, I'd like to see them confirmed, because again, I think elections have to have consequences. I don't think you can have election results where the effects are not felt on the public, because you won't allow the new President to have a cabinet. In order for Donald Trump to have a cabinet though, he still must adhere to some basic norms, like submitting candidates for his administration to vetting. This isn't optional, and if he fails to do so, Democrats should have 48 "no" votes against every one of his picks.