Sen. Rick Scott (R-FL) announced on Monday that the Senate is still set to advance Tulsi Gabbard’s nomination for Director of National Intelligence despite continued roadblocks set by Senate Democrats.
Gabbard’s confirmation has been a flashpoint in the ongoing battle between Senate Republicans and Democrats, with GOP lawmakers accusing their counterparts of using procedural tactics to stall Trump’s nominees. Democrats argue that Gabbard’s past positions on international conflicts and national security matters warrant thorough scrutiny before her confirmation.
The slow pace of confirmations for Trump’s Cabinet picks has drawn criticism from Republicans, who point to the comparatively smoother process for President Obama’s nominees. Senator Scott pointed out that by this stage in Obama’s first term, twice as many nominees had been confirmed.
“UPDATE: Today, we’re voting to move forward on @TulsiGabbard’s nomination, & we’re one step closer to getting her CONFIRMED,” Scott posted on X.
“Democrats are forcing us to jump through hoops to confirm Trump’s team, despite the fact that Obama had TWICE as many noms confirmed by this time in his admin. We won’t give up! No matter how long this takes, President Trump will have his team!” Scott finished.
Gabbard is gearing up for a significant challenge in the Senate on Monday evening, aiming for confirmation to a pivotal national security role within the U.S. government. Slated for a cloture vote at 5:30 p.m., President Trump’s pick for DNI must secure over 50 votes to move forward to the final round of confirmation.
If the cloture motion succeeds, it will trigger up to 30 hours of debate on the Senate floor. However, it’s common for this debate period to be shortened through a time agreement negotiated between Republicans and Democrats.
Assuming such an agreement is reached, Gabbard could face her final confirmation vote as early as Wednesday.
For the final vote, Gabbard can afford to lose only three Republican votes if no Democrats support her, mirroring the party lines observed in the committee vote.
Democrats have raised concerns about Gabbard’s foreign policy stance, particularly her past diplomatic interactions with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and her previous criticisms of U.S. military interventions. Some within their ranks argue that her positions pose national security risks, complicating her path to confirmation.
However, Republicans remain steadfast in their push to secure Gabbard’s nomination, framing the opposition as a partisan attempt to weaken Trump’s administration. Senate Republicans have adopted a two-pronged strategy to counter Democratic resistance: maintaining party unity to ensure confirmations and using public pressure to highlight double standards.
Scott’s latest post is part of a broader GOP effort to rally support and keep the confirmation process in the public eye. Despite the hurdles, Gabbard’s nomination is expected to ultimately succeed, given the GOP’s Senate majority.
However, the drawn-out process signals a contentious road ahead for Trump’s remaining nominees.
