The Senate, under President Donald Trump’s pressure, has headed into recess without reaching a deal over confirming Trump’s nominees. Senate Republican leader John Thune, Schumer, and the White House had been engaged in talks to end the standoff so senators could return to their home states. Schumer had requested federal funds be released and that Trump agree not to push another legislative package that would slash federal funding. Trump called Schumer’s demands “egregious and unprecedented,” a sign that talks had collapsed. Trump had wanted the Senate to confirm his nominees even if that meant skipping the August recess, but his post showed he wasn’t interested in agreeing to Democrats’ terms. On the Senate floor, Thune asked for unanimous consent for the chamber to vote on a handful of nominations and then break for a month. Schumer made several demands to agree to let a batch of nominations be quickly confirmed by the Senate, including the unfreezing of federal funds for various programs. Democrats were “serious” about finding a “reasonable path” to allow bipartisan consideration of Trump’s nominations, but the president wouldn’t agree to the terms.
Trump urges Schumer to “go to hell” as the Senate heads home after a failed attempt to reach a deal on nominees.
