Hyde-Smith Supports Effort to Ovecome Democrat Filibuster of Trump Nominees

WASHINGTON, April 3 -- The office of Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith, R-Mississippi, issued the following news release:

U.S. Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Miss.) today voted in support of a new effort to overcome persistent and ongoing Democratic filibusters of even the most noncontroversial Trump nominees.

Hyde-Smith, who serves on the Senate Rules Committee, said Democratic obstructionism to hundreds of people nominated by President Trump is having an effect on how federal services are delivered to Mississippians.

"The irrational obstruction of President Trump's nominees has real-world consequences for Mississippians and all Americans. We have a real problem when potential disaster response to Mississippi could be hindered because Democrats are holding up noncontroversial and fully-capable nominees for no good reason," Hyde-Smith said.

"Senate traditions are revered, but the rules are being abused. The Senate must return to a reasonable process to fulfill our constitutional responsibility of advice and consent on nominees," she said.

The Senate Republicans voted on Wednesday to lower from 30 hours to two hours the post-cloture debate time required for sub-cabinet level nominees and lower court judges. The move would not affect debate limits on Supreme Court, circuit court, or highest-level executive branch nominees.

As part of a discussion today about Mississippi flooding, Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Andrew Wheeler complained to Hyde-Smith that the nominee to lead EPA emergency response activities has languished 394 days in the Senate.

In a campaign of obstruction, Democrats have forced the Senate to conduct 128 cloture votes on nominations during President Trump's first two years--more than five times as many as the equivalent periods for the previous six presidents combined.