By Patricia Zengerle
WASHINGTON (Reuters) -The U.S. Senate confirmed dozens of President Donald Trump’s nominees for diplomatic, military and other administration positions in one bloc on Thursday after Republicans changed Senate rules to make it easier to confirm his picks.
The tally was 51-47 in favor of the 48 nominees for ambassadorial and sub-cabinet level positions, with Republicans voting in favor and Democrats opposed. Two Republicans did not vote.
Ambassadors who were approved included Kimberly Guilfoyle, a former Fox News personality who was engaged to Trump’s son Donald Trump Jr., for Greece, and Callista Gingrich, a former ambassador to the Vatican and wife of former Republican House speaker Newt Gingrich, for Switzerland and Liechtenstein.
Following months of complaining that Democrats were slowing the installation of Trump’s picks to many important government positions, the president’s fellow Republicans resorted to the so-called nuclear option this month to change the Senate’s rules to give the minority party less ability to slow down nominations.
The rules change means that the majority can move large groups of nominees in one package for votes on confirmation, instead of voting on them one at a time.
However, the shift does not affect the confirmations of federal judges and heads of presidential Cabinet agencies.
The 48 nominees approved in Thursday’s vote also included such Defense Department positions as assistant secretaries for defense, the Army and Air Force. Trump wants to rename the department the Department of War.
The bloc also included nominees for positions in the Agriculture, Housing and Interior departments as well as transportation officials.
Senate divisions along party lines have widened since Trump began his second term on January 20. Republicans have nearly unanimously supported Trump’s nominees and initiatives, while Democrats have opposed them. Each party has accused the other of refusing to compromise.
(Reporting by Patricia Zengerle; Editing by Lisa Shumaker)
