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Four of President Trump’s judicial nominees cleared the Senate Judiciary Committee on Thursday as Republicans sought to make headway on the long list of vacancies in the federal courts. Two of the nominees cleared easily while the other two were approved on party-line votes, after Democrats accused them of making controversial political blog posts in the past. John Kenneth Bush, Mr. Trump’s nominee for the 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, and Damien Michael Schiff, his pick for the U.S. Court of Federal Claims, both posted on a range of topics including slavery, abortion and gay rights. Sen. Patrick Leahy,...

WASHINGTON -- Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) said that even though Democrats don't have the votes to stop President Trump's cabinet nominees, their strategy is working by being able to highlight how bad they are. "When you get millions of calls and demonstrations and a nominee is exposed for being who they are, it's going to have a profound and positive effect, even if she gains office," Schumer said on Capitol Hill today after the confirmation of Education Secretary Betsy DeVos on a tiebreaking vote from Vice President Mike Pence. "So we're very happy with the results and...

A top Senate Republican is warning that the Senate could work around the clock as they try to confirm three more of President Trump's nominees. Senate Majority Whip John Cornyn (R-Texas) stressed that how late the Senate is in session is up to Democrats. Absent a deal, he said lawmakers will stay in Washington through Saturday. "We can do it cooperatively so we can burn time when we're out of session or if they won't agree to that, we can stay in session 24 hours," he told The Hill, asked about the schedule for the rest of the week....

Democratic senators plan to aggressively target eight of Donald Trump's Cabinet nominees in the coming weeks and are pushing to stretch their confirmation votes into March - an unprecedented break with Senate tradition. Such delays would upend Republican hopes of quickly holding hearings and confirming most of Trump's top picks on Inauguration Day. But Democrats, hamstrung by their minority status, are determined to slow-walk Trump's picks unless they start disclosing reams of personal financial data they've withheld so far, according to senior aides. Incoming Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer, D-N.Y., has told Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., that...