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A2 UP FRONT
Thursday 3 december 2020

GOP objects to Biden nominees, a sign of what's to come

Continued from Front The nomination fights will
serve as an early indicator
The GOP is suspended be- of the approach Republi-
tween an outgoing presi- cans take toward Biden as
dent it needs to keep close they find their political foot-
— Trump can still make or ing in a post-Trump environ-
break careers with a single ment.
tweet — and the new one Trump continues to wield
they are unsure how to ap- great influence over the
proach. Almost one month party as he is being eased
since the Nov. 3 election, out, and senators, in par-
McConnell and Biden have ticular, need to keep him
not yet spoken. close for the Georgia runoff
"The disagreement, diso- elections.
rientation and confusion The president is planning to
among Republicans will visit Georgia on Saturday,
make them inclined to where two GOP senators,
unite in opposition," said David Perdue and Kelly
Ramesh Ponnuru, a visiting Loeffler, failed to clear the
fellow at the American En- 50% threshold to win ree-
terprise Institute, during a lection in November. Per-
Tuesday briefing. due faces Democrat Jon
"They don't necessarily Ossoff and Loeffler faces
know what they're for, but In this Nov. 24, 2020, photo, President-elect Joe Biden listens as his Secretary of State nominee Democrat Raphael War-
they can all agree they Tony Blinken speaks at The Queen theater, Tuesday, Nov. 24, 2020, in Wilmington, Del. nock in a state that flipped
don't like Neera Tanden." Associated Press to support Biden.
A new president often runs from Senate Democrats, administration during the es will bring to govern- McConnell has said al-
into trouble with at least a who used their minority- COVID-19 crisis and eco- ment. He scoffed at Re- most nothing about Biden's
few Cabinet or administra- party status to slow-walk nomic freefall, rebuilding publicans for complaining nominees or next year's
tive nominees, individuals confirmation for even low- a government after Trump about Tanden's penchant agenda as he continues
who rub the Senate the er-level positions. It's been chased away many career for sharp tweets after four to give Trump the time and
wrong way and fail to win an escalation of the Sen- professionals and appoint- years of Trump's endless space to challenge elec-
enough votes for confirma- ate's procedural battles for ed often-untested new- Twitter barbs that GOP sen- tion results in court cases
tion or are forced to with- at least a decade. comers. ators often tried to ignore. that have delivered few
draw after grueling public But the battles ahead are Senate Democratic leader "After what all we went victories.
hearings. Trump's nominees particularly sharp as Bi- Chuck Schumer praised through over the past four Instead, he's letting other
faced enormous resistance den tries to stand up an the expertise Biden's choic- years, I would expect that Senate Republicans, par-
almost all of President-elect ticularly those seen as
Biden's nominees would having White House am-
be widely acceptable," bitions, make names for
Schumer said from the Sen- themselves. GOP Sens. Tom
ate floor. Cotton, Marco Rubio and
Instead, he warned, the Josh Hawley, among oth-
"switch is starting to flip" into ers, have all hurled pointed
Republican opposition. complaints about Biden's
To be sure, some key Biden picks.
choices will have an eas- Despite Trump's defeat,
ier path to confirmation. Republicans in Congress
Janet Yellen, who would may have little incentive to
become the nation's first work with Biden. They per-
female treasury secretary, formed better than Trump,
drew few public com- retaining many House and
plaints from Republicans. Senate seats they were
Many had voted to con- expected to lose. One les-
firm her in 2014 as Federal son Republicans learned
Reserve chair. from the November elec-
Democrats have their own tion may be to keep doing
battles ahead. Biden faces what they've been doing.
the daunting task of keep- McConnell gave a nod to-
ing the party's centrist and ward what's ahead after
progressive factions from GOP senators met Tuesday
splintering as he tries to put by conference call, forced
his team in place. to abandon their tradition-
Republicans now hold a al sit-down lunches as the
50-48 advantage in the COVID-19 crisis surges and
Senate, but if Democrats threatens to further disrupt
win both Georgia seats in the Capitol.
the Jan. 5 runoff elections, McConnell talked about
they would wrest control, finishing the remaining few
since the vice president, weeks of "this government"
which will be Kamala Har- and "the new administra-
ris, becomes a tie-breaker. tion" to come.q