US President-elect Donald Trump has asked senators to refuse the need to approve the highest-ranking officials in his future administration, reported France Press, quoted by BTA.
A section of the US Constitution allows the president to make appointments without Senate approval when the upper house of the US Congress is not in plenary session. However, it is rarely used, as senators usually manage to attend the appointments and thus exercise their right to control the executive branch.
The Republican Party has regained its majority in the Senate, which will convene in January to be sworn in, but Democratic representatives may still delay the process of confirming Trump's nominees.
"Sometimes votes can take two or more years. This is what they (Democrats) did four years ago and we cannot allow it to happen again,'' the president-elect stressed in Aix, referring to his previous mandate from 2017 to 2021.
"Any Republican senator who aims to fill the coveted seat of leader of the US Senate must accept the appointments" outside the parliamentary sessions, Trump said.
The three senators campaigning for the post responded by supporting the president-elect's demands.
The US Senate considers and approves by vote, first in committee and then in plenary, the appointments of ministers and their deputies, as well as ambassadors, senior military officers, the heads of many federal agencies, judges, including the Supreme court.
Businessman Elon Musk, an ally of President-elect Donald Trump, has endorsed Republican Senator Rick Scott for US Senate majority leader as the race for the powerful post heats up, Reuters notes. Republicans are expected to control at least 52 seats in the 100-member Senate.
Incumbent Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell, who has said he will step down as leader after the election.
Musk is the richest man in the world. He endorsed Trump on July 13, the day the former president was wounded in the ear during a rally in Pennsylvania.