‘NO PRO FORMA SESSIONS’: Trump Heats Up Recess Battle With Mike Lee, Thomas Massie Accusations Against GOP Leaders
President Donald Trump has increased the pressure on the U.S. Senate to skip recess and instead to stick around to confirm the “backlog” of 135 appointees yet to be confirmed to their respective posts, echoing Utah Republican Sen. Mike Lee and other Republicans.
Trump quoted Lee indirectly calling out majority leader Sen. John Thune, whom Trump was already pressuring, over pro-forma sessions that frequent Trump foil Rep. Thomas Massie says are meant to thwart any potential recess appointments.
Trump has been pressuring Republican leadership to cancel the scheduled August Recess altogether, with a Truth Social last Saturday name-checking Thune specifically.
“Hopefully the very talented John Thune, fresh off our many victories over the past two weeks and, indeed, 6 months, will cancel August recess (and long weekends!), in order to get my incredible nominees confirmed,” he wrote. “We need them badly!!!”
That kicked off a week of back-and-forth among Republicans on the prospect of either cancelling the recess, or leaving in full to allow Trump to make recess appointments. Sen. Lee and fellow Republican Sen. Ron Johnson of Wisconsin were both among those calling for Trump to simply make recess appointments.
“Tell your senators to either (1) stay & get the job done, confirming the 135 Trump nominees pending in the Senate, or (2) recess & let President Trump make recess appointments, as authorized by the Constitution,” wrote Lee on Wednesday.
Meanwhile, Massie has been stirring the pot by arguing that Thune and other Republican leaders like Speaker Mike Johnson are the ones really trying foil Trump’s plans, saying that while “some people are excited” by the prospect of recess appointments, Johnson and Thune “plan to convene-and-adjourn every 4 or 5 days to block Trump from making those appointments.”
Massie traded barbs with Rep. Greg Murphy over the comments.
Lee added another message on X on Friday, saying that the Senate The Senate “shouldn’t recess before clearing the 135-nominee confirmation backlog” and repeating Massie’s framing by arguing that if the Senate does want the break, then “it should *actually* recess — NO PRO FORMA SESSIONS, as their only purpose is to prevent Trump from making recess appointments.”
Trump quoted Lee and other commentators from X in posts to his Truth Social platform on Saturday, amping up the pressure on Republicans.
“Very Important,” Trump wrote. “Republicans must play to win. Clear the 135. So badly needed!”
Lee, in turn, reposted Trump reposting him, adding the hashtag #ClearThe135 and urging voters “Tell your senators” a short time later.
No announcements have been made at the time of publication, but the Senate is currently scheduled to hold a cloture vote for one Trump appointment on Monday.
