Senator Brian Schatz (D-HI) is facing mounting scrutiny after placing a broad hold on more than 300 of President Donald Trump’s nominees, contradicting his previously stated opposition to such tactics. Schatz, a senior member of Senate Democratic leadership and a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, has expanded his blockade to cover nominees across 12 federal agencies, including several key national security posts and bipartisan foreign relations legislation.
The move marks a stark reversal from Schatz’s 2023 remarks criticizing Republican Senator Tommy Tuberville (R-AL) for implementing a blanket hold on military promotions during the Biden administration. At the time, Schatz labeled Tuberville’s actions “obstruction” and an “abuse of power,” arguing that such use of senatorial privilege was irresponsible and detrimental to the Senate’s constitutional role of providing “advice and consent.”
In a July 2023 floor speech, Schatz emphasized the need for restraint in wielding such power, stating:
“I could probably block the defense bill this week if I wanted to, but I won’t — you know why? Because I’m not a maniac.”
He further stated that his decade-long Senate record included only a few holds, all of which, he claimed, were exercised with serious deliberation.
Despite this position, Schatz is now using the same tactic on a far broader scale — withholding unanimous consent on hundreds of Trump nominees, a maneuver that forces Senate leadership to allocate valuable floor time to process each nomination individually.
For the last 9 months, Tuberville has put politics over our safety and has mistreated military families. As I said in July: if he has policy disagreements, let’s debate them. But no one should penalize servicemembers dedicated to defending our country. https://t.co/JpqXYswd3c
— Senator Brian Schatz (@SenBrianSchatz) November 14, 2023
Schatz’s holds affect a range of appointments, including those for the Department of Labor and the State Department. One notable nominee is former Rep. Anthony D’Esposito (R-NY), appointed by Trump for a senior Labor role. Schatz also extended his opposition to at least nine bipartisan foreign affairs bills, including legislation condemning China’s actions in Hong Kong — a measure that previously enjoyed widespread Senate support.
In comments to Axios, Schatz defended his shift in approach, citing what he called the Trump administration’s “lawlessness” and alleged attempts to undermine U.S. institutions. “I don’t think we should make anything easy going forward,” he said, referencing the administration’s recent closure of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) as a catalyst for his holds.
The holds raise concerns over their potential impact on U.S. national security and foreign policy execution. Schatz had previously criticized Tuberville’s similar tactics under Biden, arguing they left key military and diplomatic positions unfilled and weakened the nation's global posture. At the time, Schatz wrote on X (formerly Twitter):
“Sen. Tuberville’s holds on hundreds of military promotions are hurting our national security.”
Tuberville, in contrast, argued his holds were narrowly targeted and did not impact frontline military readiness. “The people who actually fight are not affected at all,” he wrote in a June 2023 op-ed.
Now, with Schatz’s holds delaying nominees to strategic departments like State, Labor, and Defense, similar questions about readiness and operational continuity have emerged.
Senate Republicans have criticized Schatz’s actions as partisan obstructionism and have pledged to continue pushing forward with national security confirmations. Senator James Risch (R-ID), chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, stated:
“Dilatory actions by Democratic senators won’t stop us from ensuring President Trump’s national security nominees are in place as soon as possible.”
As of Monday, a spokesperson for Senator Schatz had not responded to media requests for further comment.