The lack of bipartisan consensus in the US Congress is responsible for the new delay in the arrival in Athens of Kimberly Guilfoyle and the official assumption of her duties as the new Ambassador of the US to Greece.

Reason for the new delay, the inability to form a consensus in the last Senate session before the summer vacation on August 4, resulting in the holiday lull adding to the anxiety for the 140 Trump administration nominees, including 30 new ambassadors, such as Kimberly Guilfoyle.

The latter should now be expected in Athens in late September at the earliest, given that the Congress resumes its proceedings on September 2. However, the new postponement prompted an immediate reaction from US President Donald Trump, who commented that Democrats are “doing everything possible to DENY approval to these wonderful and talented people.”

“Political blackmail”

For his part, Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer said that “we were serious about trying to make some progress,” “But in the end, Trump didn’t agree. He took his ball, went home – leaving Democrats and Republicans alike wondering, “What the heck happened?” he asked. Picking up the gauntlet of Democrats, “the crying senator, Chuck Schumer, is demanding over a billion dollars to approve a small number of our highly qualified candidates who right now should be helping to run our country. This demand is outrageous and unprecedented and would be embarrassing to the Republican Party if it were to be granted. It is political blackmail by any other name,” Donald Trump said.

That’s because at its last meeting before the holidays, the Senate focused on approving dozens of nominees “in exchange for some concessions on releasing some already approved spending,” according to CBS News. However, this tactic has not paid off, the mood has been energized, and the bipartisan consensus that had traditionally been cultivated on spending cuts is in limbo at a time when a change in the rules would be a “huge mistake,” as Chuck Schumer pointed out. “Tell Schumer, who is under tremendous political pressure from within his own party, the lunatics of the Radical Left, to GET ON THE HANG!” claimed Donald Trump on social media, seeing potential administration officials now waiting for months on the Senate floor.

“Freeze” for months

In fact, if the Senate moves, as soon as the summer recess returns, at the same pace, then the possibility of changes to Senate rules to confirm more of the Trump administration’s nominee officials gains even more traction.

Senate Majority Leader John Thune cited the example last week that at the same point in Joe Biden’s presidency, 49 of his 121 nominees had been confirmed by expedited process through oral votes or unanimous consent requests. However, Donald Trump has not proceeded to confirm any of his officials by fast track procedures, at a time when Democrats appear willing to cause further, if not months-long, delays. In particular, Democrats have insisted on a roll call vote for all nominees. In such a case, however, it would be an extremely lengthy process that could take days, further reinforcing the vacuum of the American presence in Athens.

“I think the last six months have shown that this process, the nominations, is problematic. And so I expect that there will be some good and meaningful conversations about that,” Thune commented after the Senate closed, with no one able to predict the exact timing of the Senate vote in favor of Kimberly Guilfoyle’s confirmation.