To allow Trump to make the appointments, Republican senators would have to pass a motion of adjournment with a simple majority vote, though Democrats would likely do everything in their power to prevent it. It is also not clear if such a move would be fully supported by GOP senators.

President-elect Donald Trump is going for it with his Cabinet picks. These are picks that align with his worldview and inclination to wreck shop in the U.S. government — but that are giving his party heartburn. At least four of the high-profile nominations that Trump announced this week will test Senate Republicans’ willingness to confirm them.