JD Vance: Focus Must Be on Transition, but I’ll ‘Move Heaven and Earth’ if I Can Block Biden’s Nominees

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Vice President-elect JD Vance has worn a handful of hats this year, but his sights are now centered on ensuring the Donald Trump administration secures wins — early and often.

While he’s no longer campaigning, Vance remains a sitting senator while preparing for the administration and playing perhaps the most critical role — other than Trump himself — in staffing the future administration.

It’s a tall order, seemingly requiring Vance to be in multiple places at once, and the stakes are high. Vance is being forced to prioritize his time on efforts that will be the most impactful for Trump’s transformative agenda.

That directive has required Vance to miss some Senate votes, even as Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) works to force through President Joe Biden’s nominees for judicial posts. But Democrats hold a 51 to 49 majority and have Vice President Kamala Harris’s vote if needed. Vance’s vote therefore is not likely to be a determining factor for most confirmation votes, allowing him to work effectively elsewhere.

Trump, while possessing an historic opportunity to reform government and reshape the executive branch, also must face harsh political realities. Crucial but narrow majorities in the House and the Senate — the latter hindered even further by the effective 60-vote threshold for legislation — will impede Trump’s legislative agenda.

Most of Trump’s America First agenda will be attained through the executive, not the legislative, branch.

Yet there isn’t much time. Historically, most of a president’s key achievements, or the foundations for attaining them, are made in the first months of an administration.

Put simply, Trump must have the right people in place, and he must have them as soon as possible. And Vance is working feverishly toward that goal.

“As a co-chairman of the transition it’s vital that I’m focused on making sure President Trump’s government is fully staffed with people who support his America First agenda and will be ready to hit the ground running on January 20th,” Vance said in a statement. “However, it’s also important to me to do everything in my power to block more radical judges from getting confirmed. So while it may be outside of the norm for an incoming VP to take Senate votes in the lame duck period, if my colleagues here in the Senate tell me that we have a real chance of beating one of these nominees, I’ll move heaven and earth to be there for the vote.”

A spokesman for the Trump-Vance transition echoed Vance.

“We cannot allow Chuck Schumer to play games with the transition’s ability to staff the incoming administration,” Brian Hughes, a transition spokesman, said in a statement. “Under no circumstances should we allow radical left judges to be jammed through the Senate at the 11th hour, but the Vice President-elect is needed for the transition to continue working ahead of schedule.”

Vance’s focus on staffing the administration reflects not only those political realities but is consistent with those who have come before him. In fact, by casting votes after Election Day, Vance became the first senator in a century to vote on a judicial nomination after being elected to either the presidency or vice presidency.

Harris, before resigning from the Senate on January 18, 2021, voted on one nomination after being elected to the vice presidency in November 2020 — Judy Shelton’s nomination to the Federal Reserve Board. But Harris did not vote on any judicial nominations during this period.

Prior to Harris, the last senator to vote on any nomination after being elected to either the presidency or vice presidency was Alben Barkley, who on January 18, 1949, voted on the nomination of Dean Acheson to be Secretary of State. Before him was Harry Truman, who on November 19, 1944, voted in favor of Archibald MacLeish’s nomination to be an assistant secretary of state.

Vance’s adherence to that historical role of a senator-turned-vice president will pay huge dividends in ensuring Trump’s presidency is a success. But if his vote is needed, he’ll be on call.