The Republican-led Senate confirmed 48 of President Donald Trump’s remaining nominees for below-cabinet-level federal positions, moving ahead with what’s called an “en bloc” nominee package after Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) invoked the nuclear option. The bloc of 48 nominees confirmed on Thursday included a number of lower level War Department positions — and several ambassadorships including those held by Kimberly Guilfoyle and Callista Gingrich — and passed 51-47 along party lines. WATCH: 48 NOMINEES: CONFIRMED TODAY ✅@SenateGOP ended liberal obstruction and CHANGED the Senate rules to get @POTUS’ sub-cabinet noms in place (in groups) and speed up the process. We just confirmed the first “en bloc” nominee package of 48. More to come. ? pic.twitter.com/Dg4oxsrHCl — Markwayne Mullin (@SenMullin) September 18, 2025 Thune promised to move forward with the nuclear option a week earlier, saying that Democrats had stonewalled the process long enough. Quoting Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, Thune said that it was unacceptable for nominees to be blocked unless there was a legitimate reason or concern that made it necessary. Thune also pointed out the fact that all of the 48 nominees in the first bloc had actually been approved out of committee — with bipartisan support — and were only being blocked in the full Senate. The Senate Democrats, he said at the time, were intentionally stalling the process by refusing to allow the nominees to be confirmed by voice vote or unanimous consent, as is traditionally done with civilian nominees. One major nominee who did not make it through on Thursday was former Rep. Mike Waltz (R-FL), whose nomination to serve as Ambassador to the United Nations is still pending. Democrats succeeded in recent weeks in having Waltz’s nomination sent back to committee.