Senate GOP whip dismisses Schumer's "idle threat" on Trump nominees

• "Schumer has held every nominee of President Trump. So, he's not done anything new today at all," Barrasso said.
• "He made a speech, so he can grandstand."

Schumer's hold is in response to Qatar's offer to give a luxury jet to President Trump.

• "This is not just naked corruption, it is also a grave national security threat," Schumer said on the Senate floor on Tuesday.
• "I will keep pushing—and Senate Democrats will keep pushing—to get more answers to this nakedly crooked arrangement with Qatar," he said.

Zoom in: Placing a hold on a nominee forces the Senate to take an extra procedural vote and wait a certain number of hours before senators can finally vote to confirm the nominee.

• Democrats have been dragging out the process this way essentially since the start of the new Congress in protest of Trump.

• Secretary of State Marco Rubio was one notable exception, receiving unanimous support in the Senate for the role.
• "They can hold anybody they want, and we can get around it with a two-hour vote, and that's what we're doing today," Barrasso said.

What to watch: In response to the Democratic delays, Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) at times has been keeping the Senate voting longer than usual — with 8pm votes, a handful of Friday work days and at times threatening to keep senators working into the weekend.