Vance isn’t going to make life easy for Biden. The president won’t have a cake-walk during his final few months in office.
And JD Vance is set to go scorched earth on Joe Biden with this earth-shattering scheme.
JD Vance’s Dual Role: Paving the Way for Trump’s Administration
Vice President-elect JD Vance has worn many hats this year, but his current focus is laser-sharp: ensuring the Donald Trump administration achieves decisive wins, starting from day one.
Although his days of campaigning are over, Vance still serves as a sitting senator while also taking on a critical responsibility—second only to Trump himself—in shaping the team that will steer the next administration. This demanding dual role requires Vance to prioritize efforts that will have the greatest impact on implementing Trump’s transformative vision for America.
The urgency of this mission has led to Vance missing several Senate votes, even as Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) pushes to confirm President Joe Biden’s judicial nominees.
However, with Democrats holding a slim 51–49 majority and Vice President Kamala Harris’s tie-breaking vote available, Vance’s absence is unlikely to alter the outcome of most confirmation votes. This reality has afforded him the flexibility to focus on tasks that are critical to Trump’s agenda.
Trump faces an enormous opportunity to reform government and reshape the executive branch, but the road ahead is fraught with challenges.
Narrow majorities in Congress—compounded by the Senate’s effective 60-vote threshold for most legislation—will make passing bills difficult. As a result, the bulk of Trump’s “America First” agenda will likely be advanced through executive action rather than legislation.
Time is of the essence. Historically, a president’s most significant achievements—or their foundations—are secured in the early months of an administration. For Trump to succeed, his administration must be fully staffed and operational immediately. That’s where Vance comes in.
“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,” a statement from Vance read.
“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 spokesperson for the Trump-Vance transition, Brian Hughes, reinforced this dual focus. “We cannot allow Chuck Schumer to play games with the transition’s ability to staff the incoming administration,” Hughes stated. “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 intense focus on transition efforts aligns with the political realities Trump faces and the precedent set by past officeholders. Notably, Vance made history by becoming the first senator in a century to cast a vote on a judicial nomination after being elected to the vice presidency.
Vice President Kamala Harris, who resigned from the Senate on January 18, 2021, only voted on one nomination after her election—Judy Shelton’s nomination to the Federal Reserve Board—and did not participate in any judicial confirmations during that time frame.
The last senator before Harris to cast votes after election to the vice presidency or presidency was Alben Barkley in 1949. Before him, Harry Truman cast a similar vote in 1944.
By balancing his senatorial duties with his role in staffing the incoming administration, Vance is poised to play a pivotal role in Trump’s success.
And while his transition work is paramount, Vance remains ready to step back into the Senate chamber if a crucial vote arises.
For Trump’s team, having the right personnel in place on day one will make all the difference—and Vance is determined to make that happen.
Stay tuned to The Federalist Wire.
