President Donald Trump is pressing the Senate to remain in session through the August recess, insisting lawmakers clear the chamber’s entire executive calendar before adjourning. “The Senate must stay in session, taking no recess, until the entire Executive Calendar is clear,” he wrote on 31 July, renewing attacks this week on Republicans he says are moving too slowly on confirmations. The chamber faces a backlog of roughly 130 executive and judicial nominees, according to Republican leaders. Democrats have slowed floor action in protest of Trump-backed legislation and recent spending cuts, prompting Majority Leader John Thune to warn that cancelling the summer break or changing Senate rules is on the table. GOP strategists are also weighing a more drastic step: formally adjourning Congress to give Trump authority to fill posts unilaterally with recess appointments. If the stalemate drags into September, Republicans say they could invoke the “nuclear option,” curbing debate time on nominees with a simple majority vote. Tensions deepened after Trump accused Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer of seeking more than $1 billion in concessions before allowing votes on the nominees, a charge Schumer’s office has not addressed publicly. With government funding bills due next month, the dispute over confirmations threatens to compound what is already expected to be a contentious autumn on Capitol Hill.