On August 2nd, just before the U.S. Senate entered its summer recess, only three personnel appointments were approved, including the confirmation of conservative leader Brian Burch as ambassador to the Vatican, former nominee for Secretary of Labor Andrew Puzder as ambassador to the European Union, and former Fox News host Jeanine Pirro as the Chief Federal Prosecutor for Washington D.C.
The Republican party had planned to address multiple nominations over the weekend, but due to Democratic refusal to agree on unanimous consent procedures and insistence on individual roll-call votes, many nominations were blocked, and an agreement could not be reached. Ultimately, only the three aforementioned personnel appointments were confirmed. The Senate later adjourned on Saturday evening and is expected to continue deliberating over 150+ pending Trump administration personnel appointments when it reconvenes in September.
Brian Burch’s appointment was approved by a vote of 49 to 44. He is the co-founder and current chairman of the conservative Catholic advocacy organization “CatholicVote” and has previously served as principal of Seton Academy, a Montessori school near Villa Park, Illinois.
Burch, originally from Chicago, shares the same hometown as the incumbent Pope Leo XIV. Leo XIV, the first pope from the United States, is currently presiding over a jubilee celebration with a theme centered around global youth, attracting over a million faithful participants.
Expressing his gratitude on social media platform X, Burch stated, “I am deeply grateful to President Trump and the U.S. Senate for the opportunity to serve as ambassador to the Vatican. As a proud Catholic American, I look forward to representing President Trump, Vice President Vance, and Secretary of State Rubio in the Vatican.”
Kelsey Reinhardt, Vice Chair of CatholicVote, stated, “Burch’s mission is to expand the church’s gospel mission into the diplomatic arena, deepening the relationship between the United States and the Vatican. We pray for him and hope that he and Pope Leo XIV will work hand in hand, making Chicago and the U.S. proud.”
The organization led by Burch is known for upholding traditional Catholic doctrine, supporting anti-abortion stances, opposing the LGBT movement, and advocating for parental education rights. Trump nominated Burch in December 2024, praising him as a “devout Catholic” and highlighting how Burch “garnered the most Catholic votes in U.S. history” for him during the election.
The Epoch Times has reached out to the Vatican for comment on this appointment.
On the same day, the Senate approved Andrew Puzder’s nomination as U.S. ambassador to the European Union by a vote of 53 to 44. Democratic Senators Maggie Hassan and Jeanne Shaheen from New Hampshire surprisingly joined the majority of Republican senators in voting in favor, while Republican Senator Lisa Murkowski of Alaska voted against.
Puzder is the former CEO of CKE Restaurants Inc, the parent company of fast-food chains Hardee’s and Carl’s Jr. Trump nominated him as ambassador to the EU in January of this year, citing his successful leadership in navigating companies out of financial turmoil and expressing confidence in his performance in the field of diplomacy.
Trump had previously nominated Puzder for Secretary of Labor during his first term in 2017, making this his second nomination for a high-level government position.
In January of this year, Trump, on his social media platform “Truth Social,” posted about Puzder’s nomination, stating, “Andy, during his 17 years as a CEO, led the company out of serious financial difficulties, allowing it to survive, be financially sound, and grow. Andy will make outstanding contributions to our country’s interests in the (EU) region.”
The White House announced on social media platform X, “Confirmed: Andrew Puzder appointed as U.S. ambassador to the European Union.”
On the same day, Jeanine Pirro was confirmed by the U.S. Senate as the Chief Federal Prosecutor for Washington, D.C., with a vote of 50 to 45. Pirro, a former county judge and prosecutor in New York, joined Fox News in 2011, becoming a prominent figure in conservative media.
Pirro expressed her “deep honor” at becoming the Chief Federal Prosecutor for Washington, D.C. following the Senate’s confirmation on social media platform X, emphasizing that Washington would “see a real crime fighter.” She noted that she leads the largest federal prosecutor’s office in the country.
In another post, she thanked Trump for giving her the opportunity to clean up the “political swamp” in Washington and uphold justice.
On Monday, August 4th, Trump criticized the Senate Democrats for deliberately delaying over 150 appointments and accused Democratic leader Chuck Schumer of demanding up to $10 to $20 billion as a condition for approval, describing it as an “unprecedented political extortion” and lambasting the Democrats as “crazy,” urging the Republicans not to compromise.
(This article referenced relevant reports from The Epoch Times and The Hill.)