GOP Sen. Rounds says senators should have access to Gaetz's ethics report as they consider his nomination

 GOP Sen. Mike Rounds pushed back on House Speaker Mike Johnson’s warning that releasing the House Ethics report on former Rep. Matt Gaetz would open a “Pandora’s box,” telling CNN he believes senators should have access to the report as they consider Gaetz’s nomination.

He also argued that it would be “very challenging” for President-elect Donald Trump to use recess appointments to confirm his picks.

“I think if there is an ethics report out there that is being or that has been completed, then I think the Senate is going to want to see it. It may very well speed up the vetting process,” said Rounds. “On the other hand, if it’s not available and we have to recreate it ourselves, that would delay our ability to make a decision on a very critical nominee.”

“We give the president the benefit of the doubt on his nominees, but we still do our due diligence. We have a responsibility to vet these, provide advice and consent, which, as I say, is advice or consent. We want the information to make the best decision possible. If they have information that would be beneficial for us to be able to make a better decision, I think they should be able to share that now,” Rounds said.

The South Dakota Republican added that it would be “very challenging” for Trump to push through his nominations using recess appointments.

“I think in order to do that, they would have to have the vast majority of the Republican conference, and it would have to be a case of where our Democrat colleagues were simply doing their best to delay a whole lot of different nominations,” Rounds said.

“I think this is a negotiating tool between Republicans and Democrats in order to keep the process moving forward. We will have hundreds of nominations that we’re going to have to look at, and if our Democrat colleagues will work with us, then that particular threat will go away rather quickly, I think.”

Rounds also said that, to his knowledge, he has no plans on the books to meet with Gaetz or Pete Hegseth tomorrow when Vice President-elect JD Vance is expected to bring them to the Hill to meet with senators.