John Thune of South Dakota, John Cornyn of Texas and Rick Scott of Florida are running in a secret ballot election Wednesday to lead the GOP conference and replace longtime GOP leader Mitch McConnell,

President-elect Donald Trump is demanding Republican senators vying to be majority leader support recess appointments for his nominees — a way for presidents to essentially bypass Congress that has recently been blocked by the minority party.

President-elect Donald Trump’s bid to shake up how the Senate confirms his Cabinet and other appointments has more potential to weaken his agenda rather than kick-start it. His desire to use so-called recess appointments would erode the Senate’s power and tradition by sidestepping the confirmation process,