West Virginians awaiting U.S. Senate confirmations will have to wait a little bit longer.

Due to Senate Democrats dragging out votes on President Donald Trump’s appointees, the Republican majority has begun approving appointees in large batches. On Thursday, the Senate approved 48 Trump appointees.

The next big block of appointees (hat tip Frank Thorp V at NBC News) will likely occur at the beginning of October, assuming the nation is not dealing with a government shutdown. The next block consists of 59 names, including three West Virginians.

State Sen. Mike Stuart, R-Kanawha, was nominated by Trump in February to be general counsel for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Stuart testified before the U.S. Senate Committee on Finance at the end of July.

Stuart, a former cha

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