Senate Republican Thom Tillis Voices Institutional Concerns Amid Dual Hearings

Senate Republicans’ relationship with the White House took center stage Thursday, September 4, 2025, as Senator Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) warned colleagues against subordinating Senate authority to the executive branch during high-profile hearings on vaccine policy and Federal Reserve independence.

In remarks to reporters, Tillis cautioned that supporting presidential priorities should not come at the expense of the Senate’s institutional prerogatives. “I firmly believe that senators must advocate for the institution of the Senate. There are numerous objectives of the administration I support, but it’s the methods that I find questionable,” he said, referencing efforts by President Donald Trump’s advisers to reshape policy without sufficient Senate oversight.

Tillis’s comments came as the Senate Finance Committee questioned Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. over the ouster of the CDC’s director and subsequent resignations, and the Senate Banking Committee conducted the confirmation hearing of White House economic adviser Stephen Miran for a vacant Fed board seat. Both hearings underscored growing unease among Senate Republicans about executive-branch overreach.

“Do not allow it to appear as if it’s some sort of loyalty oath,” Tillis warned, urging colleagues to resist any measures that inherently compromise the Senate’s constitutional role in advising and consenting on key nominations and policies.

The hearings will continue into next week, setting the stage for further debate over the balance of power between the legislative and executive branches.