"Nuclear option" lingers over Senate as members leave for August recess
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Senate leaders failed to reach a bipartisan deal to speed through more of President Trump's nominees — so senators are heading home with a GOP promise of changing the rules when they return in September.
Why it matters: Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) refused to back down from his demands, and Trump ultimately gave Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) cover to let his fatigued conference go home and reset.
- Senators will stay voting Saturday evening on a small list of nominees already primed for final confirmation.
- They will then head home for a month of fundraisers, town-halls and campaigning as they try to put some positive spin on the "big, beautiful bill."
Zoom in: Republicans have been gunning to use their majority to make changes to Senate rules in response to Democrats' unprecedented stonewalling of the confirmation process for civilian nominees.
- It's unclear what exact changes Senate Republicans will pursue.
- It could look like eliminating one of the procedural votes on certain nominees, shrinking the length of debate time, allowing nominations to be voted on en-bloc or shortening the list of positions that require Senate confirmation.
- The option of recess appointments has arisen on numerous occasions, including Saturday, as another path forward.
The intrigue: Trump repeatedly called for Thune to keep senators working through the whole August recess. But an enraged post on Truth Social seemed to give senators permission to head home for the scheduled break.
- "Tell Schumer, who is under tremendous political pressure from within his own party, the Radical Left Lunatics, to GO TO HELL! Do not accept the offer, go home and explain to your constituents what bad people the Democrats are," Trump posted.
- "Have a great RECESS and, MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!!!"
The other side: Schumer and his leadership team tried to use the recess as leverage. They've demanded Republicans commit to concrete concessions, such as unfreezing some federal funding, in exchange for helping clear a logjam of nominees.
- Top Senate Democrats this week railed against the possibility that the GOP would change the Senate rules to confirm more Trump nominees, referring to it as a "nuclear" option.
- "Republicans should keep in mind that if they choose to go nuclear — yet again — it will have consequences long beyond Donald Trump's presidency," Sen. Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), the top Democrat on the Senate's Rules panel, said in a statement this week.
The bottom line: Both parties have been frustrated by the slow-moving confirmation process, and both could ultimately benefit from rules changes.
