Senate GOP invokes "nuclear option" to confirm batches of Trump nominees
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Senate Majority Leader John Thune, joined by Sens. John Barrasso) and Shelley Moore Capito. Photo: Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images
Senate Republicans officially changed chamber rules on Thursday to allow unlimited groups of nominees to be voted on at once.
Why it matters: Starting next week, Republicans aim to quickly move through a backlog of more than 140 civilian nominees after months of facing Democratic roadblocks.
- The Senate voted along party lines, overruling the chair to allow non-Cabinet and non-judicial nominees to be voted on in big groups.
- They are expected to vote on the first such bloc of 48 nominees next week, after additional procedural votes.
The intrigue: There was a last-ditch effort at a bipartisan deal for a more limited rules change that would cap any bloc of nominees at 15.
- Key senators huddled for hours Thursday afternoon.
- The vote to allow the Senate to take up the bipartisan proposal Thursday failed to receive the needed unanimous consent, and Republicans denied Democrats' request to let negotiations drag into the weekend.
Between the lines: Democrats have criticized Republicans for invoking the "nuclear option" by using a simple majority to change chamber rules, warning of more controversial nominees and of what will happen when Democrats are next in the majority.
- Republicans have repeatedly blasted Democrats' slow-walking of President Trump's nominees, especially those appointed to non-controversial positions and who receive bipartisan support.
- "If Republicans go nuclear, the historically bad nominees we've seen under President Trump will only get worse," Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) said on the floor earlier this week.
- "Instead of deliberation, Senate Democrats chose unprecedented delay. That ends now, GOP Whip John Barrasso (R-Wyo.) said Thursday.
Zoom out: Democrats have not allowed a single Trump civilian nominee to be confirmed with a voice vote or unanimous consent — a courtesy usually provided by the minority party for many lower-level positions by this point in an administration.
- The rule change is similar to a proposal from Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.). Her 2023 plan — put forth when Democrats controlled the Senate and the White House — limited the number of nominees in any bloc to 10.
- There will now be no numerical limit on non-Cabinet, non-judicial nominees who can be voted on en bloc.
