Senate Republicans have changed Senate rules to allow the use of a simple majority vote for confirming certain of President Trump’s executive-branch nominees, breaking past a filibuster blockade by Democratic senators.
The move—known as the “nuclear option” and the fourth time it has been used in Senate history—was triggered after a bipartisan agreement failed. Under the new rules, dozens of non-Cabinet, non-judicial nominees can be confirmed in batches rather than one by one.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune led the effort, accusing Democrats of stalling the confirmation process. Democrats, including Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, warned that the change could reduce scrutiny of nominees and weaken oversight.
This procedural shift is expected to clear a backlog of candidates awaiting confirmation, but it also intensifies partisan tensions over how the Senate manages its advice-and-consent responsibilities.