Senate Republicans invoked the nuclear option to fast-track confirmation of the Trump administration’s subcabinet nominees. Via the Wall Street Journal:
GOP senators voted, 53-45, Thursday to set a new chamber rule that allows group confirmations of certain executive branch nominees, a move they say is necessary to combat Democratic obstruction. Past standoffs had already whittled down the minority party’s ability to block nominees.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R., S.D.) used a legislative procedure that allows a simple majority to override Senate rules and set a new precedent. Republicans hold a 53-47 majority in the Senate.
The change followed months of Senate Democrats blocking the use of voice votes or unanimous consent to confirm nominees, forcing Republicans to formally vote on each nominee individually. Speaking on the Senate floor Thursday, Thune said every president before Trump had a majority of their nominees confirmed by voice vote or unanimous consent. He said the Senate would have to cast another 600 votes to work through the backlog of nominees.
“Do you guys like the fact that we’re a personnel department? That the Senate spends two-thirds of its time on nominees?” he asked.
Maybe if your leader didn’t keep sending over unqualified vanity nominations, Democrats wouldn’t have to throw themselves on the tracks.
