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Senate Republicans on Thursday detonated the so-called “nuclear option” to change chamber rules on a party-line vote, paving the way for President Donald Trump to accelerate confirmation of his executive branch nominees.
The 53-45 vote alters long-standing Senate procedure by allowing unlimited numbers of nominees to be confirmed en bloc, cutting down debate time and stripping away much of the minority party’s ability to slow the process. The change applies to subcabinet officials and ambassadors, but not to judicial nominations.
Within hours, Republicans used the new rule to advance a package of 48 Trump nominees, including Kimberly Guilfoyle and Callista Gingrich to be U.S. ambassadors to Greece and Switzerland, and former Rep. Brandon Williams, R-N.Y., to serve as undersecretary for nuclear security.
GOP says Democrats forced their hand
Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., defended the move after weeks of hinting at the change. He accused Democrats of obstructing Trump’s nominees to an unprecedented degree.
“It’s time to move. Time to quit stalling. Time to vote. Time to fix this place,” Thune declared in a fiery floor speech. “This is a broken process, folks. That’s an embarrassment.”
Republicans say their members will retain the option to object to individual nominees within a bloc, but Democrats will no longer be able to wield that same power.
Democrats warn of long-term damage
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., blasted the rule change as a dangerous erosion of minority rights in the chamber.
“This move by Republicans was not so much about ending obstruction, as they claim; rather, it was another act of genuflection to the executive branch … to give Donald Trump more power and to rubber-stamp whomever he wants whenever he wants them, no questions asked,” Schumer said.
He predicted the GOP would come to regret the precedent: “This is a sad, regrettable day for the Senate. And I believe it won’t take very long for Republicans to wish they had not pushed the chamber further down this awful road.”
Historic use of the nuclear option
The “nuclear option” is a procedural maneuver allowing the Senate majority to override existing rules by a simple majority vote. Once avoided to preserve Senate tradition, it has increasingly been used over the past two decades.
In 2013, Democrats eliminated the 60-vote threshold for most judicial nominees. Four years later, Republicans extended the change to Supreme Court picks. Thursday’s move marks the latest escalation, dismantling more tools for the minority party to influence the pace of confirmations.
Sen. Brian Schatz, D-Hawaii, who tried to broker a bipartisan compromise to avoid the rule change, lamented the breakdown in negotiations. “We don’t have unanimous consent, we do not have unanimity,” he said. “It’s a damn shame… maybe this exercise builds a little muscle memory for at least exploring how to have a bipartisan negotiation.”
What comes next
Senate Republicans plan to confirm the bloc of 48 Trump nominees next week under the new rules. The change could significantly speed up Trump’s ability to fill key government posts — and provide a template for future presidents to do the same.
House Republicans, who have no formal role in nominations, have been closely watching the fight. Some encouraged Senate colleagues to push forward, with Sen. Katie Britt, R-Ala., briefing House members on the rule change before Thursday’s vote.
The move underscores a broader shift in Senate norms that, once broken, are rarely restored. As both parties grow more comfortable using the nuclear option, future majorities may find even fewer restraints on reshaping Senate procedure to achieve their goals.
