Senate Republicans Near Nuclear Option To Confirm Trump Nominees

Senate Republicans are moving rapidly toward invoking the 'nuclear option' to change Senate rules and expedite confirmation of President Trump's nominees, aiming to overcome Democratic obstruction. The leading proposal, inspired by a plan originally put forth by Sen. Amy Klobuchar, would allow the Senate to confirm up to 10 nominees at once who have bipartisan committee approval, potentially expanding to include multiple committees and more nominees. This approach seeks to bypass extensive floor debate and procedural hurdles that Democrats have used to block even previously uncontroversial nominations. Republican leaders, including Sen. Katie Britt and Sen. Eric Schmitt, emphasize that this strategy empowers the committee process and could restore efficiency to confirmations. Other proposals under consideration include drastically reducing debate times and making some nominations nondebatable, with recess appointments also possible if resistance persists. The move signals heightened GOP frustration with Democrats' refusal to expedite the nomination process, even for low-level nominees typically approved by unanimous consent in prior administrations.