Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) on Monday said he was prepared to change the chamber’s rules to expedite the confirmation process, decrying Democrats’ “historic obstruction” in blocking President Trump’s nominees. “Democrats have destroyed Senate precedent — and we’re going to fix it,” he said on the floor, teeing up a rule change that can be approved with a simple majority, known as the “nuclear option.” The rule change would allow the Senate to confirm sub-Cabinet executive branch nom

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) on Thursday blasted Republicans for unilaterally changing the chamber’s rules to speed up the confirmation of President Trump’s nominees. “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,” he said on the floor. The Senate voted 53–45, along party lines, to set a new precedent that most nominations can be confirmed “en bloc,” or in groups, rather than ha