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Late Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) detonated the first Senate “nuclear option” in 2013, curbing the filibuster to confirm executive branch nominees – except for the Supreme Court.
Former Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) ignited the second “nuclear option” in 2017 to confirm Supreme Court Justice Neil Gorsuch, and lower the filibuster bar for nominations to the High Court.
THUNE LAYS GROUNDWORK FOR NUCLEAR OPTION IN SENATE FIGHT OVER TRUMP NOMINEES
Now, Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) is likely to detonate the parliamentary equivalent of a “suitcase nuke” later this week.
Thune will follow the playbook established by Reid and McConnell to alter the Senate precedent (not a rules change) to expedite the confirmation of lower-level nominees in groups. This plan will not include judges nor cabinet secretaries.
U.S. Senator Mitch McConnell (R-KY) speaks on behalf of one of U.S. President Donald Trump’s judicial nominees during a Senate Judiciary Committee confirmation hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., U.S., July 30, 2025. REUTERS/Elizabeth Frantz (REUTERS/Elizabeth Frantz)
Thune sets his gambit into motion tonight by introducing a resolution to speed up a slate of about 40 nominees. By rule, the Senate will take a procedural vote to break a filibuster on his resolution to confirm the batch of nominees on Thursday. That needs 60 yeas. The Senate won’t get 60 yeas.
But this is EXACTLY the scenario that Thune wants.
TRUMP NOMINEES PILE UP AS GOP WEIGHS RULE SHIFT ONCE FLOATED BY DEMOCRATS
The coin of the realm in the Senate is unlimited debate. But the only time it CAN’T DEBATE SOMETHING is when an issue fails. So a FAILED vote to break the filibuster backs the Senate into the exact parliamentary cul-de-sac which Thune wants.
At the end of the roll call vote, Thune will likely switch his vote from yes to no on breaking the filibuster. That’s because Senate rules allow a senator…
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