Senate Republicans Headed To ‘Nuclear Option’ To Confirm Trump Nominees

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell set up a test vote for the Senate on Thursday, hoping to cut Democrats time on the floor obstructing President Donald Trump’s nominees who are trying to be confirmed.

The vote, which is likely to fail so that Republicans will be able to use the nuclear option, will make easier for Republicans to confirm Trump’s nominees, as Democrats have continued to obstruct the president’s nominees. The nuclear option allows nominees to be confirmed with a simple majority vote.

“It is not fair to the American people. The American people deserve the government they elected,” McConnell said. “From an institutional perspective, as well all acknowledge, this is completely unsustainable.”

The Senate already has the power to nominate some of Trump’s appointees with a majority vote. However, McConnell’s proposal would speed up the process, according to Roll Call.

Trump has previously called out Democrats for “slow walking” his executive nominees, saying “Democrats in the Senate are still slow walking hundreds of highly qualified people wanting to come into government,” in a February tweet. “Never been such an abuse in our country’s history.”

The president broke a record for the number of appeals court judge confirmed during the first half of a presidency.