Nuclear Option? How Senate Republicans Plan to Clear Out Nominee Backlog
Matt Vespa
~3 minutes
Hundreds of Trump nominees are in legislative purgatory as Senate Democrats have remained intransigent about the whole process, infuriating Sen. John Thune (R-SD). The Senate Majority Leader made it known yesterday that he had lost patience and will move forward with the nuclear option to end the backlog. In short, Trump nominees in limbo will be voted on in blocs to clear the docket, a legislative maneuver that Democrats created. We’re just following their rules (via The Blaze):
"It’s delay for delay’s sake, and it’s a pettiness that leaves desks sitting empty in agencies across the federal government and robs our duly elected president of a team to enact the agenda that the American people voted for in November," Thune said in an op-ed for Breitbart.
"Republicans aren’t going to tolerate this obstruction any longer," Thune added. "We have tried to work with Democrats in good faith to batch bipartisan, noncontroversial nominees and clear them expeditiously, according to past precedent. Democrats have stood in the way at every turn."
Over the last month, Republican senators have developed a rule change based on a proposal initially introduced by Democratic Sens. Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota and Angus King of Maine in 2023, one Republican aide told Blaze News.
Starting Monday, Thune will begin reforming the Senate rules based on the Democratic proposal, allowing Republicans to confirm nominees in batches, the aide confirmed to Blaze News. Without this rule change, the Senate would need to hold over 600 roll call votes just to clear the backlog of nominees who are currently on the docket.
It shouldn’t have taken this long to conclude that Democrats are legislative terrorists and should be treated as such, Mr. Thune. I get this is the Senate, and there are certain traditions and norms, but that was peacetime. We’re at war with this party, and they’re insane people. Get these people confirmed. Bulldoze them if you must.
https://townhall.com/tipsheet/mattvespa/2025/09/09/nuclear-option-how-senate-republicans-plan-to-clear-out-nominee-backlog-n2662924
