Mitch nukes the obstructionists.
Unable to work out a bipartisan deal to speed up Trump administration nominees, the Senate Republican majority changed the chamber’s rules on Wednesday to shorten debate time over the objections of Democrats.
The move qualifies as a “nuclear option” maneuver by the GOP to override a Democratic filibuster, and it marks another step taken in recent years to diminish the power of the Senate minority.
Senate Republicans and Democrats have already moved to eliminate the 60-vote threshold needed to confirm Cabinet members and judges, including Supreme Court justices, in response to partisan obstruction tactics that have increased over the years.
Lawmakers in both parties warned the Senate should not go any further to strip the chamber’s traditional minority leverage with further changes to the rules, such as the elimination of the 60-vote threshold needed to pass legislation, which some 2020 Democratic presidential candidates said they support.
“The partisan temperament is destroying this place,” Sen. Michael Bennet, D-Colo., said. “It needs to come to an end.”
The latest change was invoked by Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., who said Democrats are needlessly dragging out debates, stalling Trump nominees, creating a large backlog, and preventing the president from assembling his administrative team.
McConnell made the move to shorten debate time after the Senate voted to proceed with the nomination of Jeffrey Kessler to serve as assistant secretary of commerce.
McConnell called the effort to confirm Kessler “a textbook case study of the shameful nature of the current process.”