Republican senators have been forced to invoke the so-called “nuclear option” to advance President Donald Trump’s nominees through the Senate amid pushback from Democrats.
Senate Republicans voted 53-43 to end a blockade on Trump’s nominees on Thursday.
It is a remarkable shift from Senate Republicans, who historically have placed the chamber’s rules over Trump’s wishes.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) is a former Trump critic, but he has worked closely with the president on advancing his second-term agenda.
The “nuclear option” allows the party in power to change Senate rules with a simple majority.
It has been invoked in the past by both parties.
However, it is often seen as a selfish move that undermines bipartisanship.
Republicans say they were left with no alternative after Democrats spent months blocking what would normally be routine votes to staff the Trump administration.
Dozens of nominees have been left in limbo, angering Thune, who is known as a mild-mannered institutionalist.
“I’ve been saying all week, ‘We’re going to vote on this on Thursday, one way or the other,’” Thune said.
“We’re going to change this process in a way that gets us back to what every president prior has had when it comes