Not All GOP Senators Back 'Nuclear Option' for Trump Nominees

Not all Senate Republicans appear ready to use "the nuclear option" to confirm approximately 140 of President Donald Trump's nominees.

Although many GOP members are prepared to change the Senate's procedure with only a simple-majority vote because they believe Democrats are unfairly holding up a number of lower-level, noncontroversial nominees, some Republicans are reluctant, The Hill reported Wednesday.

According to one senior Senate Republican strategist, some senators don't want to surrender their power to place holds on executive branch nominees in case they find themselves in the minority again.

"There's a core group of people that are wary of setting new precedents or changing anything that's going to affect them when the shoe's on the other foot. I don't think it's a slam dunk," the strategist told The Hill.

"Anytime you make these changes, it can have lasting impact on how the Senate operates moving forward."

Also, triggering the nuclear option for lower-level nominees likely would lessen the chances of reaching a bipartisan spending deal before the Sept. 30 deadline.

The Senate left Washington Saturday night for its month-long August recess without a deal to advance dozens of Trump's nominees, calling it quits after days of contentious bipartisan negotiations and Trump posting on social media that Senate Democrat Leader Chuck Schumer can "GO TO HELL!"

Without a deal in hand, Republicans say they may try to change Senate rules when they return in September to speed up the pace of confirmations. Trump has been pressuring senators to move quickly as Democrats blocked more nominees than usual this year, denying any fast unanimous consent votes and forcing roll calls on each one, a lengthy process that can take several days per nominee.

"I think they're desperately in need of change," Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., said of Senate rules. "I think that the last six months have demonstrated that this process, nominations is broken. And so I expect there will be some good robust conversations about that."

However, Sens. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, and Susan Collins, R-Maine, are among Republicans not sold on a proposal to weaken individual senators' ability to hold up nominees, The Hill reported.

"We clearly have a huge problem with bipartisan nominees requiring roll call votes, but I want to see what the exact proposals are," Murkowski said.

Tillis last week said, "I just generally don't go nuclear."

"We can do the work," he said. "We've come up with some bipartisan strategies for changing the rules."

Former GOP Senate Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., also could be among senators opposed to changing the rules.

The Associated Press contributed to this story.

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