Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., on Thursday rejected a GOP push to change Senate rules with a simple-majority vote to expedite confirmation of President Donald Trump's stalled nominees, The Hill reported.
Tillis said he wouldn't back such a change even amid more than 160 pending Trump candidates, many of whom have been delayed by Democrat procedural tactics.
"I just generally don't go nuclear," he said, referring to the maneuver known as the "nuclear option" — using a simple majority to establish new precedents instead of adhering to the typical 67-vote threshold required to change Senate rules.
Democrats have been demanding full debate and roll-call votes, even for low-level nominees, prompting frustration among Republicans.
In response, Senate Republicans are weighing several proposals, including shortening the two-hour debate period between a cloture vote and final confirmation, bundling lower-level nominees into group votes, and eliminating cloture votes for such nominees.
All of those potential changes could be enacted with a simple-majority vote if Republicans decide to bypass Democrat support. However, GOP senators remain divided over whether to take that step.
Tillis said using a partisan vote to alter Senate procedures would set a dangerous precedent.
"If we do this, then that means the new bar for rules [changes] is a simple majority," he said.
Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, echoed that caution.
"We clearly have a huge problem with bipartisan nominees requiring roll-call votes, but I want to see what the exact proposals are," she said.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., said discussions are ongoing within the Republican conference.
"We're having the conversations. Obviously, you want to do it the right way, and so it could very well be something we do when we come back," he said, referencing the Senate's return after the August recess.
"There is some interest on the Democrat side that has been expressed. I suspect with the current Democrat Party, though, it would be very hard to get 67."
Jim Thomas ✉
Jim Thomas is a writer based in Indiana. He holds a bachelor's degree in Political Science, a law degree from U.I.C. Law School, and has practiced law for more than 20 years.
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