Democrats Trigger “Nuclear Option” on Filibuster
Friday, November 22nd, 2013November 22, 2013
Yesterday, the U.S. Senate voted 52-to-48 to change Senate rules to eliminate filibusters for most presidential appointments. Orchestrated by Majority Leader Harry Reid (D., Nevada), the vote was primarily along party lines, with all Republicans voting against the change. The rule change allows most nominees for executive appointments and federal judgeships to be confirmed by a simple majority, rather than the 60-vote supermajority that has been required to overturn filibusters for more than two centuries. The change does not apply to Supreme Court nominations.
Political experts noted that the move severely curtails the political power of the Senate’s Republican minority and will undoubtedly escalate Washington’s already intense partisan warfare. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R. Kentucky) accused Democrats of a power grab and warned that they will regret this move. “We’re not interested in having a gun put to our head any longer,” stated McConnell. “You may regret this a lot sooner than you think,” he added, referring to the possibility that Republicans may take control of the Senate in the 2014 off-year elections.

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (U.S. Senate)

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (U.S. Senate)
Majority Leader Reid triggered the so-call “nuclear option” after Republicans filibustered many of President Barack Obama’s nominees, including three appointments to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit. The Republican justified their filibusters with the assertion that the appellate court simply did not need more judges, regardless of the vacancies.
The D.C. Appellate Court is responsible for the review of most legal challenges to the conduct of the federal government. These challenges generally deal with federal regulations concerning finance, food and drugs, the environment, health care, immigration, national security, and other politically contentious areas. Democrats and many independent political experts charged that the Republicans were filibustering Obama’s appellate court nominees because they did not want the vacancies filled with people whom they deemed liberal. The court appointments are for life.
Additional World Book article:
- Congress of the United States 2012 (a Back in Time article)