On Thursday November 21, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid invoked the nuclear option in the U.S. Senate. That means that executive and judicial nominees don't require 60 votes when invoking cloture on their nomination. It's understandable as to why Senator Reid invoked the nuclear option. For a long time Senator Reid had been threatening to invoke the nuclear option. Earlier this year, for the first time ever Republicans in the senate filibustered Chuck Hagel the nominee for Secretary of Defense. Never before has a presidential cabinet nominee been filibustered. The Republicans have filibustered nominees to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, Federal Housing Agency, and numerous nominees to the D.C. Circuit. It's okay for the minority to have some say in who the president nominates, but that doesn't mean you filibuster nominees that are nominated to agencies you don't like, or filibuster numerous nominees because it'll change the ideological balance of a Circuit Court.
Footnotes- Reid, Democrats trigger 'nuclear' option; eliminate most filibusters on ..., Harry Reid Threatens 'Nuclear Option' -- And Soon, BREAKING: Senate Republicans Make History, First To Filibuster ..., Senate blocks Richard Cordray confirmation to head consumer ..., U.S. Senate Republicans Block Nomination of Mel Watt to Head ..., Senate blocks D.C. circuit nominee | MSNBC
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