Nuclear Option
The “nuclear option” is an informal term for a Senate procedural tactic in which the presiding officer’s ruling, sustained by a simple-majority vote, changes how Senate rules or precedents are applied. It has been used to reduce the number of votes needed to invoke cloture on certain nominations.
The “nuclear option” is an informal term for a Senate procedural tactic in which the presiding officer’s ruling, sustained by a simple-majority vote, changes how Senate rules or precedents are applied. It has been used to reduce the number of votes needed to invoke cloture on certain nominations.
Example: In 2013, the Senate used the procedure to change the cloture threshold for most executive-branch and lower-court nominations; in 2017, it extended the approach to Supreme Court nominations.
Common misconception: “Nuclear option” is a formally titled rule in the Senate rulebook. It is a political nickname for a procedural maneuver involving precedent and majority votes.
Sources: https://www.senate.gov/legislative/nominations.htm; https://www.senate.gov/legislative/common/briefing/Rules_Procedures.htm