Breaking Precedent, G.O.P. Changes Rules on Nominees

Senate Republicans used what is known as the nuclear option to break a Democratic blockade of President Trump’s nominees, weakening Congress’s vetting role.

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Thune Moves to Speed Trump Nominees Past Democratic Blockade

Republicans said the maneuver to change the Senate’s rules, the latest step that would weaken the filibuster, was necessary to overcome Democratic obstruction of President Trump’s nominees.

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For Democrats, Hindsight Is 2021

Democrats once had a chance to blunt a couple of the moves President Trump is making now, on redistricting and the takeover of the police force in Washington, D.C.

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Senate Heads for a ‘Nuclear’ Showdown on Trump Nominees

Republicans say they are preparing to impose rules changes to speed confirmations after Democrats thwarted them before Congress headed into recess.

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The Filibuster, a Staple of the Modern Senate, Is on the Ropes

The Senate skirting the filibuster to strike down California’s plan to phase out gas-powered vehicles was the latest wound to a tactic in decline.

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Senate Fight Over Gas-Powered Vehicles Is Also a Filibuster Showdown

Republicans have readied a plan to overturn California’s law phasing out gas-powered vehicles, using a statute aimed at striking down federal regulations. Democrats say it’s an end run around Senate rules.

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Republicans in Congress Use Obscure Law to Roll Back Biden-Era Regulations

As G.O.P. lawmakers have largely ceded power to President Trump, they are also pushing the bounds of a little-known statute to undo federal rules — and potentially undermining the filibuster.

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Fate of the Filibuster Emerges as a Central Issue in Senate Budget Fight

Some Republicans are uneasy that their party is pursuing a tactic that could weaken the filibuster and backfire in the future.

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