Reid Considers 'Nuclear Option' Change in Senate Voting Rules

Simple majority rule would strip power from the minority party

Senate Democrats will huddle Thursday to determine whether to trigger the "nuclear option" to ram through nominees with a simple majority vote.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) announced Tuesday that he planned to meet with his colleagues in two days, at which point a decision will be made on whether to change the upper chamber's filibuster rules with the controversial tactic.

"I'm going to caucus on this Thursday, and I think Thursday by the time the day is out, you'll have a better idea of what we're going to try and do on this," he told reporters.
Reid is facing pressure to advance several stalled nominees by making a Senate rule change that would eliminate filibusters on nominees. Typically, a change to Senate rules requires 67 votes, but the parliamentary maneuvering of the nuclear option would require only a majority vote.