In 2013, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid invoked the "nuclear option" to lower the cloture threshold for most judicial nominees from 60 votes to a simple majority. What did Mitch McConnell do with this precedent in 2017?

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In 2013, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid invoked the "nuclear option" to lower the cloture threshold for most judicial nominees from 60 votes to a simple majority. What did Mitch McConnell do with this precedent in 2017?

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Reid's 2013 move eliminated the 60-vote filibuster threshold for all judicial nominees except Supreme Court picks. In 2017, McConnell took the next step: he extended the simple-majority rule to Supreme Court nominees to push through Neil Gorsuch's confirmation. This escalating pattern — each party lowering barriers when they hold power — is the backdrop for Schumer's 2024 deal. With no filibuster protecting any judicial nominees, raw vote counts and deal-making now decide who sits on federal courts.

In 2013, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid invoked the "nuclear option" to lower the cloture threshold for most judicial nominees from 60 votes to a simple majority. What did Mitch McConnell do with this precedent in 2017?

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