Senate GOP hurtles toward nuclear option after deal with Dems falls apart

Last-minute closed-door talks between Senate Republicans and Democrats failed to prevent a nuclear option in the upper chamber as frustrations on both sides killed a deal to move ahead with President Donald Trump s nominees Lawmakers were inching closer to a deal that would have allowed sub-Cabinet-level nominees to be voted on in bunches but neither side could reach a final agreement DEMS DIG IN AS GOP PREPARES TO GO NUCLEAR IN TRUMP NOMINEE RACESenate Republicans argued that a majority of their counterparts agreed with the new proposal but that Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer D-N Y was still standing in the way I think the majority of Democrats are on board with it Sen James Lankford R-Okla communicated Fox News Digital And Schumer is blocking it from in fact having consent to come to the floor The failed deal was a modified version of a proposal first unveiled by Senate Democrats in and would have allowed nominees to be batched together en bloc and voted on while still requiring two hours of debate for the group THUNE LAYS GROUNDWORK FOR NUCLEAR OPTION IN SENATE FIGHT OVER TRUMP NOMINEESBut when Lankford brought the proposal to the floor for consideration Sen Brian Schatz D-Hawaii blocked it Schatz argued that Senate Republicans were trying to rush through the negotiating process ahead of their plan to leave Washington for the weekend What they're asking for is unanimity and we don't have it he noted And so if you're interested in enacting this on a bipartisan basis the process for doing that It is available to you But again it's more a matter of running out of patience than running out of time TRUMP TELLS SCHUMER TO 'GO TO HELL' OVER SENATE NOMINEE DEAL FUNDING DEMANDS AFTER NEGOTIATIONS COLLAPSESenate Majority Leader John Thune R-S D fired back how much time is enough Give me a break he stated Two years Not long enough How about eight months Eight months of this With the prospects of bipartisan deal to move nominees through Democrats' blockade Senate Republicans are expected to continue down the path of the nuclear option That means that their initial proposal which would allow for an unlimited number of sub-cabinet level nominees to be voted on en bloc with hours of debate tacked on is expected to pass with a simple majority and effectively change the confirmation process in the Senate We are achingly close to doing this like adults Schatz revealed