The Senate voted on Thursday to eliminate the use of filibusters for most presidential nominees.

Democrats pushed for the change because Republicans have used filibusters to block executive and judicial nominees. These nominees will now be able to get though the Senate on a majority vote rather than a 60-supermajority vote.

President Barack Obama welcomed the rule change. Some of his executive and judicial nominees have never been confirmed due to opposition from Republicans.

"All too often, we've seen a single senator or a handful of senators choose to abuse arcane procedural tactics to unilaterally block bipartisan compromises, or to prevent well-qualified, patriotic Americans from filling critical positions of public service in our system of government," Obama said in a statement.

The change will help Obama's nominees for the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals. Republicans have prevented three of his picks from receiving a confirmation vote.

One nominee is Patricia Ann Millett, a Washington, D.C., attorney with extensive experience in Indian law.

Get the Story:
Senate’s filibuster rule change should help Obama achieve key second-term priorities (The Washington Post 11/22)
Senate’s filibuster decision could reshape influential D.C. federal appeals court (The Washington Post 11/22)
Reid, Democrats trigger ‘nuclear’ option; eliminate most filibusters on nominees (The Washington Post 11/22)
In Landmark Vote, Senate Limits Use of the Filibuster (The New York Times 11/22)
Partisan Fever in Senate Likely to Rise (The New York Times 11/22)

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