Overview

• Republicans voted 53–45 to overrule the chair and set a precedent permitting unlimited en‑bloc confirmations for executive nominees in the two‑hour debate category.
• The change excludes Cabinet and judicial picks, drawing Democratic warnings about reduced scrutiny and diminished minority rights.
• An initial package of 48 nominees is queued for next week, including Brandon Williams for undersecretary for nuclear security and Kimberly Guilfoyle and Callista Gingrich to be ambassadors to Greece and Switzerland.
• Last‑minute bipartisan talks modeled on the 2023 Klobuchar‑King concept collapsed after objections, with Democrats urging more time and GOP leaders calling delays unsustainable.
• Majority Leader John Thune said internal protocols will strip out any nominee lacking Republican support before bundling them for floor votes.