Washington, D.C. — Center for American Progress President Neera Tanden issued the following statement in response to the deal that senators reached today to avert the so-called “nuclear option” and confirm seven presidential nominees to executive positions:
The pending compromise on Senate rules reform is good news for workers, consumers, and anyone who cares about clean air and water. Today’s victory will prevent a minority in the Senate from using the filibuster as a means of nullifying democratically created government agencies and functions that they object to purely for ideological reasons. Until today, a minority in the Senate could make the National Labor Relations Board cease to function or the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau essentially weakened, and protecting workers or consumers would be at risk. This compromise will help return the Senate to its proper role as spelled out in the Constitution: advise and consent, not obstruct and delay. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) deserves much praise for his efforts to fix what has clearly been a broken Senate.
We hope this new spirit of cooperation from Senate Republicans also extends to other areas. The president deserves up-or-down votes on his judicial nominations, which have also faced unprecedented levels of obstruction and delay from some Senate Republicans. In particular, we look forward to timely votes on the president’s three nominations to the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals.
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