Thune Shifts Course Amid the Realities of Senate Polarization

Thune Breaks Tradition, Embraces Nuclear Option in Divided Senate

From Guardian of Senate Traditions to Rule-Bender

When Senator John Thune of South Dakota assumed the role of majority leader in January, he vowed to uphold the Senate’s character — preserving debate, consensus-building, and above all, the filibuster. “One of my priorities as leader will be to ensure that the Senate stays the Senate,” he said at the time.

Eight months later, the filibuster remains intact, but Thune’s actions have chipped away at the chamber’s longstanding guardrails. This week, Republicans, under Thune’s leadership, pushed through a rules change that allows groups of presidential nominees to be confirmed by a simple majority vote instead of the traditional 60-vote threshold. The maneuver — executed along party lines — signaled yet another instance of Thune leaning on procedural shortcuts once considered taboo.

A Series of Precedent-Breaking Moves

The confirmation rule change was not an isolated event. Earlier this year, Thune sidestepped the filibuster to help block California’s planned phaseout of gas-powered cars, using procedural workarounds to avoid rewriting Senate rules outright. In June, Republicans advanced a new budget precedent that altered how tax cuts are scored, easing the path for Trump’s domestic agenda while eroding fiscal safeguards.

Together, these moves have weakened the minority party’s ability to force consensus, further sidelining one of the Senate’s most defining features.

The Latest Shift: Nominations Fast-Tracked

The new precedent strips senators of the power to delay or force scrutiny of individual nominees, diminishing the chamber’s traditional “advise and consent” role. Thune defended the change as a necessary response to Democrats’ coordinated blockade of Trump administration nominees, which Republicans argue paralyzed the confirmation process.

“This isn’t about weakening the filibuster — it’s about getting the Senate back to work,” Thune said. Still, many observers view the move as a decisive step away from institutionalism.

The Filibuster Survives — For Now

Thune has not moved to abolish the legislative filibuster outright, a point he uses to defend his reputation as a protector of Senate norms. The 60-vote threshold still looms over major bills, including the looming battle over government funding, which Republicans cannot pass alone. But scholars note that Thune’s willingness to bend the rules reveals a more pragmatic streak than his January pledge suggested.

“If the filibuster becomes a serious obstacle, he’ll find a way around it,” said Eric Schickler, a political science professor at UC Berkeley.

Echoes of the Past: A Slippery Slope

Thune’s moves mirror a trajectory set in motion years ago. Democrats first invoked the “nuclear option” in 2013 to confirm judicial nominees, and Republicans under Mitch McConnell followed in 2017 to secure Supreme Court appointments. By 2019, the GOP had again deployed it to accelerate confirmations of lower court judges and executive nominees.

Each step, critics argue, made the next one easier. “We are on a slippery slope,” warned Richard Arenberg, a former Senate aide and filibuster defender. “Once you cross a line, it’s easier to cross the next.”

What Comes Next

Republicans are already planning to use the new precedent aggressively. Senator John Barrasso of Wyoming said more than 100 nominees could be confirmed swiftly under the new rules.

The outcome underscores a reality that Thune once promised to resist: in today’s polarized Senate, traditions bend quickly under the weight of partisan warfare.