Obama applauds Senate deal to avoid nuclear option

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“I’m pleased that the Senate took action today to move forward on the nominees who have waited far too long for a vote,” Obama said. “Over the last two years, I’ve nominated leaders to fill important positions required to do the work of the American people, only to have those positions remain unfilled – not because the nominees were somehow unqualified, but for purely political reasons.”


Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) and Republican Leader Mitch McConnell (Ky.) announced on Tuesday the terms of a deal that should pave the way for the confirmations of a handful of Obama nominees. Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) helped broker the agreement.

“I want to thank the Senators from both parties – including Leader Reid, Leader McConnell and Senator McCain – who have worked together to find a path forward and give these nominees the votes they deserve,” Obama continued. “In the weeks ahead, I hope the Congress will build on this spirit of cooperation to advance other urgent middle-class priorities, including the need to take action to pass commonsense immigration reform and keep interest rates on student loans low for families trying to afford a higher education.”

As part of the agreement, Obama will withdraw two nominees to the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB), while Republicans have agreed to hold votes on the replacement nominees before the August recess.

At a press conference before the deal had been finalized, White House spokesman Jay Carney declined to comment as to whether Obama was open to the idea of withdrawing the NLRB nominations, saying he didn’t “want to jinx anything.”

“We are for a resolution that allows for the confirmation of the president’s qualified nominees — his nominees,” Carney said. “And I don’t want to get ahead of any potential settlement that’s reached through negotiation among senators.

“What I would say is that the issue at stake here is that the president ought to be able to nominate individuals, and if they are qualified, they should be considered and confirmed in a timely fashion,” he continued. “And the president hopes and expects that this conflict will be resolved in a way that allows for his nominees to be confirmed.”