A Rules-Based Strategy for Overcoming Minority Obstruction of a Supreme Court Nomination

The "nuclear option" headline sounds great, but overlooks existing Senate rules. The "Two-Speech Rule" (Rule XIX) simply requires the Senate to remain in the same "legislative day" until the filibustering members have exhausted their ability to speak on the nominee in question. A simple majority of members present and voting is all that is required at that point to proceed.