2014 DE Senate debate: on Government Reform

Chris Coons: Nuclear option: Allow confirmation of Obama's appointees

"Month after month, now year after year, we've seen as highly qualified nominees--for judgeships, for ambassadorships, for agency positions--have been filibustered or have been blocked," Coons said "and frankly it was with real regret and only after many attempts at some resolution that I voted for the reforms today."

The grid-lock that has seized Washington was the final straw for frustrated Democrats. Coons said Republican filibusters had made it clear the GOP were simply on a mission to block Obama's nominees. "A sort of blanket declaration that nobody was getting confirmed--regardless of how qualified, regardless of how bipartisan their record was--that made it clear that this was not based on the qualifications of the nominees," Coons said. "It was based on a rejection of the presidency of Barack Obama"