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In the [[United States Senate]], the '''nuclear''', or '''constitutional, option''' is the act of overriding the normal rule or precedent concerning the number of votes required to pass certain resolutions. Senate rules require a three fifths, or 60 vote, "supermajority" to reach a decision in many situations. Passing the nuclear option reduces this requirement to a simple majority.  The matter then goes immediately to the full senate, which decides by majority vote. In general, the presiding officer follows Senate precedent as interpreted by the parliamentarian. Unlike the speaker of the House, he rarely uses his discretionary power. The nuclear option was used for the first time in 1975 to reform the filibuster, and it was used again in November 2013 to allow certain judicial appointments to be made by a simple majority.

The '''nuclear''', or '''constitutional, option''' is a parliamentary procedure that allows the [[United States Senate]] to override its own rules by majority vote. Senate rules require a three fifths, or 60 vote, "supermajority" to reach a decision in many situations. If the [[presiding officer]] rules that a motion raises a constitutional issue, the matter then goes immediately to the full senate. Since the Senate decides a constitutional issue by majority vote, this procedure may be used to bypass any requirement for a supermajority. In general, the presiding officer follows precedent as interpreted by the parliamentarian. Unlike the Speaker of the House, he rarely uses his discretionary power.

 

In 1957, Vice President Richard Nixon, then president of the Senate, wrote an opinion stating that the constitution grants the presiding officer the authority to disregard Senate rules, provided that he is later upheld by a majority vote. This procedure was used in 1975 to reform the filibuster. Senator Trent Lott gave it the name "nuclear option" in 2003. The procedure was used again in November 2013 to revise rules concerning judicial and administrative nominations. Except for supreme court justice, these may now be confirmed by majority vote.