Filibuster Showdown May Be Averted

04:38

July 16, 2013

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., center, walks to closed-door meeting in the Old Senate Chamber for a showdown over presidential nominees that have been blocked by a GOP filibuster, at the Capitol in Washington, Monday, July 15, 2013. (J. Scott Applewhite/AP)

After a rare meeting of nearly all senators last night, and a lot of horse trading on the Senate floor this morning, a deal has been reached over confirming some of President Obama's long-stalled cabinet nominations.

The Senate also voted to move forward with the nomination of former Ohio Attorney General Richard Cordray to head the Consumer Financial Protection Board, a board that Republicans think has too much power.

The progress means the Senate has avoided — at least for now — the so-called "nuclear option" that Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid had threatened to deploy, to change the rules on filibusters to keep Republicans from blocking the votes.

See also: Senate Nears Showdown Over ‘Nuclear Option’

Guest

Rick Klein, political director for ABC News. He tweets @rickklein.

This segment aired on July 16, 2013.

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