Senators are searching for a last-minute off-ramp to avoid using the so-called “nuclear option” to implement a rule change that would allow Republicans to pass President Trump's sub-Cabinet nominees "en bloc" due to a Democratic blockade.

With a vote on the change on deck in a couple of hours, bipartisan talks have intensified with the goal of reaching a deal with Democrats, according to three Senate GOP sources.

The "nuclear option" allows the majority party in the Senate to change the rules via a simple majority vote. It is so called because it is seen as extremely detrimental to bipartisanship in the chamber.

The latest discussions are centering around a modified version of a proposal made by Sens. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) and Angus King (I-Maine) two years ago that would have allowed

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