WASHINGTON — Senate Republicans on Thursday bulldozed past Senate precedents and changed the rules to break a Democratic blockade of President Donald Trump’s nominees, in an extraordinary move that is likely to undercut Congress’ future role in vetting executive branch officials.

The change, pushed through along party lines, lowered the existing 60-vote threshold for considering a group of presidential nominees to a simple majority, weakening the ability of individual senators to block nominees they find objectionable. It was the latest step in a yearslong back-and-forth between the two parties that has eroded the filibuster, a once-potent Senate tool to protect the rights of the minority and force consensus.

In this case, Republicans resorted to the move in an effort to steer around Dem

See Full Page