Senate Republicans took a final procedural step Wednesday to speed up consideration of President Donald Trump’s lower-level nominees, setting up the confirmation of dozens of appointees as early as this week.

The chamber voted 47-52 on a procedural question over the votes needed to invoke cloture on an executive resolution to consider a group of nominations at the sub-Cabinet level. It previously took 60 votes, but the vote means it now takes a simple majority.

The action happened around a measure that would authorize the en bloc consideration in executive session of dozens of those nominees. The Senate then voted 52-47 to invoke cloture on the resolution, which starts a procedural clock that allows a floor vote.

The move was a continuation of a process started Sept. 11, a so-called “nu

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