Senate Republicans have confirmed more than 100 of President Donald Trump’s nominees in a single session, effectively clearing a months-long backlog of pending appointments. The mass confirmations followed a recent GOP-led rule change allowing most executive branch nominees to be approved together rather than through individual votes. The change, however, does not apply to Cabinet or judicial nominees. Among those confirmed were Herschel Walker, named ambassador to the Bahamas, and Sergio Gor, appointed ambassador to India. The large-scale approval represents the biggest use of the new process since its adoption and marks a significant victory for Trump as his administration continues filling key government positions amid partisan gridlock.

The rule change, often referred to as the “nuclear option,” was invoked after Democratic opposition had slowed confirmations to a near halt. Some Republicans had floated the idea of allowing Trump to make recess appointments, but party leaders rejected it, fearing potential backlash when out of power. The decision followed months of internal GOP discussions about how to address Democratic stalling tactics. Republicans had also debated limiting debate time, cutting procedural votes, or adopting a system allowing multiple confirmations with a single vote. A working group led by Sen. Katie Britt (R-Ala.) coordinated efforts to craft a solution, even consulting Democrats during the August recess.

Earlier, Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) had kept the chamber in session over a weekend to move nominations forward as Democrats continued demanding roll call votes on even routine candidates. One of the most prominent confirmations was former judge and Fox News host Jeanine Pirro, who will serve as Washington, D.C.’s top prosecutor. Her approval capped weeks of negotiation and underscored Republicans’ determination to expedite Trump’s remaining appointments before future recesses.