Senate showdown looms on EPA nominee, other White House picks

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid faces one of the biggest decisions
of his career this month as he heads for a showdown with Republicans on
President Obama’s stalled nominees.

The Nevada Democrat must
decide whether to trigger a controversial tactic known as the nuclear
option to strip from Republicans the power to endlessly debate
presidential nominees.

The maneuver entails changing the Senate’s
rules with a simple majority vote, instead of clearing the 67-vote
threshold required under the standing rules. 

Reid will feel out members of his caucus this week on how hard they want
to push for Gina McCarthy, Obama’s choice to head the Environmental
Protection Agency, and other high-profile nominees, according to a
senior Democratic aide.

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