filibuster

“That means legislation in the Senate could be subject to a filibuster, unless it is part of a budget reconciliation bill or the Republicans eliminate the filibuster,” Kantrowitz said.

A major impediment to total control for either party is that Senate bills require a three-fifths majority, or 60 votes, to bypass the filibuster, which enables senators to delay legislation by keeping debate open-ended.

Republicans won’t have 60 votes to break a likely Democratic filibuster, and some conservatives want to keep the department in place but redirect it toward their goals.

Schnur added that the filibuster would almost certainly be eliminated and the body would become “almost an assembly line” for Trump’s judicial nominees.

A federal abortion rights law would need enough votes to overcome a Senate filibuster from Republicans.