WASHINGTON (AP) — Senate Majority Leader John Thune says Republicans are ready to change the chamber's rules to allow quick confirmations of dozens of President Donald Trump's executive branch nominees, moving to speed up votes after months of Democratic delays.

Thune said Monday that he'll start the process of changing the rules this week, with a final vote likely coming as soon as next week. Opening the Senate, Thune said Democrats' obstruction of nominees is unsustainable.

If the delays continue, Thune said, "there is no practical way that we could come close to filling all the vacancies in the four years of this administration no matter how many hours the Senate works."

Republicans have been talking about options for changing the rules since early August, when the Senate left for a

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