Senators fail to reach ‘nuclear option’ deal, but some hopeful as deadline nears

In a rare, private meeting with nearly all 100 senators Monday night, the upper chamber failed to come up with a deal to avert the so-called nuclear option—a partisan threat by Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid that would eliminate filibusters for executive-branch nominees.

But after the nearly four-hour meeting, senators said Reid and Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell are expected to keep talking before a Tuesday deadline.