McConnell Pushing Senate to Adopt Two-Hour Debate Limit

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., leaves the chamber after Senate Democrats blocked President Donald Trump's request for $5.7 billion to construct his long-sought wall along the U.S-Mexico border, as a partial government shutdown continues, at the Capitol in Washington, Jan. 24, 2019. AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite

WASHINGTON—Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell took a huge first step Wednesday afternoon to enacting a new rule limiting debate on most presidential nominations to two hours.

McConnell, a Kentucky Republican, had to raise a point of order after the Senate approved a cloture motion to limit debate to 30 hours on President Donald Trump’s nominations of Jeffrey Kessler as an assistant secretary of commerce.