WASHINGTON — Fed up with Republican efforts to block confirmation of President Obama's appointees, Democrats threatened Thursday to limit use of the filibuster, a drastic maneuver that would end an age-old Senate tradition and could inflame tensions between the two parties.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid set the stage for a showdown next week, scheduling votes on seven stalled nominations that require 60 votes to advance under a filibuster. If those votes fail, Reid vowed that Democrats would alter Senate rules on executive branch nominations to allow them to pass on majority votes.

"This is about making Washington work regardless of who's the president," the Nevada Democrat said in a heated debate that consumed the day. "The constant obstruction in this chamber has gone on long enough."

The Senate's GOP leader, Mitch McConnell, bitterly protested Reid's threat, saying it would be "one of the most consequential changes to the United States Senate in the history of our nation." The Kentucky senator charged that Democrats wanted to replace the Senate's mandate of "advise and consent" with "sit down and shut up."

Republicans warned that use of the so-called nuclear option would lead them to shut down the Senate for the rest of the congressional term and make the filibuster the centerpiece of their campaign in next year's election.

"If Sen. Reid changes the character of the Senate, then the Senate ceases to function," said Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.). "We'll take our case to the people, we'll argue for a new majority, and then Republicans will be in a position to do whatever Republicans with 51 votes want to do."

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