Washington (CNN) -- It's hard to imagine the atmosphere in Congress getting any more toxic, but it could if Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid carries out his threat to use the "nuclear option" to budge stalled presidential appointees forward. A top Republican aide warns that important bills like the recently approved immigration measure would never pass in a post-nuclear Senate. "If they blow the place up, then anything requiring a big bipartisan push like immigration will be impossible," the GOP aide said. Democrats step closer to "nuclear option" in filibuster fight Republicans will protest by slamming the brakes on action in the Senate, current and former senior Senate aides from both parties predicted to CNN.
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Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid threatens to go nuclear over stalled Obama appointees
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Congressional aides predict any chance of bipartisan cooperation would reach "grinding halt"
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Republicans threatened to use the same tactic when they controlled Senate
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Senators have scheduled a closed-door meeting Monday to try to avoid bitter fight
"The conundrum -- for @placeholder, not for Democrats -- is whether they can bear shutting the Senate down over a rules change that allows simple nominations to be confirmed, and therefore also end support for popular items like immigration reform, the farm bill, and investments in education, infrastructure and health research," said a Democratic leadership aide.