"There was a Republican majority of the Senate, and it tempered the nature of the nominations being made"

This quote by Spencer Abraham is describing the political scenario in the United States Senate during his time as a Senator. The Republican majority of the Senate meant that the Republican celebration had most of the seats in the Senate, and thus had the power to influence the choices being made. This quote is recommending that the Republican bulk of the Senate was able to temper the nature of the nominations being made, meaning that the Republican party had the ability to influence the type of elections being made. This could mean that the Republican celebration had the ability to affect the type of people being chosen for positions, or the kind of policies being proposed. This quote is suggesting that the Republican bulk of the Senate had a significant impact on the choices being made in the Senate.