‘Nuclear option’ poised to change Senate rules for Gorsuch nomination

John McCain, R-Arizona, is one of few exceptions; he called the idea to use the option for Supreme Court justices “stupid” earlier this week.

But McConnell and Republicans say the Democrats’ obstruction leaves them with no choice.

Gorsuch’s final confirmation vote is scheduled for Friday.

This clears the way for President Trump’s nominee, Neil Gorsuch, to be confirmed as an associate justice to the high court.

“There is still time for them to support a nominee who even longtime Democrats have praised, or at the very least, do not block him with the first successful partisan filibuster in American history”, Republican Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said of the Democrats on Wednesday.

In fact, a Senate rules change does appear to be the lone route that Republicans have to put Gorsuch on the court.

The essential end of the filibuster for Supreme Court nominees was not a surprise, but it triggered consternation that the partisanship that has infected the Senate will only worsen. As ABC News explained, the rule change will have lasting effects on the type of judges nominated by either party in the future. After the standard 30 hours of debate, Gorsuch is expected to be confirmed.

“Republicans aren’t going to be played for suckers and chumps”, Cotton said on the Senate floor. She cautioned fellow senators about the potential impact of utilizing the nuclear option.

With a 55-45 vote Thursday, Senate Democrats successfully used a procedure called a filibuster that requires 60 votes to win confirmation in the 100-seat Senate.

The rules change will enable Gorsuch to easily pass through the Senate with a simple majority instead of the now-defunct 60-vote threshold.

“This will be the first, and last, partisan filibuster of a Supreme Court nominee“, Mr McConnell said.

With ideological control of the nation’s highest court at stake, the Senate held a vote to end debate on Mr Gorsuch’s nomination and move toward a Friday vote to confirm him to the lifetime post. Then McConnell can make a motion for the Senate to revote the failed cloture vote.

For Republicans and Trump, Gorsuch’s confirmation would be a moment of triumph, a bright spot in a troubled young administration that’s failed on the legislative front with the health care bill and is under investigation over Russian Federation connections. That could take a while, as Democrats will refuse to give unanimous consent to any procedural vote that comes up.

At 11 AM, the Senate moved to invoke cloture on the nomination of Judge Neil Gorsuch to the Supreme Court. If he pushes back that timeline, it suggests the Republican leader does not have 50 votes (plus Pence) for the rule change.

WASHINGTON ― Democrats on Thursday followed through with their threats to filibuster Supreme Court nominee Neil Gorsuch, setting the stage for Republicans to unilaterally change the rules to force through his confirmation. In the face of Republican filibusters of Obama appointments, they barred filibusters for executive branch nominees and federal judges aside from Supreme Court justices but still allowed it for Supreme Court nominees and legislation. That the only option after Judge Gorsuch doesn’t earn 60 votes is to break the rules, to change the rules.

But that day is not today, and Gorsuch is poised to re-establish a conservative majority in the Supreme Court.

What Republicans did to Mr Obama’s nominee was worse than a filibuster, Mr Schumer said.