Schumer warns GOP against rules change on Supreme Court

“Regardless of which party is in the White House, the U.S. Supreme Court should be above politics”.

Some Democrats have said Republicans “stole” a Supreme Court seat a year ago when the Senate refused to consider Democratic former President Barack Obama’s nominee to replace Scalia, appellate judge Merrick Garland.

With Carper and other Democrats threatening to do anything in their power to block Gorsuch – possibly employing a filibuster to keep him locked out – Republicans are threatening to unleash the “nuclear option”.

“It’s tough enough without talking about it (publicly)”, he said.

“Picture this: You have two people confront each other”, the Oregon Democrat said on MSNBC.

It’s not entirely clear who all is involved in the discussions and whether there is potential for a deal.

The rule change, which would forever eliminate the filibuster from interfering with the Supreme Court confirmation process, would only exacerbate the hyperpartisan culture in Washington. In 2013, Democrats were in the majority under the leadership of Sen. It was a follow-up meeting for the West Virginia Democrat. Certainly not even negotiations. The announcement from Sens. They pushed through a rules change lowering the vote threshold on all nominees except for the Supreme Court from 60 to a simple majority.

When the vote goes to the full Senate, at least two or three Democrats are likely to vote against the filibuster but not the 12 the GOP would needed to break the filibuster blocking a final vote.

“He can prove that he cares about the Senate by not changing the rules”, Minority Leader Chuck Schumer of NY told The Associated Press, referring to McConnell. Republicans need the support of six more Democrats to avoid a filibuster.

It’s a diverse mix that includes senior Democrats who’ve been in the chamber for decades to first-term senators.

In all, 33 Democrats have said they will oppose Gorsuch.

In remarks made to Democratic party donors, McCaskill commented that she was happy to vote against Gorsuch, “but I’m very uncomfortable being part of a strategy that’s going to open up the Supreme Court to a complete change”.

Organized by a coalition of pro-democracy and civil rights groups under the umbrella of The People’s Defense, rallies are being held in 14 cities across the country, from Las Vegas to Sioux Falls, South Dakota to Portland, Maine. Justice Anthony Kennedy, the pivotal vote closest to the court’s center, is 80.

We must have judges on all our federal courts, especially the Supreme Court, who understand that they are not politicians in robes. Bob Corker, R-Tenn. “It’s both sides that have taken us to this place”.

We’re in a weird place on this vote.

“It just continues on a downward spiral; it’s us that’s to blame, it’s the base, it’s responding to the base on each side”, said Sen. He was previously a deputy assistant attorney general at the Justice Department and is the youngest Supreme Court nominee in 25 years.

Such talks can be risky and complicated.

“I’ve done this twice and been burned twice”. “I told you once they changed the rules for the lower court, it was just a matter of time”.