Washington, DC. Senate Democrats handed Donald Trump yet another partisan humiliation today in voting down Trump’s Supreme Court choice Gorsuch. The Senate Democrats voted to block Neil Gorsuch’s U.S. Supreme Court confirmation Thursday, a move sure to prompt a “nuclear option” rule change by Republicans to put President Donald Trump’s first nominee on the high court, despite todays embarrassment.
The 55-45 Senate vote was short of the 60 needed to advance the nomination, with all but four Democrats voting in opposition. Majority Leader Mitch McConnell says he has the votes to change Senate rules to end the minority party’s veto power and allow Gorsuch to be confirmed possibly this Friday.
The senate rules include a “nuclear option” which allows Senate rules to be revised with a simple majority vote, rather than the 67 typically required. McConnell has said he has no choice but to change Senate rules because Democrats were ignoring a tradition of allowing high court nominees to proceed to simple-majority confirmation without a filibuster.
Democrats and Republicans of both parties have warned that any unilateral rule changes by Republicans will deepen the partisan divisions in the government and let presidents put more ideologically extreme justices on the court.
Trump’s Supreme Court pick Gorsuch, has a decade of federal appeals court experience and unanimous support among Senate Republicans who say he will be a strong addition to the court for decades to come. Democrats continue to pursue a policy of partisan legislative warfare against Trump.