President Trump often trashes Democrats for being “losers,” but somehow, they have managed to bind together and reach the magic number of 41 needed to filibuster Trump’s Supreme Court nominee, Neil Gorsuch. On Monday afternoon, the filibuster became inevitable when Democratic Senators Dianne Feinstein (Ca.), Patrick Leahy (Vt.), and Mark Warner (Va.) announced they would not vote in favor of Gorsuch.
This news comes after Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY) announced his opposition and urged his colleagues to follow his lead. Liberal progressive groups have also spent weeks lobbying against Gorsuch, for they fear he will not stand up to Trump and will instead help further push an agenda that has already resulted in a number of lawsuits.
Only a few Democratic senators are still undecided, but even if Senator Bob Menedez (NJ), and Senator Ben Cardin (MD) voted in favor of Gorsuch, it will not be enough to avoid a filibuster. Longtime Republcans are making sure to put Democrats on notice and remind them of the time when Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) used the nuclear option in 2013 to lower the number of votes needed to confirm an executive nominee.
But Senator John McCain (R-Ariz) is trying to avoid going nuclear and has instead been reaching across the aisle with hopes of negotiating a deal that will stop Democrats from filibustering. “I’m having just a few conversations that I’ve been having for a long time with my friends on the Democratic side,” he said. “I’m not having negotiations and there is no gang.”
The only Democratic senators who have come out in favor of Neil Gorsuch have been four senators who mostly serve districts that went red in the last presidential election.
Following news of the Democrats’ gathered votes, the Senate Judiciary Committee voted (11-9) along party lines to bring Gorsuch’s nomination in front of the full Senate.
(via Washington Post & The Hill)