Update at 12:49 p.m.: After triggering the nuclear option to change Senate filibuster rules for Supreme Court nominees, Senate Republicans on Thursday voted with a simple majority to advance Gorsuch’s nomination for a final vote.
Update at 12:33 p.m.: In the face of a Democratic filibuster, Senate Republicans on Thursday went nuclear and voted 52-48 to change the Supreme Court filibuster rules in order to move forward Gorsuch’s nomination with a simple majority vote.
Update at 12:07 p.m.: Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) took the first step toward triggering the nuclear option by raising a point of order to make the vote on cloture a “majority vote on all nominations,” including those to the Supreme Court.
“Our Democratic colleagues have done something today that is unprecedented in the history of the Senate,” he said.
Update at 12:00 p.m.: Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) was unable to swing enough votes to pass a motion postponing consideration of Gorsuch’s nomination to April 24, after the congressional recess.
Update at 11:46 a.m.: After Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) led a motion to reconsider the vote, Republicans once again failed to muster 60 yeas to invoke cloture and move Gorsuch’s nomination forward.
Update at 11:16 a.m.: Democrats voted on Thursday to filibuster Neil Gorsuch’s nomination to the Supreme Court. Republicans were unable to muster the 60 votes necessary to invoke cloture and break the Democratic filibuster, and are expected to use the so-called “nuclear option” to change Senate rules with a simple majority in order to move Gorsuch forward to a final confirmation vote.
Original story below:
The full Senate is scheduled to vote Thursday on Neil Gorsuch’s nomination to the Supreme Court, a showdown that is expected to result in a Democratic filibuster that would provoke Republicans to use the so-called “nuclear option” in order to advance Gorsuch.
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