Vice President Mike Pence said Wednesday that he is “hopeful” Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) does not have to use the “nuclear option” to eliminate a filibuster by Democrats on President Donald Trump’s nomination of federal appeals court Judge Neil Gorsuch to the Supreme Court.
“If they decide to slow this process down, should the Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell go ahead and change the rules so that instead of 60, which it is now, votes required it would only take 50? The so-called nuclear option,” host Judy Woodruff asked Pence on PBS’ “NewsHour.”
“I’m hopeful that he doesn’t,” Pence said. “The President and our entire team are committed to supporting Judge Gorsuch’s nomination.”
Earlier Wednesday, Trump advised McConnell to “go for it.”
“If we end up with that gridlock I would say, if you can, Mitch, go nuclear,” he said, speaking to reporters during a pool spray as he met with Supreme Court advocacy groups. “So I would say, it’s up to Mitch, but I would say, go for it.”
