Gorsuch Confirmation: Republicans Deploy ‘Nuclear Option’
A confirmation vote is set likely for tomorrow on Judge Neil Gorsuch to join the Supreme Court after a change to filibuster rules in the Senate.
FOX’s Jared Halpern has more from Capitol Hill:
By calling for this vote, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell triggered the nuclear option:
(McConnell) “I raise the point of order that the precedent set on the vote for cloture set on November 21st 2013 is a majority vote on all nominations.”
Republicans agreed to lower the threshold from 60 votes to a simple majority to defeat a filibuster of Supreme Court nominations, extending a precedent set for lower court judges three years ago:
(Schumer) “We will sadly point to today as a turning point in the history of the Senate and the Supreme Court.”
Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer led the filibuster effort, claiming Republicans treatment of former nominee Merick Garland was worse.
On Capitol Hill, Jared Halpern, FOX News.
