WASHINGTON (AP) – The Senate has cleared the way for a Friday confirmation vote on President Donald Trump’s nominee for the Supreme Court.
On Thursday, the Senate voted 55-45 to successfully block Judge Neil Gorsuch, denying Republicans the 60 votes they needed to move forward. Republicans then voted to eliminate the 60-vote threshold, allowing them to proceed to the Friday vote with a simple majority.
The change is dubbed “the nuclear option” because it will make it easier for the majority to confirm its Supreme Court nominees in the future. Then-majority Democrats made a similar move in 2013 for lower court judges and executive branch nominees.
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell raised a point of order to change the rules “under the precedent set on Nov. 21, 2013,” when Senate Democrats who were then in the majority made the same move for lower court and executive branch nominations.
Under the new rules, the Senate voted 55-45 to move ahead on the nomination. After the standard 30 hours of debate, Gorsuch is expected to be confirmed.
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