Two Democrat Senators Announce They’ll Vote to Confirm Gorsuch

Two Democratic senators, Joe Manchin of West Virginia and Heidi Heitkamp of North Dakota, announced Thursday that they will vote to confirm Judge Neil Gorsuch to the Supreme Court, bucking their own party's leadership.

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D., N.Y.) has promised that Senate Democrats will filibuster Gorsuch's nomination and prevent him from joining the high court. If a filibuster occurs, the Senate's 52 Republicans would need eight Democratic colleagues to join them in supporting Gorsuch, or Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R., Ky.) could invoke the so-called "nuclear option," altering Senate rules so only a simple, 51-vote majority would be needed to confirm the nominee rather than the current 60 votes needed.

Senate Democrats triggered the nuclear option in 2013 to confirm many of then-President Barack Obama's nominees, although an exception was made for Supreme Court picks.

Heitkamp and Manchin, who are both up for reelection in 2018, represent states that President Donald Trump won in the 2016 election. Their seats are considered vulnerable and potential opportunities for Republicans to expand their majority in the Senate.

More