The Senate has altered the longstanding practice for confirming Supreme Court justices after Democrats today blocked the nomination of Judge Neil Gorsuch.
In order to bypass Democrats’ opposition, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., first invoked the so-called nuclear option. The Senate then voted to change Senate precedent on voting on Supreme Court cloture votes from the 60-vote threshold to a simple majority of 51 votes.
Republicans on their own did not have enough votes to end the floor debate on Gorsuch’s nomination, a move known as cloture, under the current rules requiring 60 votes. The first Senate vote to end debate (cloture) on Gorsuch's nomination failed with a vote of 55-45.
This is what the Democrats wanted all along.
All of that talk about the Democrats overplaying their hand, and how this was going to bite them in the ass down the road, was all BS because the Democrats KNEW that they had to vote against this nomination to placate the base, and that in so doing McConnell would change the rules moving forward.
Now I would suggest that the Democrats keep this same tactic up for every other nominee and policy proposal that Trump sends their way until these investigation into his collusion with the Russians has reached completion.
I just hope that Gorsuch enjoys occupying Merrick Garland's stolen Supreme Court seat.
Source http://ift.tt/2nIwtdW
