Senate Judiciary Panel Votes 11-9 In Favor Of Gorsuch
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork/AP) -- A divided Senate panel is backing Supreme Court nominee Neil Gorsuch.
The Judiciary Committee voted 11-9 along party lines on Monday to favorably recommend Gorsuch to the full Senate. A confirmation vote is expected on Friday, but not before a partisan showdown over President Donald Trump's choice.
Democrats have secured the 41 votes to block Gorsuch with a filibuster after Delaware Sen. Chris Coons said he would vote against the nominee. Coons said that he had decided to oppose Trump's nominee over concerns that include his vague answers in his hearing.
Coons' opposition will prevent Republicans from reaching the 60 votes they need to move Gorsuch over procedural hurdles to a final Senate vote. Determined to confirm him despite Democratic objections, they will likely change Senate rules later this week to reduce the threshold from 60 to a simple majority.
The Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman kicked off Monday morning's nomination hearing with a strong endorsement.
"Over the last couple of months the nominee's opponents have tried to find fault with him, that fault will not stick," Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Sen. Chuck Grassley said.
So far only three Democratic senators -- Joe Manchin III of West Virginia, Heidi Heitkamp of North Dakota, and Joe Donnelly of Indiana -- have said they will vote to end debate and support Gorsuch. Eight Democrats are needed to join all 52 Republicans to reach the 60-vote count.
"Based on Judge Gorsuch's record at the Department of Justice, his tenure on the bench, his appearance before the Senate and his written questions for the record, I cannot support this nomination," said California Sen. Dianne Feinstein.
"I asked him repeatedly whether he agreed with core constitutional precedence he refused to say whether it was correct or not unlike some of his predecessors," Connecticut Sen. Richard Blumenthal said.
Over the weekend, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said he can and will employ what he called a "nuclear option" to confirm the Supreme Court nominee and change the rules so as to allow Supreme Court nominees from here on out to be confirmed on a majority vote.
With 52 Republicans in support, McConnell said he is confident his change will work.
"Look, what I'm telling you is that Judge Gorsuch is going to be confirmed," McConell told Fox News on Sunday. "The way in which that occurs is in the hands of the Democratic minority. And I think during the course of the week, we'll find out exactly how this will end."
Confirming Gorsuch has been a top priority for Republicans, to fill the seat vacated when Justice Antonin Scalia died last year.
But during Monday morning's hearing several Democrats expressed continued anger over the stonewalling of former President Barack Obama's pick Judge Merrick Garland.
(© Copyright 2017 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
